Real-Time Find and Replace
by Marios Alexandrou · Search
Also makes 6 other plugins · 174.1K+ installs across the portfolio →
Set up find and replace rules that are executed AFTER a page is generated by WordPress, but BEFORE it is sent to a user's browser.
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
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
70K+
≈75K estimated
Momentum
+18%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “search” for “real”. “search” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “real” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 63 average across 978 Search plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →7.6%
of downloads still active
At least 70K of 921.3K 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: Support resolution
Updated 72 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.5★ over 82 reviews, smoothed to 4.35★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
6%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| find | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| find and replace your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| on demand replace your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| real time | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| replace your tag | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| real | #5 | #5 | 0 |
| time | #5 | #5 | 0 |
| real time search | #2 | #2 | — |
| real time cart | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| search and replace your tag | #6 | #4 | down 1 |
| find a site | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| real time updates | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| real time data | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| real time support | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| generated | #12 | #10 | down 1 |
| get the time | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| the time | #6 | #4 | 0 |
| time on site | #7 | #7 | 0 |
| search replace | #12 | #10 | 0 |
| on demand | #8 | #4 | 0 |
| search your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
59 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 35 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 “search” for “real”. “search” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “real” sits at #5 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 47.1K · 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 · 73% 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 “70K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 6 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 55% of the way through.
Install history since 27 Feb 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ cbaile198mo ago
The free version worked perfectly for a few substitution rules. The pro version allows an indefinite number of rules, and the price is very reasonable. Having seen the free version at work, I bought the pro version without hesitating, using it to rescue a 17-year-old site that embedded thousands of pictures from Wikimedia Commons and was completely broken when Commons changed the way it served images. One small suggestion for improvement (which doesn’t detract from my five-star rating): it isn’t obvious to a new user that, when you add a rule, it isn’t actually added until you push the “Update Settings” button. Changing the interface slightly might eliminate some of the “Didn’t work” reviews.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wheelchair9mo ago
Doesn’t work and not user friendly. Need to pay before you get actual functions.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Andy1.4y ago
Straightforward and simple configuration. Excellent price for a life-time license with no limitations.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sonnenschmied1.8y ago
Using this plugin feels like being a wizard! We mostly use it to correct SEO problems caused by plugins and it works like a charm EVERY time! Thank you for this great tool! 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bizguy2.2y ago
This plugin is easy to configure and does exactly what it says. It can change page content, before the browser creates the page. I needed to redirect a link to another website, and this plugin did it without issue. I also had to change the domain I’d registered the pro version to, and Marios support was great. Definitely will recommend and use this plugin again.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ RussWilley2.6y ago
This was the third find-and-replace plugin I’d tried, and I was about to give up with the whole idea. But unlike the previous two, this one actually worked. (Specifically, I wanted to change the color of some sub-headings, on a site that has nearly a thousand blog posts.) Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ramon fincken2.8y ago
Works realtime and can parse regex Handy note:use / or ~ start AND end, use \1 \2 etc to replace with the ( ) groups
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Ben3.6y ago
We have a few plugins that don’t give the option to change terms and headings, so this plugin is perfect for removing standard e-commerce terminology and replacing it with terms for our sector (education).
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 4.3 All Versions: Extra variable checking to eliminate PHP Warnings. All Versions: Synced plugin version numbers. 4.3
- — Version 4.0.3 All Versions: Updated info regarding the pro version. 4.0.3
- — Version 4.0.2 All Versions: Added nonce security check to rules form. 4.0.2
- — Version 3.9 All Versions: Security issue (cross-site scripting) fix applied. Discovered with DefenseCode WebScanner Security Analyzer by Neven Biruski. 3.9
- — Version 3.8 Pro version: Can now make changes to the login form when the Admin check box is selected. 3.8
- — Version 3.7 All versions: Additional checks for undefined variables. 3.7
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (4.3). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2017-04-14 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.6 Patched in 3.9
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 6.6.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 17 languages, 14 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
4 of 8 pass · checked 30 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Set up find and replace rules that are executed AFTER a page is generated by WordPress, but BEFORE it is se..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 4 of 4 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,068 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("on demand replace", "search", "search and replace" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-05-18 80K+ → 70K+ down after 308 days in tier
- 2025-07-14 90K+ → 80K+ down after 394 days in tier
- 2024-06-15 100K+ → 90K+ down after 1745 days in tier
- 2019-09-05 90K+ → 100K+ up after 90 days in tier
- 2019-06-07 80K+ → 90K+ up after 118 days in tier
- 2019-02-09 70K+ → 80K+ up after 119 days in tier
- 2018-10-13 60K+ → 70K+ up after 77 days in tier
- 2018-07-28 10K+ → 60K+ up
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).
-
Word Replace 200+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags B -
Search Regex 100K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Search & Replace 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags C -
Search & Replace Everything by WPCode – Find and Replace Media, Text, Links, and More 20K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
Search and Replace 9K+ installs · 3.4★ · 2 shared tags B -
CM Search And Replace – Optimize content edits with a powerful search and replace tool 2K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Real-Time Find and Replace into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/real-time-find-and-replace" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Real-Time Find and Replace — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Real-Time Find and Replace: 70K+ active installs, 4.5★ (82 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/real-time-find-and-replace
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