Shadowbox JS
by Matt Martz · Uncategorized
Also makes 13 other plugins · 3.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Shadowbox is an online media vieiwing application similar to Lightbox and Thickbox but with more functionality. Supports all types of media.
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
D 47/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
1K+
≈1.8K estimated
Momentum
+30%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “javascript”, “js” and “overlay” 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.
47 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.2%
of downloads still active
At least 1K of 534.9K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,770 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.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 8+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 3.4.2, well behind 6.8.
Details
- Version
- 3.0.3.10.2
- Last updated
- 8.9y ago
- Added
- 2008-02-25 · 18 yrs old
- Requires WP
- 3.3
- Tested up to
- 3.4.2
- Requires PHP
- —
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 3259 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 3.4.2; the current branch is 6.8
4.6★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3259 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.
31
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 23d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 23d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| shadowbox js your tag | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| shadowbox your tag | #7 | #6 | 0 |
| dojo | #18 | #8 | 0 |
| mootools | #21 | #14 | down 1 |
| javascript your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| js your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| overlay your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
11 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 4 listed. 7 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
- “javascript”, “js” and “overlay” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 293 · 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.
Release cadence
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
14.5y ago
latest release · v3.0.3.10.2 · 20 Apr 2012
30
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 99% 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 “1K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4 months ago and the previous band took 22 months to cross, so the real count is still just under 2K.
Install history since 22 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Suzi Berman10.0y ago
Love this and use on all my sites
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Salpetriere10.5y ago
It appears that the plugin author has abandoned supporting this plugin, it hasn’t been updated in four years. The plugin is now creating php errors with that latest few versions of WordPress. This was a good plugin, it’s a pity that it’s no longer supported.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ezejaime11.2y ago
I started to use shadowbox js years ago, first in my plain html and php websites and now with WordPress in its plugin version. I’m sad the creators decided to stop supporting and updating it but I understand why they decided to. This is by far the best lightbox-type plugin I used and I tested almost every single of them. I’m still using now in my clients wordpress websites (4.3) and still works like charm. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ oGuitarrista12.7y ago
Beautifies the sample images!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gosukiwi12.8y ago
No configuration needed, works nicely out of the box! Best plugin for lightbox out there.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ CoreCoder13.1y ago
I’ve always been a fan of shadowbox. This plugin is a must have if you don’t use an image popup box yet.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kyle Charlton13.5y ago
Amazing plugin! We wanted a fresh way of showing an external website and this did the trick. having the website appear on your website inside of a popup box is awesome!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Alessandro Degiusti13.7y ago
excelent plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 64 languages, 0 at 90% or more
Plus 40 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
6 of 8 pass · checked 31 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 14 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 13 of 14 read like questions a user would type.
- ! 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 Mentions YouTube.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,239 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "overlay" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-06-28 2K+ → 1K+ down after 661 days in tier
- 2024-09-05 3K+ → 2K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2024-09-03 2K+ → 3K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-09-02 3K+ → 2K+ down after 502 days in tier
- 2023-04-19 4K+ → 3K+ down after 201 days in tier
- 2022-09-30 5K+ → 4K+ down after 524 days in tier
- 2021-04-24 6K+ → 5K+ down after 147 days in tier
- 2020-11-28 8K+ → 6K+ down after 356 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).
- S SOGO Add Script to Individual Pages Header Footer 20K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
- W WP Minify Fix 800+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Custom CSS/JS 700+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags C - A Async JS and CSS 700+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
- S Specific CSS/JS for Posts and Pages 300+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Sublime Custom JS Editor 200+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Shadowbox JS into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/shadowbox-js" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Shadowbox JS — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Shadowbox JS: 1K+ active installs, 4.6★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/shadowbox-js
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