Product Category Dropdowns
by Pektsekye · Search
Also makes 14 other plugins · 5.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
Displays product categories as dependent drop-down selects.
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 71/100
Stale
Active installs
800+
≈890 estimated
Momentum
+6%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “product categories”, “search by category” and “woocommerce categories” for “dropdowns”, “dependent” and “dropdown”. “product categories” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdowns” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “search by category” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dependent” sits at #21 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “woocommerce categories” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdown” sits at #23 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
71 health vs 63 average across 978 Search plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.8%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 13.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Search plugin keeps 0.7%, across 645 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Search 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 384 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
4.7★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.22★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 384 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.
36
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 25d
14%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 25d
+0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| dependent category selects your tag | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| category dropdowns your tag | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| dropdowns | #5 | #14 | 0 |
| dependent | #21 | #14 | down 2 |
| dropdown | #23 | #19 | — |
| product categories your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| search by category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| woocommerce categories your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
9 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 5 listed. 4 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “product categories”, “search by category” and “woocommerce categories” for “dropdowns”, “dependent” and “dropdown”. “product categories” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdowns” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “search by category” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dependent” sits at #21 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “woocommerce categories” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdown” sits at #23 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 341 · 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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 31 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 900.
Install history since 17 Nov 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ danielepais1.4y ago
Very good plugin, it works fine on our WP installation, and it is a great help to show the Product categories and subcategories anywhere via shortcode.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ MicahRicah3.7y ago
This is a very useful and reliable plugin for filtering the products in Woocommerce.I am glad I found it and tested it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bengriffiths4.2y ago
Exactly what I needed for Vehicle Make > Model > Year category dropdowns. I appreciate the lightweight code that did not slow down the site, which was my biggest concern as I tested various plugins. The modifications page was also very helpful for the customizations I needed. Awesome plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ leonpap4.8y ago
It extremely slows down website. Don’t install !!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Miguel Veloso6.0y ago
I, usually, don’t make much reviews, but i have to give 5 stars to this plugin for the simplicity and precision. I have used filter plugins and other different plugins and this simplified my store.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Muge6.2y ago
Truly awesome. Easy to use. Did the trick instantly. Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Cloud Gestion6.3y ago
Simple and awesome free plugin. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ x10z6.6y ago
This is the exact function I was looking for. Ease and functional, it’s working properly with the last WordPress update. Thanks for your time and share this awesome work. Is it possible to show the subcategories selectors before you select the parent category? My client wants that function to fill the space in the form. Thank you anyway for this. Greetings.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 at 90% or more · development strings
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 "Displays product categories as dependent drop-down selects."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you need", "if you have").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,170 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 1 of 5 tags appear in the text ("category dropdowns", "dependent category selects", "search by category", "woocommerce categories" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-30 900+ → 800+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2026-09-26 800+ → 900+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-09-25 900+ → 800+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2026-09-22 800+ → 900+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-09-21 900+ → 800+ down after 145 days in tier
- 2026-04-29 1K+ → 900+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-04-28 900+ → 1K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-04-27 1K+ → 900+ down after 1 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).
-
Product Categories Widget for Elementor — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags -
Bulk remove posts from category 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A - C Category Wise Search 400+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag D
-
Swiftype Site Search Plugin for WordPress 400+ installs · 3.7★ · 1 shared tag D -
Product categories search admin for woocommerce 300+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag D - W WP SHOW CATEGORY ID 50+ installs · 3.6★ · 1 shared tag
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Product Category Dropdowns into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/product-category-dropdowns" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Product Category Dropdowns — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Product Category Dropdowns: 800+ active installs, 4.7★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/product-category-dropdowns
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