Simple Google Docs Viewer
by Maor Chasen · Uncategorized
Also makes 4 other plugins · 900+ installs across the portfolio →
Easily embed documents like PDFs, Word documents, and Powerpoint in your site using Google Docs Viewer.
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 41/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
300+
≈350 estimated
Momentum
+34%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “documents”, “embed pdf” and “google docs” 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.
41 health vs 58 average across 25,755 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.4%
of downloads still active
At least 300 of 21.6K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 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 4.7.39, 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 3511 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.7.39; the current branch is 6.8
3.1★ over 8 reviews, smoothed to 3.96★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3511 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| documents your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| embed pdf your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| google docs your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| pdf viewer your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “documents”, “embed pdf” and “google docs” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 177 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #10,100 to #11,100, alongside the other plugins at 300+ 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
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
9.6y ago
latest release · v1.2 · 22 Mar 2017
2
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 92% 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 “300+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 10 months ago; the previous band took 15 months to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 27 May 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ imfreednb8.1y ago
not working This topic was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by imfreednb. This topic was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by imfreednb.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Rahul Singh11.8y ago
I tried to upload spreadsheet by this plugin but it showing me Apologies. There is no preview available.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ monoxine12.1y ago
i tried on localhost, the plugin doesn’t work. It keeps telling “Sorry, we were unable to find the document at the original source. Verify that the document still exists. You can also try to download the original document by clicking here.” Is there anyone can help me?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ AJxzac12.5y ago
i want to display the doc file if the post is doc or some other word file. if the post is text want to redirect to the post page
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ TONY THOMAS12.7y ago
Showing click here link. and when I click on that- the file is downloading instead of showing in browser…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ webphilosopher12.9y ago
Use this plugin on a lot of sites. This plugin used to work great, but now a bunch of my sites are getting bandwidth warnings from Google, because I am using pdf format and not a Google doc format.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rsc13.5y ago
does not shows the google spreadsheet. It keeps giving a message saying that the spreadsheet could not be shown and also gives a link to download the spreadsheet. If you click in the link, the spreadsheet appears. So, the plugin for my spreadsheet (public one) requires the user to click in that download link to work….
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Braintrash13.6y ago
Sorry, tired, wrong plugin. Feel free to shoot me.
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
3 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 "Easily embed documents like PDFs, Word documents, and Powerpoint in your site using Google Docs Viewer."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! 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 1,135 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 2 of 4 tags appear in the text; "embed pdf", "pdf viewer" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-01-20 400+ → 300+ down after 442 days in tier
- 2024-11-04 500+ → 400+ down after 331 days in tier
- 2023-12-09 600+ → 500+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-12-08 500+ → 600+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-12-07 600+ → 500+ down after 251 days in tier
- 2023-03-31 700+ → 600+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-30 600+ → 700+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2023-03-27 700+ → 600+ down after 174 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).
-
PDF Embedder – PDF Viewer & Embed PDF Files for WordPress 300K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
EmbedPress 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
PDF Poster – Let visitors read PDF’s without leaving the page 20K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Document Embedder – let visitors read files without downloading 9K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags B -
Document Embedder Addons for Elementor – Embed Documents in Elementor Websites 6K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags B -
FileBird Document Library 5K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Simple Google Docs Viewer into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/simple-google-docs-viewer" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Simple Google Docs Viewer — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Simple Google Docs Viewer: 300+ active installs, 3.1★ (8 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/simple-google-docs-viewer
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.