Variable Inspector
by Bowo · Uncategorized
Also makes 6 other plugins · 211.1K+ installs across the portfolio →
Inspect PHP variables on a central dashboard in wp-admin for convenient debugging.
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 84/100
Few reviews
Active installs
100+
≈200 estimated
Momentum
+43%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “variable”, “inspect” and “variables” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #6 and #7 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
84 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.1%
of downloads still active
At least 100 of 75.6K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,766 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.
This plugin shipped 2 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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 162 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 5 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 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.
37
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 25d
19%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 25d
-0.1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| variable dump your tag | #1 | #2 | — |
| inspector | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| variable | #4 | #12 | down 1 |
| inspect | #6 | #14 | up 5 |
| variables | #7 | #19 | up 7 |
| dump | #9 | #13 | up 2 |
| inspection | #9 | #10 | 0 |
| variable to simple | #11 | #20 | down 3 |
| simple to variable | #11 | #20 | down 3 |
| nice accordion | #19 | #20 | down 1 |
| node | #24 | #17 | — |
| site variables | #15 | #19 | down 3 |
| debug your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| developer your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| php variables your tag | Not checked yet | ||
33 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 12 listed. 21 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
- Add “variable”, “inspect” and “variables” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #6 and #7 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 64.2K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #13,300 to #16,400, alongside the other plugins at 100+ 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.
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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v2.7.1 · 22 May 2026
26
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 51% 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 “100+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band today and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 200.
At the current install trend, crossing 200+ in roughly 662 days.
Install history since 4 Oct 2022
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ mediteranija3.2y ago
I really like what I see. It’s a nice little plugin with the sole purpose of helping you to debug and read variables in an easy and quality way. I’ve just tested it on my dev site, but can’t wait to use it on a real project. I can see how it would have helped me in the past. P.S. I’ve bought PRO version and plan on keeping it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tesig3.5y ago
Enough to test the function of snippets. Works flawless.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Pexle Chris4.1y ago
It is a great plugin for developer use! You can debug easily every variable without printing needed anymore. You also can add feature to “display all” and “hide all” by default, saving maybe to a cookie. And also let users save their favorite view “var_export” or “var_dump” or “print_r”
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ swb14.2y ago
It does what it does very well, and doesn’t try to do everything.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Josh4.5y ago
Works great on a single install, but not so much on a multisite. Any interest in making it work on a multisite? Either way, thanks for your work, love this thing.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (2.7.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2025-02-23 CVE-2025-26914 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.6.2 Patched in 2.6.3
- 2023-07-18 CVE-2023-33999 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.3.0 Patched in 2.4.0
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 3 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.
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 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you need", "great for").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Bricks, Oxygen, ChatGPT.
- ✓ Headings and lists 6 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 5,340 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 4 tags appear in the text; "variable dump" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-31 200+ → 100+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2026-10-27 100+ → 200+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2026-10-21 200+ → 100+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-10-20 100+ → 200+ up after 10 days in tier
- 2026-10-10 200+ → 100+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2026-10-06 100+ → 200+ up after 165 days in tier
- 2026-04-24 200+ → 100+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-04-23 100+ → 200+ up after 3 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).
-
Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Debug This 2K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C -
Ray 400+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B - A Asset Queue Manager 200+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Simple System Status 100+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D -
Developer Debug Tools 100+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Variable Inspector into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/variable-inspector" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Variable Inspector — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Variable Inspector: 100+ active installs, 5.0★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/variable-inspector
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