Visual Block Inspector
by Raúl Fernández · Blocks
Also makes 1 other plugin · 30+ installs across the portfolio →
Automatic color-coded outlines and labels for Gutenberg blocks. See your page structure instantly while editing.
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
Few reviews
Active installs
10+
≈17 estimated
Momentum
+145%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “block editor” for “inspector”. “block editor” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “inspector” sits at #23 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
73 health vs 71 average across 2,523 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.7%
of downloads still active
At least 10 of 369 lifetime downloads are still running, above 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.
This plugin shipped 1 release 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: Rating quality
Updated 283 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 1 review, smoothed to 4.12★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
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.
46
Momentum
Holding steady
0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 22d
33%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 22d
+1.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| visual inspector your tag | #3 | #16 | 0 |
| layout inspector your tag | #7 | #19 | up 1 |
| inspector | #23 | #24 | down 4 |
| block editor your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| developer tools your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| gutenberg your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
3 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “block editor” for “inspector”. “block editor” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “inspector” sits at #23 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 21 Jan 2026 · 283 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 56 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #30,100 to #45,000, alongside the other plugins at 10+ 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
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
9mo ago
latest release · v1.0.0 · 21 Jan 2026
1
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 “10+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Modeled within the band wp.org reports; tightens as we track daily.
Install history since 21 Jan 2026
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Orlandoo9mo ago
I have often been annoyed that it is not immediately clear what kind of block I am dealing with. Well, I now often work in the document overview/list view, as this view is particularly detailed.But with this plugin, I can easily get an overview. It’s really useful, and I’m surprised that this functionality isn’t already available as standard in Gutenberg.There are other plugins that perform this task, but they usually mess up the whole layout.“Visual Block Inspector,” on the other hand, works discreetly and unobtrusively.
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
7 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Automatic color-coded outlines and labels for Gutenberg blocks. See your page structure instantly while edi..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 9 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 9 of 9 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("perfect for", "who need").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Block editor.
- ✓ Headings and lists 5 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,137 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("developer-tools", "layout-inspector", "visual inspector" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
No tier crossings observed yet.
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).
-
Classic Editor 8M+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
Advanced Editor Tools 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Disable Gutenberg 500K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor 50K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Visual Block Inspector into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/visual-block-inspector" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Visual Block Inspector — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Visual Block Inspector: 10+ active installs, 5.0★ (1 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/visual-block-inspector
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