Shortcode Empty Paragraph Fix
by Johann Heyne · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 50.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Fix known issues when shortcodes are embedded in a block of content that is filtered by wpautop.
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 50/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
800+
≈860 estimated
Momentum
+15%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “fix” and “shortcode” 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.
50 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.9%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 27.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above 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 10+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.8.34, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 3935 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.8.34; the current branch is 6.8
4.8★ over 20 reviews, smoothed to 4.30★ and held back under 25 reviews
2 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3935 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.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| fix your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| shortcode your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 1 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
- “fix” and “shortcode” 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 541 · 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 · 100% 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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 63% of the way through.
Install history since 2 May 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Anonymous9.1y ago
Thanks for this fix. Worked great for me!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Elisabeth Pointal9.3y ago
This simply plugin resolve the issue in mine. I added the function and filter to my own plugin if it did not already exist.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ studio-jt9.7y ago
The standalone function work great , thank you
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Juan11.2y ago
It makes the work nicely
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ iSaumya11.7y ago
I haven’t installed the plugin but the function you have provided really fixed my issue. Thanks a lot. 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rorph11.9y ago
Wish I had found this sooner, hallelujah!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Gynekolog12.1y ago
Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fredmat12.5y ago
Works for me, thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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
3 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Fix known issues when shortcodes are embedded in a block of content that is filtered by wpautop."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 1 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("Installation Instructions").
- ! 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 1 heading and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,033 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 2 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-06-18 900+ → 800+ down after 126 days in tier
- 2026-02-12 1K+ → 900+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-02-10 900+ → 1K+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-02-07 1K+ → 900+ down after 6 days in tier
- 2026-02-01 900+ → 1K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-01-31 1K+ → 900+ down after 1215 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 2K+ → 1K+ down after 763 days in tier
- 2020-09-01 3K+ → 2K+ down after 266 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).
-
Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A - M MW WP Form 200K+ installs · 4.1★ · 1 shared tag B
-
Shortcoder — Create Shortcodes for Anything 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more 70K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag C -
Better Font Awesome 60K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
Column Shortcodes 60K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Shortcode Empty Paragraph Fix into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/shortcode-empty-paragraph-fix" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Shortcode Empty Paragraph Fix — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Shortcode Empty Paragraph Fix: 800+ active installs, 4.8★ (20 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/shortcode-empty-paragraph-fix
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