Simple CSS
by Tom · Uncategorized
Also makes 4 other plugins · 370K+ installs across the portfolio →
Add CSS to your website through an admin editor, the Customizer or a metabox for page/post specific CSS.
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 73/100
Stale
Active installs
80K+
≈85K estimated
Momentum
+54%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “custom css” and “css” for “spellcheck” and “generatepress”. “custom css” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “spellcheck” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “css” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #17. “generatepress” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
73 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →14%
of downloads still active
At least 80K of 566.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,770 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.
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: Update recency
Updated 412 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 60 reviews, smoothed to 4.54★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 412 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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.8
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
10%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple css your tag | #5 | #6 | down 1 |
| css customizer your tag | #6 | #4 | down 1 |
| simple custom css your tag | #8 | #10 | 0 |
| browser specific css | #4 | #6 | up 1 |
| spellcheck | #8 | #5 | 0 |
| css your tag | #17 | #17 | down 6 |
| custom css your tag | #24 | #20 | down 6 |
| admin css | #9 | #9 | up 1 |
| generatepress | #16 | #13 | down 2 |
| site css | #10 | #10 | up 1 |
| metabox | #24 | #13 | down 8 |
| specific post css | #11 | #15 | — |
| css editor | #19 | #17 | down 3 |
| post css | #15 | #17 | 0 |
| css wordpress | #22 | #21 | down 2 |
| custom admin css | #24 | #21 | 0 |
24 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 16 listed. 8 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Swap “custom css” and “css” for “spellcheck” and “generatepress”. “custom css” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “spellcheck” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “css” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #17. “generatepress” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Slipping on “css”. Down 6 places since 2026-09-18, now #17. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- Slipping on “custom css”. Down 6 places since 2026-09-18, now #24. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.5K · 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
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
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
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
1.1y ago
latest release · v1.1.1 · 15 Sep 2025
7
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 99% 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 “80K+”. 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 1 Nov 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ bmiller220001.9y ago
Easy to use and gives you the access to behind the scenes places you need (like css on this page, for this table, fast and effectively, without digging through mountains of native wp and plugin stylesheets. It has been a big help.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Paul Bradley2.9y ago
This seems like a great idea, and it’s super to finally be clear of the small Additional CSS panel in native wordpress. What’s making me unsure if I should continue are 2 things: 1 – when you press Save, it shoots you back to the top of the CSS file. If you wanted to check and re-edit a bit you were working on, you’ve got to find it again. 2 – no code hints to help complete as you type. Both these things are present on the Additional CSS panel but not here. Hope they can introduce!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ws243.1y ago
By far the best plugin to add custom css, I have been using it for years now and in many websites. This topic was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by ws24.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ thessnake033.6y ago
great solution to give certain users CSS access without giving them too much access
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ itsmeagh3.8y ago
Please update is amazing plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Keirwatson5.7y ago
I had been struggling with page speed but could see in GT Metrix that custom CSS (Jetpack) was taking over 1 second to load. Copied it over to Simple CSS and page load dropped from 3.3 seconds to 0.8s! That’s a 75% reduction – fantastic!!! [Also, I love that I can drop a little bit of CSS into the meta box for some post-specific tweaks – so cool, saves CSS bloat for rarely used styling] This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Keirwatson.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ digifix6.1y ago
This solves so much for me/us. I regret not finding this before. Why did I not find this until today? I just clicked every single link on Toms website (generatepress.com) to figure out if I missed some other amazing things. Newsletter from Tom? Yes please.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous User6.2y ago
Hello Tom, Any chance in future versions that custom CSS will work on index pages (Blog, archives …)? I think those are the only things this plugin lacks to be perfect. Thanks Tom for all your wonderful work 🙂 Cordially.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.1 Fix PHP notice when Simple CSS hasn’t been saved yet 1.1.1
- — Version 1.1 Fix meta box saving issue 1.1
- — Version 1.0 Show metabox only on public post types Add live preview to Customizer Code cleanup Better sanitizing/validation 1.0
- — Version 0.4 Use browser search instead of CodeMirror dialog search Don’t show GeneratePress metabox if it’s already activated Make CSS box full height 0.4
- — Version 0.3 Add CSS metabox to add CSS on specific pages and posts Adjust styling of dark theme Add tips to Simple CSS screen 0.3
- — Version 0.2 Remove extra whitespace from CSS output Remove spellcheck from Customizer input Allow > characters in the CSS Add find (ctrl + f) functionality 0.2
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.4.2
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
4 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 "Add CSS to your website through an admin editor, the Customizer or a metabox for page/post specific CSS."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 4 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 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 556 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "CSS Customizer", "Simple Custom CSS" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-09-05 90K+ → 80K+ down after 280 days in tier
- 2024-11-29 100K+ → 90K+ down after 1581 days in tier
- 2020-08-01 90K+ → 100K+ up after 271 days in tier
- 2019-11-04 80K+ → 90K+ up after 338 days in tier
- 2018-12-01 70K+ → 80K+ up after 214 days in tier
- 2018-05-01 60K+ → 70K+ up after 89 days in tier
- 2018-02-01 50K+ → 60K+ up after 112 days in tier
- 2017-10-12 40K+ → 50K+ up after 39 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).
-
Simple Custom CSS Plugin 100K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags C -
WP Add Custom CSS 60K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags B - T TJ Custom CSS 8K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Custom CSS Pro 7K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Custom CSS for Elementor 5K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags C -
Instant CSS 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Simple CSS into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/simple-css" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Simple CSS — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Simple CSS: 80K+ active installs, 4.9★ (60 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/simple-css
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.