Hide from Search
by Micah Wood · Search
Also makes 7 other plugins · 10.5K+ installs across the portfolio →
Hide individual WordPress pages from search engines and/or WordPress searches, such as confirmation and download pages.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
B 77/100
no flags
Active installs
3K+
≈3.9K estimated
Momentum
+56%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “hidden posts” and “search engines” for “from” and “hide”. “hidden posts” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “from” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “search engines” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “hide” sits at #24 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
77 health vs 63 average across 979 Search plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →6.3%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 47.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Search plugin keeps 0.7%, across 646 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Search plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 1 release in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 243 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
4.4★ over 17 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
41
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
29%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| hide from search your tag | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| exclude from search your tag | #2 | #6 | up 1 |
| hide | #24 | #22 | down 1 |
| search exclude | #20 | #17 | down 1 |
| hide posts | #24 | #24 | down 6 |
| hidden posts your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| search engines your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| wordpress search your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
23 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 5 listed. 18 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “hidden posts” and “search engines” for “from” and “hide”. “hidden posts” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “from” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “search engines” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “hide” sits at #24 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.4K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
8mo ago
latest release · v1.1.8 · 3 Mar 2026
19
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 99% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3.2 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 18 Aug 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ noodles1011.7y ago
I 100% agree with the previous reviewer below. 3 stars for a potentially great plugin. For 5 stars please add: Options to be selected in Quick Edit mode and also add a section under Settings where it is possible to exclude multiple pages, posts or whatever from google or WP searches. Previous review:Happy to adjust my rating if I’m wrong but currently it appears you need to enter Edit to apply any changes. I have the need to hide hundreds of pages in a very large website and it would be so handy if the options were placed inside the Quick Edit. Furthermore, it would be even more handy if you could then select multiple pages and edit them together.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bighrts2.8y ago
This plugin definitely works, but I find that it’s hit or miss. Using it with WordPress products, some products still show in search results even with the boxes ticked while others don’t. Not sure why the inconsistency is there.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ oxign3.4y ago
Happy to adjust my rating if I’m wrong but currently it appears you need to enter Edit to apply any changes. I have the need to hide hundreds of pages in a very large website and it would be so handy if the options were placed inside the Quick Edit. Furthermore, it would be even more handy if you could then select multiple pages and edit them together.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gpowerhost3.4y ago
This plugin is well coded and maintained. It’s FREE FROM: bloat, clutter, nagging messages, spam advertising (as some other plugins in this category are not.) We’ve tested Hide from Search and it indeed does hide whichever you want: search engines and/or WordPress search results for any Posts/ Pages/ WooCommerce Products/ LearnDash Courses and all other Custom Post Types that we’ve seen (that are coded to the WordPress standards of posts/pages). Our heartfelt thanks to, Micah Wood, the plugin author for being generous and continuing to make WordPress.org the wonderful open sourced enabler that allows individuals, businesses, organizations and educators all around the world to be able to build anything they want on the web, as well as or better than any other content management system! Note: We have indeed tested all of the other plugins in this category listed on WordPress.org, prior to migrating 853 client sites (migration still in progress) from one of the other plugins that recently ruined a plugin they either purchased or took over by littering the WordPress Dashboard with spam advertisements and making the plugin unnecessarily bloated.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Eder Tuffic5.3y ago
I had tried another one and it didn’t work, this one worked perfectly!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ savethefrogs5.6y ago
Hide From Search is super easy to use…and it works. Specifically, it helps you take any post or page and easily ensure public users don’t find it in search. Use case: hide thank you pages and confirmation pages. As far as customer support goes, I emailed Micah about an issue and he released a fix the same day. Highly recommended!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Gus5.7y ago
Been using it for months, works as intended to remove pages from the footer. I’ve tried it with a few wordpress themes and it works nicely.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dknut6.4y ago
Good thing to use. very usefull to hide something if you are not familiar with SEO excludes.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.8 General maintenance 1.1.8
- — Version 1.1.7 General maintenance 1.1.7
- — Version 1.1.6 Version bump to fix automated release process. 1.1.6
- — Version 1.1.5 Fix issue with wp-forge/container package not being compatible with PHP versions older than 8.0 1.1.5
- — Version 1.1.4 Minor maintenance release 1.1.4
- — Version 1.1.3 Fix PHP notice when Yoast SEO is active General security updates for dependencies. 1.1.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
4 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Hide individual WordPress pages from search engines and/or WordPress searches, such as confirmation and dow..."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,139 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "exclude from search", "hidden posts" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2023-08-15 2K+ → 3K+ up after 109 days in tier
- 2023-04-28 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-04-27 2K+ → 3K+ up after 24 days in tier
- 2023-04-03 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-04-02 2K+ → 3K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-04-01 3K+ → 2K+ down after 140 days in tier
- 2022-11-12 2K+ → 3K+ up after 380 days in tier
- 2021-10-28 1K+ → 2K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Exclude Search 70+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
Search Exclude 50K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Search in Place 3K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Canonical Link 2K+ installs · 4.0★ · 1 shared tag B -
Mass Ping Tool for SEO – WordPress ping list to get indexed faster on Google, Yandex, … 400+ installs · 3.7★ · 1 shared tag B -
Site Search 360 300+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Hide from Search into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/mpress-hide-from-search" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Hide from Search — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Hide from Search: 3K+ active installs, 4.4★ (17 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/mpress-hide-from-search
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