Manual Related Posts
by Marcel Pol · Uncategorized
Also makes 17 other plugins · 81.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
A simple 'related posts' plugin that lets you select related posts manually.
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 90/100
no flags
Active installs
1K+
≈1.9K estimated
Momentum
-8%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Support resolution scores 0/100. Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
90 health vs 58 average across 25,733 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.2%
of downloads still active
At least 1K of 84.3K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,767 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.
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 62 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 23 reviews, smoothed to 4.38★ and held back under 25 reviews
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.
42
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
+0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
25%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| manual related posts | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| manual | #3 | #4 | down 1 |
| linked posts your tag | #4 | #5 | up 1 |
| linked post your tag | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| related posts your tag | #8 | #12 | down 2 |
| related your tag | #9 | #11 | down 4 |
| related post your tag | #9 | #13 | 0 |
| related posts plugin | #8 | #11 | 0 |
| inside related posts | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| automatic related posts | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| related posts inside | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| custom related posts | #9 | #16 | up 1 |
| related links | #10 | #13 | up 2 |
| easy related posts | #6 | #8 | down 1 |
| thumbnail related posts | #6 | #10 | up 1 |
| classicpress | #12 | #10 | down 5 |
| related content | #13 | #17 | 0 |
| easy related post | #8 | #16 | — |
| related pages | #14 | #17 | down 2 |
| related posts thumbnails | #8 | #13 | down 1 |
57 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 26 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Your five tags are all earning their place. Each gets you onto page 1 of its own search, so none is worth giving up. “related posts plugin”, “classicpress” and “related content” (#8, #12 and #13 untagged) would be the next worth testing if a slot frees up.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 1.2K · 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
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
2mo ago
latest release · v4.0.0 · 30 Aug 2026
15
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “1K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 8.6 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 10 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ priyokla101.9y ago
NICE JOB BRO!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ moonyell5.8y ago
Among numerous plugins for wordpress, there are a few of them, very lightweight yet functions just to the purpose and reliable. Related is just one of these plugins. Easy to install, to set and to use. Furthermore, support service reponds fast and effective. Very happy experience in using this plugin everyday.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sparkey6.0y ago
I searched all the “you might also like” plugins for hours, I think your plugin makes it simple where necessary without cluttering up every page! Thank you very much for your work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hugopoiret596.9y ago
Thank you very much, the job is done with this plugin, works 100% as I expected and maybe better because you can add the featured images as well !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Dan7.1y ago
Simply perfect
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Paul7.7y ago
A great plugin for deciding which related posts you want displayed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ X-Raym9.1y ago
Very handy plugin for manually set your related posts !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ SibRus9.3y ago
Freedom of choice, ease of use. Thank you! This topic was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by SibRus.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.7.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 132 languages, 3 at 90% or more
Plus 108 more locales with partial translations.
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
7 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 "A simple 'related posts' plugin that lets you select related posts manually."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 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 Mentions WPML.
- ✓ Headings and lists 2 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,192 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "linked post", "linked posts" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2018-04-01 700+ → 1K+ up after 210 days in tier
- 2017-09-03 800+ → 700+ down after 165 days in tier
- 2017-03-22 700+ → 800+ up after 366 days in tier
- 2016-03-21 800+ → 700+ down after 129 days in tier
- 2015-11-13 1K+ → 800+ 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).
-
ARK Related Posts 100+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags B -
The Related Posts 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
Contextual Related Posts 50K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Related Posts by Taxonomy 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Related Posts By PickPlugins 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A - W WP Simple Related Posts 300+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Manual Related Posts into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/related" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Manual Related Posts — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Manual Related Posts: 1K+ active installs, 5.0★ (23 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/related
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