Recently
by Hector Cabrera · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 1 other plugin · 100.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
A highly customizable, feature-packed Recent Posts widget!
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
Few reviews
Active installs
300+
≈350 estimated
Momentum
+70%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: One page off on “recent”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
89 health vs 56 average across 5,895 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.2%
of downloads still active
At least 300 of 13.7K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,187 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 2 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
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 19 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 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.
31
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 24d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 24d
-0.2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| recently your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| recent your tag | #15 | #16 | 0 |
| posts your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
13 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 2 listed. 11 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- One page off on “recent”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- “posts” and “widget” 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 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 484 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #10,100 to #11,100, alongside the other plugins at 300+ 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.
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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
19d ago
latest release · v4.2.2 · 12 Oct 2026
21
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 74% 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 “300+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 19 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 12 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ stevieboy233.2y ago
Excellent plugin – recommended!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rianovost5.5y ago
Original text: Если сайт разной тематики, плагин выручает выводить записи на любой странице (через виджетов) по группам, хот по рубрикам, хот по меткам! Лично мне помог разнообразить сайт и автор реагирует на проблемы быстро и быстро устраняет ошибки! Ещё полезен плагин тем, что выводит первую картинку записи если не установлена миниатюра, то есть записи не останутся без картинок Yandex translator: If the site is of different subjects, the plug-in helps to display entries on any page (via widgets) in groups, hot on rubrics, hot on labels! Personally, I helped to diversify the site and the author responds to problems quickly and quickly eliminates errors! Also useful plug-in is that it displays the first picture of the record if no miniature is installed, that is, the records will not be left without pictures
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bappa99725.6y ago
It is The Best Recent Posts widget. But we need more options like thumbnail size, show only Post ID(s), excluding current posts. This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by bappa9972.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ blindpet8.0y ago
Being somebody who works with WordPress and WooCommerce performance, Recently is the only plugin that has the options and functionality necessary to help make sure high traffic websites don’t crash when they want to show their recent posts.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ N3k09.3y ago
Full Customizable and do all you want… LOVE IT!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Lexx10.5y ago
Looks very clean and solid.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ montrealer10.6y ago
I am on multisite and my sub blogs don’t have the same custom post types, but I needed a way tho show these on my home page in a widget. I have tried all plugins available and it’s the first one that worked with the plugin multisite widget context.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ stardrive11.3y ago
Hector Cabrera, You are a great developer. Your plugin is excellent. Please, keep up the good work. Please, it would be good if you include a category filter in the plugin Regards, Stardrive
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (4.2.2). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2021-06-07 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects < 3.0.5 Patched in 3.0.5
- 2021-06-07 CVE-2021-4382 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type Affects <= 3.0.4 Patched in 3.0.5
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 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 4 languages, 0 at 90% or more
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 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 No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions PayPal, WPML, Polylang, Multisite.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,219 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 4 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-04-08 400+ → 300+ down after 15 days in tier
- 2025-03-24 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-03-23 400+ → 300+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2025-03-20 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-03-19 400+ → 300+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-03-18 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-03-17 400+ → 300+ down after 5 days in tier
- 2025-03-12 300+ → 400+ up after 2 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).
- N Newpost Catch 9K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
-
Flexible Posts Widget 7K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D -
Add Widget After Content 6K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Superb Recent Posts With Thumbnail Images 6K+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags - E Expanding Archives 3K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A
- P Posts By Tag 1K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Recently into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/recently" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Recently — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Recently: 300+ active installs, 5.0★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/recently
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