Simple Code Block
by pablocianes · Blocks
Also makes 3 other plugins · 260+ installs across the portfolio →
A simple block to insert code into Gutenberg.
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 48/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
200+
≈250 estimated
Momentum
+47%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “ace”, “code” and “gutenberg” 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.
48 health vs 71 average across 2,523 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.2%
of downloads still active
At least 200 of 9.2K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,578 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Blocks 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 6+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 5.3.27, 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 2488 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.3.27; the current branch is 6.8
4.9★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.22★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 2488 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ace your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| code your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| gutenberg your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| php your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| syntax highlighting 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). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “ace”, “code” and “gutenberg” 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 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 117 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #11,300 to #12,900, alongside the other plugins at 200+ 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 21 Oct 2026.
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
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
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
6.8y ago
latest release · v1.2.2 · 8 Jan 2020
7
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 “200+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 14 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 20 Feb 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ jasonhenning6.7y ago
Sooooo much better than the default code block. It’s great for lists too. For instance, I’ve used it for the ingredient list for recipes. Makes it really easy to c/p into a .txt for a grocery list.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kuba Mikita6.9y ago
Simple, Gutenberg enabled and good looking code blocks. This topic was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Kuba Mikita. This topic was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Kuba Mikita.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jan-Willem7.1y ago
Does what it should
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Ruben Garcia7.2y ago
Simple yet powerful block for everyone who wants a code block Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jeroen Rotty7.2y ago
Thanks! It works flawless. A nice extra feature with be a ‘copy’ button to copy the content to the clipboard, as lots of my snippets can be used directly. Thanks again.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ darkpollo7.3y ago
Does what it say and it does it right.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ johnnyfreezed7.5y ago
Thx a lot! There is many languages and themes to use. Very cool!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jon Griffith7.6y ago
Thanks! Worked like a charm. Can’t seem to figure out how to customize anything on it, but it solved the annoying code block problem my theme created.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.4
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 4 languages, 4 at 90% or more · development strings
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 27 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "A simple block to insert code into Gutenberg."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gutenberg.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,483 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
- 2025-09-08 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-09-07 200+ → 300+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-09-06 300+ → 200+ down after 439 days in tier
- 2024-06-24 400+ → 300+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-06-23 300+ → 400+ up after 4 days in tier
- 2024-06-19 400+ → 300+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2024-06-17 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-06-16 400+ → 300+ down after 321 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 SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags C
-
Highlighting Code Block 10K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags A -
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
Code Snippets 1M+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
CSS & JavaScript Toolbox 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Simple Code Block into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/simple-code-block" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Simple Code Block — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Simple Code Block: 200+ active installs, 4.9★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/simple-code-block
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