Instant Back/Forward
by Weston Ruter · Performance
Also makes 29 other plugins · 337K+ installs across the portfolio →
Enables back/forward cache (bfcache) for instant history navigations even when “nocache” headers are sent, such as when a user is logged in.
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 83/100
Few reviews
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
-25%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “back” to your wp.org tags. You rank #12 for it without listing it, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed it's a slot worth spending.
83 health vs 69 average across 1,806 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →16%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 61.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,104 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Performance 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 3 releases 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.
Room to improve
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 50 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 1 review, smoothed to 4.12★ and held back under 25 reviews
2 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.
36
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
13%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| forward | #1 | #14 | 0 |
| nocache | #1 | #6 | 0 |
| sustainability | #2 | #5 | 0 |
| instant | #5 | #21 | up 1 |
| prerender | #4 | #10 | up 1 |
| instant page | #9 | #20 | 0 |
| caching your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
66 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 6 listed. 60 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “back” to your wp.org tags. You rank #12 for it without listing it, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed it's a slot worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 21 Jul 2025 · 469 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 13.2K · 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
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.
3
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v1.3.3 · 12 Sep 2026
6
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 12 months 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 20 Jul 2025
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Topher1.1y ago
This is now a “must install” plugin for me on every site I work on. It’s absolutely magical.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.3.1 Rename plugin to “Instant Back/Forward” ( https://github.com/westonruter/nocache-bfcache/pull/49 ) 1.3.1
- — Version 1.3.0 Add nocache_bfcache_use_remember_me_as_opt_in filter to opt out of opt-in ( #29 ) Ensure is_user_logged_in() function exists before using ( #37 ) Update plugin-check to v1.6 and reuse PHPCS ruleset ( #27 ) 1.3.0
- — Version 1.2.0 Add path data for CSS file ( #15 ) Only run update-dotorg-assets manually on workflow_dispatch ( #16 ) Explored using Clear-Site-Data header for bfcache invalidation, but ultimately removed it due to browser inconsistenc 1.2.0
- — Version 1.1.0 Add GHA workflow ( #1 ) Integrate with interim login (wp-auth-check) modal ( #2 ) Log out warning when page navigation is not restored from bfcache when WP_DEBUG is enabled ( #3 ) Retain CCNS when the user has JavaScript 1.1.0
- — Version 1.0.0 Initial release. 1.0.0
- — Version 1.3.3 Fix “Tested up to” and restore readme changes. 1.3.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 4 languages, 4 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
6 of 8 pass · checked 1 Nov 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Enables back/forward cache (bfcache) for instant history navigations even when “nocache” headers are sent,..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 6 of 6 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you want"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, BuddyPress, Jetpack.
- ! Headings and lists 2 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 6,819 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 1 of 2 tags appear in the text; "performance" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-11-04 9K+ → 10K+ up after 15 days in tier
- 2025-10-20 8K+ → 9K+ up after 9 days in tier
- 2025-10-11 7K+ → 8K+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2025-10-05 6K+ → 7K+ up after 8 days in tier
- 2025-09-27 5K+ → 6K+ up after 7 days in tier
- 2025-09-20 4K+ → 5K+ up after 7 days in tier
- 2025-09-13 3K+ → 4K+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2025-09-07 2K+ → 3K+ up after 5 days in tier
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).
-
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags B -
WP Super Cache 1M+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A -
W3 Total Cache 900K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Redis Object Cache 500K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Breeze Cache 300K+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Instant Back/Forward into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/nocache-bfcache" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Instant Back/Forward — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Instant Back/Forward: 10K+ active installs, 5.0★ (1 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/nocache-bfcache
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