SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block
by Marc Tönsing · Blocks
Also makes 15 other plugins · 11K+ installs across the portfolio →
SEO-friendly Table of Contents Gutenberg block. No JavaScript or CSS by default.
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
A 91/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+40%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “accessibility”, “block” and “table” for “contents”, “content blocks” and “reusable content”. “accessibility” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “contents” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “block” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “content blocks” sits at #13 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “table” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “reusable content” sits at #14 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
91 health vs 71 average across 2,524 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.6%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 635.6K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,579 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.
This plugin shipped 26 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
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: Support resolution
Updated 1 day ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 77 reviews, smoothed to 4.59★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 2 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
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.
70
Momentum
Gaining ground
+2.7
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
74%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+3.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| toc block | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| toc your tag | #4 | #3 | down 1 |
| table of contents block | #7 | #4 | up 4 |
| table of contents your tag | #7 | #6 | up 1 |
| contents | #12 | #11 | up 4 |
| advanced toc | #4 | #3 | up 1 |
| post toc | #4 | #3 | up 1 |
| wordpress toc | #5 | #3 | up 3 |
| table of content block | #6 | #4 | up 2 |
| content blocks | #13 | #13 | up 9 |
| reusable content | #14 | #10 | up 5 |
| table your tag | #22 | #15 | up 1 |
| default | #23 | #12 | up 1 |
| table css customization | #10 | #9 | up 3 |
| spacing | #17 | #14 | — |
| headings | #18 | #14 | up 2 |
| wordpress table of contents | #11 | #11 | up 6 |
| tables | #19 | #18 | — |
| collapsible | #19 | #12 | down 2 |
| heading | #22 | #17 | down 2 |
| accessibility your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| block your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
107 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 83 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “accessibility”, “block” and “table” for “contents”, “content blocks” and “reusable content”. “accessibility” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “contents” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “block” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “content blocks” sits at #13 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “table” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “reusable content” sits at #14 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 43.2K · 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
26
releases in the last 12 months
28d ago
latest release · v7.4.1 · 3 Oct 2026
161
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 22 Oct 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Hans-Gerd Gerhards5mo ago
The plugin works brilliantly. The support is fantastic. A conflict with another plugin (Noted) was resolved in just 1–2 hours. Thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ 3tianne10mo ago
Does the job with no fuss. I feel that the option to include a basic show/hide button (no animations or other bloat necessary) would add a great deal of polish for very little impact. But, the plugin advertises itself as something that is minimalist, no CSS, no JS, and that is what it is. The links also follow the CSS rules from the site theme which is strangely not the case for other TOC plugins. Well done this dev.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Zetona10mo ago
Thank you Marc, your plugin just works as expected!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ js10011mo ago
The plugin works exceptionally well. It is lightweight, stable, and fully compatible with WordPress Full Site Editing. A reliable solution that integrates seamlessly and performs exactly as expected.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Clicknathan1.5y ago
Comparing this to the “Table Of Contents Block” by WPDeveloper, I prefer this one because: It just works automatically. It has less options, but just enough to do what you need. It adds nothing to the frontend to cause bloat. No CSS, no JS. At least not right out of the box. Additional settings can be enabled that will add these, but it’s nice that we have the option! This is an example of what a well-written plugin should be.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Burgeule1.8y ago
Ich hatte den Button erst gar nicht gefunden / übersehen unter “Blöcke” -> “Design” -> “SimpleTOC”.Klein und fein, wirklich zu empfehlen…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mark Wilkinson2.0y ago
This is an excellent plugin that easily adds table of contents in your posts / pages and it provides links to the relevant headings. Does exactly what I want and I would highly recommend it if you are looking for an easy to use tale of contents block plugin. Thanks so much for sharing.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nishantmalik2.0y ago
Profile bio appears to be a newly established website that focuses on creating bios for various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The site aims to assist users in crafting concise and engaging personal or professional bios, which are essential for making a good first impression online
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 7.1.1 Fixed: Prevented WordPress HTML API notices when nested block content is not a string. Fixed: Escaped TOC links and titles before rendering them. Fixed: Preserved legacy SimpleTOC block validity in the WordPress editor. 7.1.1
- — Version 7.1.0 Fixed: Avoid DOMDocument HTML parsing for highlighted heading markup by using the WordPress HTML API. Changed: Minimum required WordPress version is now 6.2. Added: PHPUnit coverage for core rendering helpers and an edit 7.1.0
- — Version 7.0.10 Fixed: Prevent the SimpleTOC editor preview from collapsing during WordPress autosaves. Changed: Automatic editor refresh now runs after manual post saves and keeps the previous TOC visible while updating. 7.0.10
- — Version 7.0.9 Fixed: Restored WordPress 7.0 editor previews for existing SimpleTOC blocks that contain legacy editor-only attributes. Fixed: The “Hide SimpleTOC” editor toggle no longer stores a redundant helper attribute. 7.0.9
- — Version 7.0.8 Fixed: Prevent editor preview errors when another plugin adds editor-only attributes to blocks, for example Noted! block notes. Thanks Hans-Gerd Gerhards (@hage). 7.0.8
- — Version 7.3.0 Changed: Box is now a native Gutenberg block style in the Styles tab. Added: Native text, link, background color, margin, and padding controls. Added: theme.json styling support for colors, spacing, and typography. Added 7.3.0
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 23 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.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names SimpleTOC when asked about this topic, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 25 Oct 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- Table of contents
Readme readiness
8 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 "SEO-friendly Table of Contents Gutenberg block. No JavaScript or CSS by default."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 8 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 8 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("use it", "designed for", "ideal for").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gutenberg, Rank Math.
- ✓ Headings and lists 8 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,351 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
- 2022-11-08 9K+ → 10K+ up after 33 days in tier
- 2022-10-06 8K+ → 9K+ up after 8 days in tier
- 2022-09-28 6K+ → 8K+ up after 77 days in tier
- 2022-07-13 5K+ → 6K+ up after 82 days in tier
- 2022-04-22 4K+ → 5K+ up after 37 days in tier
- 2022-03-16 3K+ → 4K+ up after 106 days in tier
- 2021-11-30 2K+ → 3K+ up after 119 days in tier
- 2021-08-03 1K+ → 2K+ up after 88 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).
-
Easy Table of Contents 600K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags B -
Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
LuckyWP Table of Contents 90K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
Flexible Table Block 40K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Rich Table of Contents 20K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags C -
Table Of Contents Block 10K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/simpletoc" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block: 10K+ active installs, 4.9★ (77 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/simpletoc
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