Visual Link Preview
by Brecht · Uncategorized
Also makes 6 other plugins · 76.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Display a fully customizable visual link preview for any internal or external link.
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 88/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+19%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “link”, “previews” and “external link” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #5 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.
88 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.1%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 196.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,765 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 7 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
Well tuned across the board
Updated 73 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.5★ over 36 reviews, smoothed to 4.27★
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
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.
39
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
18%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.0
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 link your tag | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| link preview your tag | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| website preview | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| preview | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| visual | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| facebook link preview | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| preview theme | #3 | #4 | up 1 |
| link | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| page preview | #2 | #3 | down 1 |
| preview link | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| previews | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| external link | #7 | #9 | up 1 |
| summary your tag | #11 | #16 | down 2 |
| snippet preview | #4 | #6 | 0 |
| preview post | #4 | #5 | down 1 |
| post preview | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| visual editor | #7 | #12 | down 1 |
| custom preview | #5 | #6 | up 1 |
| display link | #5 | #5 | 0 |
| link to | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| snippet your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
115 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 72 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “link”, “previews” and “external link” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #5 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.
- One page off on “summary”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 20.3K · 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.
7
releases in the last 12 months
6mo ago
latest release · v2.4.2 · 19 May 2026
13
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 57% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4.8 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 7 May 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ redpandazine1.2y ago
As someone who curates content regularly, this plugin is really what I’ve been searching for. Thank you for it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ michaelzfreeman1.3y ago
Functionally this is good but no where are we told that the plugin uses Microlink API which has a limit of 50 requests per day. They don’t inform the user of this. Neither do they put up a message telling the user the limit has been reached !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Dan Greene1.4y ago
I had been using a different plugin’s pro version (Inline Related Posts). But the site I was using it on is very large, 38 thousand posts and counting, and that plugin’s performance was becoming extremely erratic. All really needed was a plugin that would let me search for the post link I wanted to add, pull its title, image, and excerpt into a block, and add some custom styling. Visual Link Preview does exactly that! Thank you for making this plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ clinicien2.1y ago
I’ve looked for this kind of plugin for a while and this one does perfectly what it has been designed for.Thank you very much !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jimmy Lee2.8y ago
Super nice plugin, thank you! 5-Stars!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ste_yeu2.9y ago
I was searching for a solution that could auto get images and content from external websites, and this plugin works great for this!Congralutations to the developer!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ xolde3.0y ago
Doesn’t work with Elementor
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ kaptaninyeri3.1y ago
Eklentiyi Oluşturana Teşekkürler 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.4.2 Improvement: Block Editor iFrame compatibility Fix: Prevent subscribers from accessing VLP preview endpoint 2.4.2
- — Version 2.4.1 Fix: Prevent long post titles from causing horizontal scroll 2.4.1
- — Version 2.4.0 Feature: Create VLP blocks in bulk from a list of websites Improvement: Show 20 most recent posts Improvement: Featured image in post selection Fix: Prevent optional Microlink API key to be accessible by logged in users 2.4.0
- — Version 2.3.1 Fix: Harden external URL metadata and image fetch endpoints against authenticated SSRF attempts by blocking localhost, private/reserved IP ranges, and unsafe ports 2.3.1
- — Version 2.3.0 Feature: Elementor Widget for visual links Feature: Use PHP to retrieve URL metadata Feature: Use LinkPreview API to retrieve URL metadata Feature: Automatic fallback to different provider Feature: Manually retry using a 2.3.0
- — Version 2.2.9 Improvement: Choose how visual links should render inside RSS feeds 2.2.9
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 6 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (2.4.2). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 4.3 Visual Link Preview <= 2.3.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Sensitive Information Exposure ↗2026-06-17 CVE-2026-54821 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 2.3.1 Patched in 2.4.0
- Patched Medium · 4.3 Visual Link Preview <= 2.4.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Information Exposure ↗2026-06-02 CVE-2026-48878 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 2.4.1 Patched in 2.4.2
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Visual Link Preview <= 2.2.7 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via visual-link-preview Shortcode ↗2025-11-04 CVE-2025-11987 Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page Affects <= 2.2.7 Patched in 2.2.8
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 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 11 languages, 2 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
6 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 "Display a fully customizable visual link preview for any internal or external link."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("use this"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Elementor, Gutenberg, Block editor and 1 more.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,274 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 2 of 4 tags appear in the text; "snippet", "summary" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2022-01-20 9K+ → 10K+ up after 121 days in tier
- 2021-09-21 8K+ → 9K+ up after 137 days in tier
- 2021-05-07 7K+ → 8K+ up after 76 days in tier
- 2021-02-20 6K+ → 7K+ up after 97 days in tier
- 2020-11-15 5K+ → 6K+ up after 55 days in tier
- 2020-09-21 4K+ → 5K+ up after 133 days in tier
- 2020-05-11 2K+ → 4K+ up after 266 days in tier
- 2019-08-19 1K+ → 2K+ up after 136 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).
-
Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
Snippet Shortcodes 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
CodeColorer 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
Bookmark Card 700+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag B -
Code Snippet DM 500+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag C -
WP Link Preview 500+ installs · 4.1★ · 1 shared tag D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Visual Link Preview into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/visual-link-preview" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Visual Link Preview — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Visual Link Preview: 10K+ active installs, 4.5★ (36 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/visual-link-preview
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