Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others
by Sayontan Sinha · Media
Also makes 4 other plugins · 10.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
Galleries on steroids! A stylish lightbox & gallery plugin for WP, Flickr, SmugMug and Zenfolio photos and videos.
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 84/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+83%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “gallery” and “lightbox” for “colorbox” and “photoswipe”. “gallery” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “colorbox” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “lightbox” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #13. “photoswipe” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
84 health vs 62 average across 3,284 Media plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.1%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 877.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Media plugin keeps 0.8%, across 2,319 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Media 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 12 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.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 38 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 193 reviews, smoothed to 4.66★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
3 of 9 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.
57
Momentum
Holding steady
+1.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
53%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+1.4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| flickr your tag | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| smugmug your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| zenfolio your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| thickbox | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| flickr photos | #1 | #1 | up 3 |
| wp flickr plugin | #2 | #1 | — |
| photoswipe | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| colorbox | #4 | #2 | 0 |
| gallery lightbox | #8 | #8 | up 6 |
| tiled gallery | #5 | #2 | up 1 |
| lightbox your tag | #13 | #10 | up 7 |
| flickr gallery | #5 | #4 | up 1 |
| fancybox | #9 | #7 | up 4 |
| lightbox gallery | #14 | #12 | up 4 |
| mosaic | #10 | #6 | up 3 |
| galleries | #22 | #19 | up 1 |
| photo albums | #15 | #10 | up 6 |
| albums | #16 | #11 | up 7 |
| album | #17 | #12 | up 1 |
| photo album | #20 | #15 | up 1 |
| gallery your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
108 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 79 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “gallery” and “lightbox” for “colorbox” and “photoswipe”. “gallery” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “colorbox” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “lightbox” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #13. “photoswipe” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “lightbox”. #13 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 28.6K · 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
12
releases in the last 12 months
1mo ago
latest release · v3.37 · 24 Sep 2026
141
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 8.1 years ago; the previous band took 16 months to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 3 Mar 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ novgorod5mo ago
…but still advertises as if it does (old screenshots in the settings from a time when more platforms were supported). If you found this through a keyword search and came here in high hopes, the info was outdated. This plugin used the API (like most others) instead of web scraping, which was shut down a year ago. This topic was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by novgorod. Reason: Clarification
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ toantri22420057mo ago
ok
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ calmfort58428mo ago
This is the absolute best gallery plugin for WordPress. And I tried many of them! Killer feature is that it can create galleries from images hosted in other Web sites such as SumugMug. Absolutely fantastic plugin – it’s essential for many of our Web sites.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Javier Burgos Arratibel1.7y ago
muy buen trabajo
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ panfren1.9y ago
A gallery plugin/block which simply does it all, works with the old and new WordPress environment, and has a very low impact on site performance (provided that you feed it with optimized images, of course). What more one should expect from a gallery plugin? Oh yes… the price. And here we have some more great news. It is free of any charge. It is one of the very first plugins I install in any new WP site that I am building.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ marcomassimo2.0y ago
The best free plugin for Flickr galleries
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ back2music2.0y ago
Great gallery with lots of valuable settings and nice look!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jnviani2.1y ago
Google Photos has inexplicably made API decisions that will ultimately crash the photo delivery system on my WP site. Enter Photonic (with helpful and prompt online support) and my photos will be aptly served by Flickr.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 3.34 Changed: Security hardening of blocks against XSS Changed: Added more features for PHP 7.4+ Changed: Improved formatting of captions in tooltips and slide-ups. Removed: StripJS, which is archived and not maintained any m 3.34
- — Version 3.35 Fixed: Menu was broken due to changes in WP 7.1 3.35
- — Version 3.36 Fixed: Groups in Zenfolio were not working 3.36
- — Version 3.37 Fixed: Security hardening for galleries on dedicated pages 3.37
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.37). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched High · 7.2 Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others <= 3.36 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2026-09-30 CVE-2026-97290 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.36 Patched in 3.37
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others <= 3.33 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2026-07-27 CVE-2026-66434 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.33 Patched in 3.34
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others <= 3.21 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Caption Attribute ↗2025-11-17 CVE-2025-12691 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.21 Patched in 3.22
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 114 languages, 2 at 90% or more
Plus 90 more locales with partial translations.
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 27 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 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, Block editor, Jetpack, Instagram and 5 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 18 headings and 8 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 5,928 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
- 2018-10-14 8K+ → 10K+ up after 471 days in tier
- 2017-06-30 7K+ → 8K+ up after 316 days in tier
- 2016-08-18 6K+ → 7K+ up after 362 days in tier
- 2015-08-22 7K+ → 6K+ 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).
-
Firelight Lightbox 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags B - S Simple Lightbox 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
-
Envira Gallery – Image Photo Gallery, Albums, Video Gallery, Slideshows & More 100K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Lightbox & Modal Popup WordPress Plugin – FooBox 100K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
SimpLy Gallery 40K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/photonic" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Photonic Gallery & Lightbox for Flickr, SmugMug & Others: 10K+ active installs, 4.8★ (193 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/photonic
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