Web Stories
by Google · Uncategorized
Also makes 3 other plugins · 5.1M+ installs across the portfolio →
Web Stories are a visual storytelling format for the open web which immerses your readers in fast-loading, full-screen, and visually rich experiences.
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
C 67/100
Stale
Active installs
60K+
≈66K estimated
Momentum
+2%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “amp” and “google” for “open web” and “story”. “amp” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “open web” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “google” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “story” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
67 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.1%
of downloads still active
At least 60K of 2.9M 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.
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: Update recency
Updated 534 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
4.2★ over 87 reviews, smoothed to 4.16★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 2 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Last updated 534 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
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.
31
Momentum
Losing ground
-1.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
9%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| web stories your tag | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| stories your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| visual stories | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| storytelling your tag | #5 | #3 | up 1 |
| amp stories | #3 | #2 | down 1 |
| open web | #11 | #11 | down 1 |
| story | #11 | #10 | down 4 |
| google web fonts | #13 | #15 | up 1 |
| web services | #15 | #14 | down 1 |
| web app | #23 | #20 | down 8 |
| web fonts | #24 | #17 | down 7 |
| web font | #24 | #15 | down 5 |
| monetization | #23 | #16 | down 1 |
| amp your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| google your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
50 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 13 listed. 37 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 “amp” and “google” for “open web” and “story”. “amp” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “open web” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “google” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “story” sits at #11 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 124.9K · 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
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
1.5y ago
latest release · v1.42.0 · 15 May 2025
56
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 78% 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 “60K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 57% of the way through.
Install history since 2 Oct 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ amiragh4mo ago
It is extremely heavy, slows down the website, and is not compatible with WordPress version 7.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mr Bachelor emgi1.0y ago
The plugin is great… But the plugin does not have mobile design. You cant make new stories by your phone. You must use either PC or tablet.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ alivanaee1.1y ago
Hello! I’m experiencing an issue with the close button in the web stories.Observation:During the initial page load, the close button is visible. However, once the page fully loads, the close button disappears.Suspected Cause:It appears that a CSS class, likely i-amphtml-story-ui-hide-button or a similar class that applies display: none or visibility: hidden, is being dynamically added to the close button element (.i-amphtml-story-close-control) after the initial load.Testing:I’ve tested this on a fresh WordPress installation with only your plugin activated, and the issue occurs there as well. Initially, the button shows correctly, but after some time or after the story fully loads, it becomes hidden.Suggestion:Could you please investigate why the i-amphtml-story-ui-hide-button (or a similar hiding class) is being applied to the close button and potentially remove or prevent this class from being added, especially in scenarios where the user might want immediate access to close the story?Thank you for your work on this plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mastcomm1.2y ago
This Plugin will be better If Categories Filter is added on the shortcode, and also More button on the bottom to check on older stories.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ romanaft1.6y ago
Great plugin which brings the stories like navigation to WordPress in a few easy steps. The interface and user experience is unique. The way it adjusts the image to fit it without stretching it is amazing.I have a small issue on my mobile, where I can not scroll when moving my thumb over the stories, a little issue that harms the visitor user experience.Suggestion 1: It would be nice to have stories categories just like Instagram.Suggestion 2: Use vertical videos from Youtube.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Diego Bittencourt1.7y ago
The plugin has a great UI just like a Studio, State of Art Development in WordPress. I’d prefer to use JetPack Stories Block to support WordPress ecosystem, but after getting Json error trying to use it, I tried the one developed by Google.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ navneet112.0y ago
I’m using the Web Stories plugin on my WordPress site, but I’m encountering an issue where images I upload are disappearing after a short time. They’re successfully added initially, but when I check back, they’re removed without any notification or error message. I’ve tried troubleshooting this with caching and image optimization settings but haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause. Has anyone else experienced this or have suggestions for resolving it? This topic was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by navneet11.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jkalukic2.3y ago
This is very helpful stories plugin. I like it so much!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.42.0 Enhancement: raises minimum WordPress version to 6.6. Enhancement: updated list of available Google Fonts. Fixed: resolved issue with lightbox when using shortcode. 1.42.0
- — Version 1.41.0 Fixed: resolved issue with carousel on right-to-left languages. Fixed: resolved issue with lightbox when using shortcode. 1.41.0
- — Version 1.40.0 Enhancement: performance and UX improvements for the Web Stories block. Enhancement: several performance improvements in the admin due to more lightweight bundles. Enhancement: compatibility with WordPress 6.8. Enhanceme 1.40.0
- — Version 1.39.0 Enhancement: new experimental performance improvements in the dashboard and editor. Fixed: resolved translation warning on WordPress 6.7. Fixed: improved Google Analytics 4 banner. Fixed: resolved edge case where the med 1.39.0
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.42.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Web Stories <= 1.37.0 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2024-12-11 CVE-2024-54317 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.37.0 Patched in 1.38.0
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 6.8.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 25 languages, 6 at 90% or more
Plus 1 more locale with partial translations.
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 8 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 8 of 8 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("for publishers"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 4 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,332 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "amp" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-05-27 70K+ → 60K+ down after 121 days in tier
- 2026-01-26 80K+ → 70K+ down after 126 days in tier
- 2025-09-22 90K+ → 80K+ down after 158 days in tier
- 2025-04-17 100K+ → 90K+ down after 895 days in tier
- 2022-11-04 90K+ → 100K+ up after 24 days in tier
- 2022-10-11 80K+ → 90K+ up after 7 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 70K+ → 80K+ up after 33 days in tier
- 2022-09-01 60K+ → 70K+ up after 62 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).
-
Web Stories Enhancer – Level Up Your Web Stories 200+ installs · 4.0★ · 5 shared tags C -
MakeStories (for Google Web Stories) 600+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags B -
Web Stories Widgets For Elementor 900+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
My Story 500+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags C -
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag A -
Google for WooCommerce 800K+ installs · 2.8★ · 1 shared tag C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Web Stories into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/web-stories" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Web Stories — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Web Stories: 60K+ active installs, 4.2★ (87 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/web-stories
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