Podbean Shortcode
by podbean · Uncategorized
A simple and easy way to embed Podbean player into your WordPress blog.
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 45/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
900+
≈960 estimated
Momentum
+18%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: One page off on “podbean”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
45 health vs 58 average across 25,738 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.6%
of downloads still active
At least 900 of 16K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,770 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance 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 9+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.7.39, well behind 6.8.
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 3439 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.7.39; the current branch is 6.8
4.2★ over 5 reviews, smoothed to 4.11★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3439 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| podbean your tag | #11 | #8 | down 1 |
| audio your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| embed your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| player your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| shortcode your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- One page off on “podbean”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- “audio”, “embed” and “player” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 239 · 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.
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 “900+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 60% of the way through.
Install history since 13 Mar 2017
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Keith a.k.a. K j A M9.3y ago
The shortcode does not work. However, the standard iFrame code does work just fine. The biggest issue I have is that it does not fully integrate with your Podbean account making the switch over seamless. You have to update each and every episode manually. In my case, that’s 700 episodes. There is no support in the players for subscribing either by iTunes, Google Play, RSS feed readers or even email. Granted, Podbean has come a long way since it’s earliest days and is still the most affordable solution for heavy podcasters such as myself who do not generate a ton a money. Nevertheless, I have a brand and my own site. I choose not use the Podbean default ecosystem and themes. I want more control. Since WordPress is the largest blogging platform out there, it would be in their best interest to support a player for this platform that’s fully integrated. For now, I’ll stick with Podbean as my host and continue to use the free PowerPress player, which has its own issues, even when you’re a subscriber to Blubrry’s overpriced low-data hosting plans. Their truly is no great solution for podcast players out there, though PowerPress comes the closest.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ editor2149.6y ago
Works great, when will the multi player be ready? 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Monica9.7y ago
Big thanks to Podbean. This Plugin makes sharing to WordPress pretty easy. And the embedded player is beautifully designed. Thanks again.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ meditation20179.7y ago
Good plugin, very nice
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ chrismiller19.7y ago
Tried. Easily installed.It really does what it should do.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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
3 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 "A simple and easy way to embed Podbean player into your WordPress blog."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you need"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 3 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,584 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
- 2026-06-08 1K+ → 900+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2026-05-30 900+ → 1K+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-05-27 1K+ → 900+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-26 900+ → 1K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-05-24 1K+ → 900+ down after 1328 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1491 days in tier
- 2018-09-04 1K+ → 2K+ up after 168 days in tier
- 2018-03-20 700+ → 1K+ up after 201 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).
-
Spreaker Shortcode 4K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags D -
Simple YouTube Responsive 3K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags B -
Advanced iFrame 40K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A - I Insert Pages 30K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A
-
Compact WP Audio Player 20K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags A -
HTML5 Audio Player – The Ultimate No-Code Podcast, MP3 & Audio Player 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Podbean Shortcode into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/podbean-shortcode" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Podbean Shortcode — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Podbean Shortcode: 900+ active installs, 4.2★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/podbean-shortcode
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