Side Matter

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share 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.

Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.

No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. A small install base leaves thin data to model from.

1. ★★★★★ Aharon

   11.4y ago

   For my site, I’ve been waiting for annotations as marginalia (sidenotes) for a long time and I am so grateful to the developers for coding this up and sharing this WordPress plug-in within WordPress’s open-source add-on ecosystem. The only addition I’d request or hope for is support for multiple annotations (for example, two or more separate sets of annotation in the same documents). I have posts in multiple languages with two separate sets of annotation and right now I’m using this plugin and the Annie plugin to support both (one as marginalia, the other as footnotes).

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ master412160

   12.3y ago

   I like this to be honest but not sure how to use it if no sidebar is present! XD

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ KTS915

   12.4y ago

   So far as I am aware, there’s no other plugin around that can do what this one does — and it does it perfectly! The developer provides really fast and helpful support too!

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ Anonymous

   12.4y ago

   Theme: WP Knowledge Base

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ Manuel Schmalstieg

   12.5y ago

   I’m converting a collection of academic texts into a WordPress site, and this plugin is precisely what I needed. Excellent work.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ cornopean

   12.7y ago

   Does this work with the popular 2012 theme? I am using that theme and it doesn’t seem to work. Does the post format have to be full width?

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ nosrevelk

   13.0y ago

   I tried a few plugins for citations and this one nailed 100%. Thanks a lot!

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ stiangk

   13.0y ago

   I love this plugin! It works perfect and it’s great for people who love footnotes but want another solution for WordPress. Thank you!

   Read on wp.org ↗

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-05-18 200+ → 100+ down after 11 days in tier
2. 2025-05-07 100+ → 200+ up after 2 days in tier
3. 2025-05-05 200+ → 100+ down after 754 days in tier
4. 2023-04-12 300+ → 200+ down

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).

• Academic Blogger's Toolkit 300+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
• Scholar Publications Fetcher 200+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags B
• CitePress – Automatic Citation Generator 50+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags C
• C Citation Importer 20+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags D
• R Researcher Profiles for ORCID 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags B
• Borges Bibliography Builder — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags B

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Side Matter: 100+ active installs, 4.6★ (13 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/side-matter