Organic Widget Area Block
by Organic Themes · Blocks
Also makes 3 other plugins · 5.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
The Widget Area Block allows for multiple custom Widget Areas to be created on any page or post using the Gutenberg block editor.
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
D 43/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
700+
≈800 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “block”, “block editor” and “blocks” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
43 health vs 71 average across 2,527 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.7%
of downloads still active
At least 700 of 40.7K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,579 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Blocks plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Removal-risk signals
53/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 5+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Falling behind WordPress. Tested up to WordPress 5.7.21.
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 1987 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.7.21; the current branch is 6.8
3.7★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 4.06★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 1987 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
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.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| block your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| block editor your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| blocks your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| gutenberg your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget area your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “block”, “block editor” and “blocks” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,490 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 200 · 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
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
5.4y ago
latest release · v1.2.3 · 25 May 2021
7
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 82% 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 “700+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 800.
Install history since 17 Aug 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ scopie3.6y ago
This plug-in was so helpful when everyone was trying to catch up to Gutenberg, but now it crashes the website when I update to PHP 8.0. So sad…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ completegraphics5.5y ago
Great plugin except the advertising will not dismiss.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Joona Nuutinen5.6y ago
An advertisement will be constantly visible in your backend, if you install this plugin: “Upgrade The Widget Area Block and receive 11 Additional Premium Blocks for the Gutenberg editor! Get Blocks Bundle” Closing this message will not make it go away. Otherwise the plugin seems to work, but I’m not willing to clutter my backend with yet another pointless notification.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jmurphree6.0y ago
I’d just assumed this functionality was built-in to the new default editor… NOPE. This plugin does EXACTLY what you want it to do, perfectly!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Marcy6.3y ago
This is an awesome plugin; it does one thing and does it super well. You can add a widget area that was created by the theme or create a new widget area and add it to a block. Once the widget area is added, you can click it open to add the widget and adjust the widget settings. Really easy to add any widget you like to a block!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Stanislav Khromov6.4y ago
Great plugin that does exactly what it says. Easy to use and add widgets into your posts or pages through a Gutenberg block. Clean code.
Read on wp.org ↗
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
5 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "The Widget Area Block allows for multiple custom Widget Areas to be created on any page or post using the G..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gutenberg, Block editor, Jetpack.
- ✓ Headings and lists 2 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,401 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-29 800+ → 700+ down after 134 days in tier
- 2026-06-17 900+ → 800+ down after 79 days in tier
- 2026-03-30 1K+ → 900+ down after 756 days in tier
- 2024-03-04 2K+ → 1K+ down after 442 days in tier
- 2022-12-18 3K+ → 2K+ down
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).
-
Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor 50K+ installs · 4.9★ · 3 shared tags A -
Genesis Blocks 40K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags B -
Snow Monkey Forms 30K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags A -
Snow Monkey Blocks 30K+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags A -
Snow Monkey Editor 30K+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Organic Widget Area Block into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/organic-widget-area-block" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Organic Widget Area Block — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Organic Widget Area Block: 700+ active installs, 3.7★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/organic-widget-area-block
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