Pastacode
by Willy Bahuaud · Blocks
Also makes 9 other plugins · 8.5K+ installs across the portfolio →
Use Pastacode to add code into your posts with the awesome PrismJs coloration library. So, past'a code!
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 80/100
no flags
Active installs
400+
≈450 estimated
Momentum
+18%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “block”, “code” and “github” 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.
80 health vs 71 average across 2,526 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.5%
of downloads still active
At least 400 of 25.8K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,580 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.
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.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 234 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 14 reviews, smoothed to 4.27★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
32
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 23d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 23d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| prismjs | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| pastacode | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| sourcecode your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| block your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| code your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| github your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| syntax your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
20 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 17 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “block”, “code” and “github” 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.
- Already on top for “pastacode” and “prismjs”. #1 and #1 without listing them. A tag would change little there; your slots are better spent on a search you don't yet win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 762 · 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 · v3.0.1 · 12 Mar 2026
13
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 81% 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 “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 6 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 13 Apr 2015
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
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 "Use Pastacode to add code into your posts with the awesome PrismJs coloration library. So, past'a code!"
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 6 of 7 read like questions a user would type.
- ! 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, bbPress.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 879 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "sourcecode", "syntax" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-04-28 500+ → 400+ down after 275 days in tier
- 2025-07-27 600+ → 500+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2025-07-25 500+ → 600+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2025-07-23 600+ → 500+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2025-07-14 500+ → 600+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-07-13 600+ → 500+ down after 252 days in tier
- 2024-11-03 700+ → 600+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2024-11-01 600+ → 700+ up after 4 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).
-
Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A - S SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags C
-
Advance Custom HTML – Show Off Code Snippets with Live Preview 10K+ installs · 3.5★ · 2 shared tags B -
Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) 1K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
CodeColorer 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Pastacode into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/pastacode" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Pastacode — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Pastacode: 400+ active installs, 4.9★ (14 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/pastacode
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