PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin
by Babar · Uncategorized
Also makes 5 other plugins · 2.6K+ installs across the portfolio →
An easy to use lightbox/thickbox clone for WordPress. Prettyphoto Elementor Addon supports
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
C 60/100
Stale · Open vulnerability
Active installs
2K+
≈2.5K estimated
Momentum
-5%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “lightbox” isn't earning a slot. You list it, but you're not in the first 24 results for that search. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
60 health vs 58 average across 25,751 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.2%
of downloads still active
At least 2K of 92.3K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 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.
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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 413 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
2.8★ over 15 reviews, smoothed to 3.80★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 413 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.
33
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
0.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| prettyphoto your tag | #1 | #4 | 0 |
| wordpress likghtbox your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| thickbox your tag | #3 | #9 | 0 |
| ie6 | #3 | #5 | 0 |
| simple lightbox | #24 | #21 | 0 |
| fancybox your tag | #24 | #21 | down 2 |
| lightbox your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
9 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 6 listed. 3 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
- “lightbox” isn't earning a slot. You list it, but you're not in the first 24 results for that search. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
- Already on top for “ie6”. #3 without listing it. 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 1.4K · 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
1.1y ago
latest release · v1.2.5 · 14 Sep 2025
8
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 94% 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 “2K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 18 months ago; the previous band took 19 months to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 16 Oct 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ keyur1610956.4y ago
Woking fine as expected.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Moses8.3y ago
ugly plugin and not responsive, yet wp backery and visual composer keeps forcing us to use it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Setareh11.1y ago
Such a waste of time…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mellowvision11.4y ago
I switched from Royal Pretty Photo when that plugin stopped operating correctly, and this was a seamless transition.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ clciarcia11.5y ago
This plugin does NOT work on mobile. I have an iphone 5, and if you click the photo it opens completely off-center from the screen. You can’t even scroll around and try to re-center without the image disappearing again. Such a disappointment, because it works fine on desktop.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fbod38311.6y ago
no instructions, you cant even see where the plug in goes once its installed. this needs to be removed
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ zipzit12.4y ago
This is exactly what I need.. something with little overhead, to just lightbox display a single image when needed. Thank you very much!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ monzu0213.2y ago
not working on iphone5
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence Intelligence1 open vulnerability affects the current version (1.2.5). 2 of 3 disclosed are patched.
- 2025-09-05 CVE-2025-58808 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.2.4 No patch available
- Patched Medium · 6.4 WordPress prettyPhoto <= 1.2.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via url Parameter ↗2024-06-05 CVE-2024-5162 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.2.3 Patched in 1.2.4
- 2015-05-05 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.1 Patched in 1.2
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 6.8.2
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 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "An easy to use lightbox/thickbox clone for WordPress. Prettyphoto Elementor Addon supports"
- ✓ Has a FAQ 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 6 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you want"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Elementor, YouTube.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,351 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "fancybox", "WordPress likghtbox" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-05-23 3K+ → 2K+ down after 566 days in tier
- 2023-11-04 4K+ → 3K+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2023-10-31 3K+ → 4K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2023-10-29 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-10-28 3K+ → 4K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-10-27 4K+ → 3K+ down after 356 days in tier
- 2022-11-05 5K+ → 4K+ down after 445 days in tier
- 2021-08-17 6K+ → 5K+ down after 368 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).
-
FancyBox for WordPress 30K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B - F FancyBox 3K+ installs · 3.4★ · 2 shared tags D
-
fancyBox 3 for WordPress 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D -
WP fancybox 1K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags C -
WP ImageViewer 700+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/prettyphoto" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin: 2K+ active installs, 2.8★ (15 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/prettyphoto
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.