Random File
by Scott Reilly · Uncategorized
Also makes 64 other plugins · 78.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
Retrieve the name, path, or link to a randomly chosen file or files in a specified directory.
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 59/100
Stale · Few reviews
Active installs
70+
≈70 estimated
Momentum
-1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “file” for “random quotes”. “file” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “random quotes” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
59 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.2%
of downloads still active
At least 70 of 29.9K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,764 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 571 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 1 review, smoothed to 4.12★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 571 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.
66
Momentum
Gaining ground
+1.8
Velocity
places per keyword, 24d
75%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 24d
+1.8
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| coffee2code your tag | #9 | #17 | 0 |
| random quotes | #15 | #23 | up 3 |
| random quote | #16 | #24 | up 3 |
| file your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| files your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| random your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| randomize your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
6 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 3 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “file” for “random quotes”. “file” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “random quotes” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 31 Oct 2024 · 730 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 115 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #18,200 to #19,000, alongside the other plugins at 70+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “70+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 70.
Install history since 15 Sep 2026
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
2 of 8 pass · checked 29 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 Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 3 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,968 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "coffee2code", "randomize" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-28 60+ → 70+ up after 16 days in tier
- 2026-10-12 80+ → 60+ 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).
-
Download Attachments 8K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
WP-DownloadManager 3K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags A -
m1.DownloadList 400+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B -
Media Auto Hash Rename 50+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
If File Exists 30+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags C -
Seo File Names 10+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Random File into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/random-file" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Random File — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Random File: 70+ active installs, 5.0★ (1 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/random-file
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