PDF Thumbnail Generator

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 73% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.

No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. A small install base leaves thin data to model from.

1. ★★★★★ DarkLight Digital

   1.5y ago

   Does what it says on the tin! Generates a thumbnail which can be used however you need to. Great for building a library of pdfs – wrap the shortcode in a link and BANG, you’re done!

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ Jeremy Varnham

   2.1y ago

   I’ve used this on multiple sites and have found it invaluable. While I’ve struggled with getting the required ImageMagick set up and working on a few servers – each one requiring a slightly different approach owing to different OS and security settings – this is not the fault of the plugin or plugin author. I’m not sure what one reviewer means by this being built-in to WordPress; to the best of my knowledge that is incorrect.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ hommealone

   2.1y ago

   In certain situations, this can be a very handy plugin. It works as advertised. It is simple to use, and allows developers many options of how to implement it and customize it when needed. Using custom fields for file uploads, I’ve built this into template files, so my customers can simply upload their PDF files and have them presented nicely with no further effort required. In the right situation, it can save many tedious and repetitive steps. It allows my clients to easily and automatically present their PDF files in an attractive way without having to fire up Photoshop or some other image creation method each time. No more need to upload a PDF file and a separate image file. This plugin takes care of it all in one easy step. p.s. – the developer seems to be excellent at responding to questions in the plugin’s forum page too!

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ cvladan

   3.7y ago

   This plugin exceeded my expectations by allowing me to dynamically preview a PDF file without any links to it or similar. One of the standout features of this plugin is its high level of extensibility. With numerous hooks provided, it is easy to customize and tailor the plugin to meet specific needs and requirements. This topic was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by cvladan.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ hilmon

   3.9y ago

   Plugin works great. Very easy to use and implement.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 1.5 tested on WP 6.9 new shortcode [pdf_clickable_thumbnail id=”123″] displays clickable PDF thumbnail that will open PDF in new tab on click csrf security fix 1.5
2. — Version 1.4 fix: more URL escaping 1.4
3. — Version 1.3 tested on WP 6.6 escape URL in admin link to prevent XSS 1.3
4. — Version 1.2 tested on WP 6.5 1.2
5. — Version 1.1 tested on WP 6.4 1.1
6. — Version 1.0 First version 1.0

2 disclosed vulnerabilities on record for this plugin, all fixed in the current version. Sites on older versions stay exposed until they update.

1. Medium · 4.3 PDF Thumbnail Generator <= 1.4 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2025-12-06 CVE-2025-67469 Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Affects <= 1.4 Patched in 1.5
2. Medium · 6.1 PDF Thumbnail Generator <= 1.3 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2024-09-12 CVE-2024-8737 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') Affects <= 1.3 Patched in 1.4

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.8.3

Translated into 1 language, 1 at 90% or more

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-09-05 1K+ → 2K+ up after 3 days in tier
2. 2025-09-02 2K+ → 1K+ down after 3 days in tier
3. 2025-08-30 1K+ → 2K+ up after 1 days in tier
4. 2025-08-29 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
5. 2025-08-28 1K+ → 2K+ up after 509 days in tier
6. 2024-04-06 900+ → 1K+ up after 1 days in tier
7. 2024-04-05 1K+ → 900+ down after 1 days in tier
8. 2024-04-04 900+ → 1K+ up after 55 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).

• P PDF Thumbnails 1K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags D
• Conditionally display featured image on singular posts and pages 30K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A
• A AJAX Thumbnail Rebuild 30K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A
• Child Theme Wizard 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A
• Kama Thumbnail 9K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D
• Get the Image 7K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for PDF Thumbnail Generator into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

PDF Thumbnail Generator: 2K+ active installs, 5.0★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-29. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/pdf-thumbnail-generator