Shortcodes in Sidebar
by Pankaj Anupam · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 9 other plugins · 590+ installs across the portfolio →
Runs shortcodes in the Custom HTML widget, the one sidebar widget WordPress still renders without executing them.
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 84/100
Few reviews
Active installs
400+
≈450 estimated
Momentum
-11%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “custom html”, “shortcode” and “widget” for “custom sidebar”, “sidebar widget” and “sidebars”. “custom html” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “custom sidebar” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “shortcode” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sidebar widget” sits at #17 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widget” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sidebars” sits at #18 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
84 health vs 56 average across 5,897 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.5%
of downloads still active
At least 400 of 16.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,190 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.
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: Rating quality
Updated 83 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 2 reviews, smoothed to 4.13★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
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.
33
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.8
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
8%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| sidebar shortcode | #2 | #12 | down 1 |
| sidebar your tag | #10 | #20 | down 1 |
| shortcodes your tag | #13 | #22 | down 2 |
| sidebar widget | #17 | #24 | down 1 |
| custom sidebar | #16 | #22 | down 1 |
| sidebars | #18 | #23 | down 3 |
| wordpress sidebar | #16 | #24 | — |
| page sidebar | #16 | #24 | down 1 |
| sidebar plugin | #16 | #24 | down 1 |
| shortcode inside shortcode | #18 | #21 | 0 |
| custom shortcodes | #18 | #24 | 0 |
| shortcodes plugin | #23 | #23 | down 3 |
| wordpress shortcodes | #24 | #24 | down 1 |
| custom html your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| shortcode your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
30 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 13 listed. 17 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
- Swap “custom html”, “shortcode” and “widget” for “custom sidebar”, “sidebar widget” and “sidebars”. “custom html” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “custom sidebar” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “shortcode” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sidebar widget” sits at #17 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widget” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sidebars” sits at #18 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “shortcodes”. #13 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 451 · 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.
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 “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 11 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 13 Dec 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ martin_ziegert9.0y ago
Upload, Activate – refresh page and shortcode is running, it worked right away. Thanks for that.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Matt_flexmlsIDX11.6y ago
Very smooth plugin. It has helped me add some more features to the sidebar on my sites. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗
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 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Runs shortcodes in the Custom HTML widget, the one sidebar widget WordPress still renders without executing..."
- ✓ 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 One audience phrase ("if you have"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,471 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-11-30 500+ → 400+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2025-11-28 400+ → 500+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2025-11-25 500+ → 400+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2025-11-23 400+ → 500+ up after 5 days in tier
- 2025-11-18 500+ → 400+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-11-17 400+ → 500+ up after 5 days in tier
- 2025-11-12 500+ → 400+ down after 338 days in tier
- 2024-12-09 600+ → 500+ down after 217 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★ · 2 shared tags A -
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Image Widget 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Fixed Widget and Sticky Elements for WordPress 70K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags D -
Column Shortcodes 60K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Shortcodes in Sidebar into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/shortcodes-in-sidebar" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Shortcodes in Sidebar — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Shortcodes in Sidebar: 400+ active installs, 5.0★ (2 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/shortcodes-in-sidebar
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