W4 Post List

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

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.

284 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 246 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share 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.

Crossed into this band 8 months ago; the previous band took 20 months to cross, which places it about 61% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ lichtenstern

   6mo ago

   For me it did simplify the process of showing custom post types without handling all the difficulties of different archive-types for them. So I can produce lists for my own.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ brasofilo

   2.7y ago

   Very good plugin, simple and complete. It just gets the job done.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Jakub

   3.2y ago

   The plugin has a lot of settings, really a lot. But I can’t make it work just to render a simple list of posts (without any filters or advanced settings). Seems broken a bit. But it has potential to be a great plugin.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ Airtrooper

   3.4y ago

   I’ve been searching high and low for a Knowledge Base category List plugin for several months, there are sooo many legacy, abandoned and over complicated ones out there. This is actually really easy to use and has lots of potential. I’m also using as a Table of Contents… should be renamed to suit its versatility. Well done, great plugin!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ Franz Wieser

   3.6y ago

   its genial to use data from WordPress (post, Tax, User) to publish as list, blocks, grids, and any other ideas.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ jorgejgm

   3.9y ago

   Thank you very much for your work!!!

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ hornblower

   5.2y ago

   Shazzad, thank you for writing this awesome plugin. It was exactly what I needed to create a custom post listing – especially with the avatar support. The ability to influence every part and position of every component and part of an archive post listing was quite simply revelatroy. This is the only plugin that I have found after hours of searching that does this – nothing else even came close! Thank you again – if I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Anax

   5.3y ago

   This is an excellent plugin with tons of customization for creation of custom filtered post lists and their templates. Outstanding work.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.7.0 New: First-run onboarding – fresh installs get a draft “Example: Recent Posts” list, so there is always a working configuration to open and learn from. New: A dismissible “Get started” notice after activation walks throu 2.7.0
2. — Version 2.6.0 New: Automated test suite now gates every release – characterization snapshots freeze the rendered output of all five list types (including grouped lists and pagination) so updates can no longer break existing lists unno 2.6.0
3. — Version 2.5.9 New: Added a WordPress Playground blueprint that powers the Live Preview button on the wordpress.org plugin page. 2.5.9
4. — Version 2.5.8 Fix: Documentation examples used unregistered template tags ([post_link], [group_name], [group_link]) and invalid HTML, so copy-pasting them produced broken output. All examples now use registered tags with valid loop ma 2.5.8
5. — Version 2.5.7 Improved: Rewrote the wordpress.org listing for accuracy — removed the reference to the retired TinyMCE button, repositioned the description around grouped lists and user directories, expanded the FAQ from real support q 2.5.7
6. — Version 2.5.6 New: Post status options now include all registered statuses, including custom ones (e.g. “Expired” from job listing plugins) – https://github.com/w4devInc/w4-post-list/issues/88. Tested up to WordPress 7.0.2. 2.5.6

All 7 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.0.9). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched Medium · 4.9 W4 Post List <= 3.0.6 - Authenticated (Editor+) SQL Injection ↗
   2026-09-23 CVE-2026-96826 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 3.0.6 Patched in 3.0.7
2. Patched Medium · 4.3 W4 Post List <= 2.4.5 - Information Disclosure via post_excerpt ↗
   2023-03-22 CVE-2023-1371 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 2.4.5 Patched in 2.4.6
3. Patched Medium · 6.4 W4 Post List <= 2.4.5 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Block Options ↗
   2023-03-22 CVE-2023-0374 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.4.5 Patched in 2.4.6
4. Patched Medium · 6.1 W4 Post List <= 2.4.5 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2023-03-22 CVE-2023-1373 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.4.5 Patched in 2.4.6
5. Patched Medium · 6.4 W4 Post List <= 2.4.4 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'w4pl[no_items_text]' ↗
   2023-03-08 CVE-2023-27413 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.4.4 Patched in 2.4.5
6. Patched Medium · 4.3 Appsero <= 1.2.1 - Missing Authorization ↗
   2022-12-16 Missing Authorization Affects <= 2.4.2 Patched in 2.4.3
7. Patched Medium · 4.3 Appsero <= 1.2.0 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2022-12-14 CVE-2022-47150 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 2.4.2 Patched in 2.4.3

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1

Translated into 133 languages, 0 at 90% or more

Plus 109 more locales with partial translations.

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.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-03-09 4K+ → 3K+ down after 600 days in tier
2. 2024-07-17 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1 days in tier
3. 2024-07-16 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
4. 2024-07-15 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1 days in tier
5. 2024-07-14 4K+ → 5K+ up after 2 days in tier
6. 2024-07-12 5K+ → 4K+ down after 1 days in tier
7. 2024-07-11 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
8. 2024-07-10 5K+ → 4K+ down after 703 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).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for W4 Post List into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

W4 Post List: 3K+ active installs, 4.7★ (94 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/w4-post-list