ShrinkTheWeb (STW) Website Previews Plugin
by puravida1976 · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 70+ installs across the portfolio →
This plugin accesses the ShrinkTheWeb API to automatically replace special tags in posts with website screenshots, where desired.
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 46/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews · Open vulnerability
Active installs
60+
≈70 estimated
Momentum
0%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “preview”, “screenshot” and “snapshot” 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.
46 health vs 58 average across 25,767 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.3%
of downloads still active
At least 60 of 20.2K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,778 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 9+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.8.34, well behind 7.1.
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 3377 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.8.34; the current branch is 7.1
3.7★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 4.06★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3377 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| stw | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| preview your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| screenshot your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| snapshot your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| thumbnails your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| website screenshots your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 1 listed. 1 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “preview”, “screenshot” and “snapshot” 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.
- Already on top for “stw”. #3 without listing it. A tag would change little there; your slots are better spent on a search you don't yet win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 106 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #19,000 to #20,000, alongside the other plugins at 60+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 1 Nov 2026.
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
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
9.3y ago
latest release · v2.8.5 · 4 Aug 2017
14
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
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 “60+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 70.
At the current install trend, crossing 70+ in roughly 442 days.
Install history since 30 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ pricklypearmedia10.2y ago
Firstly I’d like to commend the developers of this plug-in in their support. It’s clearly phenomenal. In terms of the bad reviews on this plug-in, they are a little misleading. The plug-in is developed by the website ShrinkTheWeb, which is a third-party website. It works best with this website, however, there the free version can still be used. If you hope to use this amazing tool professionally then a premium version would be required. It really makes life so much easier. The plug-in will soon be updated, which will release more features. I’ve checked the competition and this is the best service to be used with WordPress. Thanks again for your awesome support.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ 84ck80n310.3y ago
…. it cost 10,-$/month. Always the same. First they write FREE FREE FREE, and after the installation, you see how much it real cost.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ chittirajesh11.2y ago
HI I installed one of my website to show the thumbnail preview of external links. But it showing error as Account problem I used the link in between short code.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ disabledpinoy11.6y ago
I installed it and needed to have an outside account just to get it working. The drawback is… if the website (outside account) goes out of business, the same with this plugin, isn’t it? In other words, it is dependent upon a third person or third party just to get this plugin working. It would be nice if it’s just a shortcode and not dependent on anybody.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ puravida197612.8y ago
Fully tested and no complaints from users.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Tim13.1y ago
Highly recommended, does exactly what it should with no fuss. Great support.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence Intelligence1 open vulnerability affects the current version (2.8.5). 0 of 1 disclosed are patched.
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 3 languages, 1 at 90% or more
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
5 of 8 pass · checked 2 Nov 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "This plugin accesses the ShrinkTheWeb API to automatically replace special tags in posts with website scree..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 4 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,351 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "snapshot", "thumbnails" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-28 70+ → 60+ down after 16 days in tier
- 2026-10-12 60+ → 70+ up after 166 days in tier
- 2026-04-29 70+ → 60+ down after 71 days in tier
- 2026-02-17 80+ → 70+ down after 19 days in tier
- 2026-01-29 90+ → 80+ down after 8 days in tier
- 2026-01-21 80+ → 90+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-01-20 90+ → 80+ down after 30 days in tier
- 2025-12-21 80+ → 90+ up after 106 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 Snap A Site 50+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
Page Preview 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags - S ShrinkTheWeb Refresh All 10+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Regenerate Thumbnails 1M+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag B -
Force Regenerate Thumbnails 200K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag B - M MW WP Form 200K+ installs · 4.1★ · 1 shared tag B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for ShrinkTheWeb (STW) Website Previews Plugin into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/shrinktheweb-website-preview-plugin" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="ShrinkTheWeb (STW) Website Previews Plugin — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> ShrinkTheWeb (STW) Website Previews Plugin: 60+ active installs, 3.7★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/shrinktheweb-website-preview-plugin
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