Shortcode Widget
by Gagan Deep Singh · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 9 other plugins · 65.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
Adds a text-like widget that allows you to write shortcode in it.
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
B 83/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈15K estimated
Momentum
+1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “text widget”, “widget titles” and “write” to your wp.org tags. You rank #10, #20 and #23 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed these are the slots worth spending.
83 health vs 56 average across 5,895 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.3%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 443.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,188 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 1 release 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.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Listing tuning
Updated 223 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 34 reviews, smoothed to 4.42★
2 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Only 2 tags — use the full 5 relevant tags so search matches more queries.
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.
35
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.7
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
13%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| shortcode widget | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| shortcode your tag | #3 | #3 | down 1 |
| shortcode in widget | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| use shortcode in widget | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| text widget | #10 | #11 | down 4 |
| widget your tag | #21 | #20 | down 3 |
| wordpress shortcode | #9 | #11 | down 1 |
| text class widget | #9 | #13 | — |
| write | #23 | #16 | 0 |
| shortcode in wordpress | #11 | #13 | down 1 |
| widget titles | #20 | #19 | down 1 |
| shortcode for wordpress | #12 | #14 | 0 |
| news widget | #23 | #17 | 0 |
| shortcodes | #24 | #14 | down 1 |
| add widget | #22 | #21 | down 6 |
| the widget | #23 | #21 | up 1 |
28 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 16 listed. 12 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Add “text widget”, “widget titles” and “write” to your wp.org tags. You rank #10, #20 and #23 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 1.8K · 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.
1
releases in the last 12 months
7mo ago
latest release · v1.5.3 · 22 Mar 2026
11
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 97% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 20 months ago; the previous band took 2.6 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 14 Aug 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ eaec1.5y ago
THANK YOU for making this exceeding simple, basic, purpose built stand in for what should be available by default in the core files of wordpress itself. This plugin does one job and doesnt need to upsell anything. Thank you.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ DestinationUkiyo7.1y ago
Works great! Super easy, thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sonsuzteknoloji7.2y ago
I use this plugin very often
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ junglesub8.2y ago
I had to add a custom shortcode to one of my widget.. and it works fine! Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ petejrawlings8.9y ago
The easiest plugin you’ll ever use! Does exactly what it says on the tin.Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ franboud9.1y ago
This functionality should be included in the WP Core. Thanks for this great plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mikerich9.3y ago
Thanks. Very easy to set up.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Cabrero9.3y ago
Perfect
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.5.3 Strict PHPCS ruleset adherence. More documentation in widget class. Testing with WordPress 5.6 1.5.3
- — Version 1.5.2 Some PHPCS corrections, making code adhering to WordPress coding standards. Replaced strip_tags function with wp_strip_all_tags. 1.5.2
- — Version 1.5.1 Unescaped title back in the code as escaping it was creating issues with other plugins. 1.5.1
- — Version 1.5 Added icon and screenshots. Escaping some values that could have been overridden by the translations. Added pot file for translations. Change in calling of widget_text filter with new parameter that was added in WordPres 1.5
- — Version 1.4 Updated compatibility with WordPress 4.8 Reversed the order of changelog. 1.4
- — Version 1.3 Minor bug fix. Changed tested up to version number. Made it translation ready, constant was being used for text domains, silly error, I know 🙂 1.3
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.4.8 · WP 5.6
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 61 languages, 5 at 90% or more
Plus 37 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
2 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 "Adds a text-like widget that allows you to write shortcode in it."
- ! 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 315 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ 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
- 2025-03-24 20K+ → 10K+ down after 948 days in tier
- 2022-08-19 30K+ → 20K+ down after 1210 days in tier
- 2019-04-27 20K+ → 30K+ up after 661 days in tier
- 2017-07-05 10K+ → 20K+ 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).
-
Donations via PayPal 20K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Reusable Blocks Extended 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Content Blocks (Custom Post Widget) 10K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A - A Automatic Copyright Year 6K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Spreaker Shortcode 4K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags D -
Auto Copyright Year Updater 4K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Shortcode Widget into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/shortcode-widget" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Shortcode Widget — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Shortcode Widget: 10K+ active installs, 4.9★ (34 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/shortcode-widget
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