WEN Responsive Columns
by WEN Themes · Uncategorized
Also makes 6 other plugins · 6.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
Easily display columnized content in your pages or posts.
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 55/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
800+
≈870 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “column”, “column shortcode” and “columns” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
55 health vs 58 average across 25,736 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.8%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 28.2K 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.
Removal-risk signals
28/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Not actively maintained. No update in about 2 years.
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.
Room to improve
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 958 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.5.14; the current branch is 6.8
3.7★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.04★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 958 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.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| column your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| column shortcode your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| columns your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| grid your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| responsive your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “column”, “column shortcode” and “columns” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 643 · 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
2.6y ago
latest release · v1.3.4 · 17 Mar 2024
9
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 89% 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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 66% of the way through.
Install history since 14 Aug 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ scoophk8.1y ago
Have just tried 4 others as WordFence warned me that this was abandoned – can’t find one I can work with – please come back!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ emmydalas8.7y ago
This used to be my favorite column plugin, but it seems to be just abandoned. This plugin is conflicting with my forms plugin and I’m tired to try to work around. Although a lot of pages in my site use WEN columns, I’ll have to deactivate it. Really sad.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wujanowski9.1y ago
I have tried out many other plugins to create columned layout in posts. But somehow they all didn’t work or was too complex. This plugin (marked as not tested with WP 4.8.2) is instead extremely simple and works fine 🙂 OK, I would like to have the column layout in WYSIWYG, but I think, it depends not on the plugin but on the WordPress editor. Or maybe my missing knowledge?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ayeaix9.7y ago
Worked immediately. Very pleased.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mark Krieger9.9y ago
Finally a column plugin that works great. You just HAVE to use the visual editor buttons to create the columns because you’d need a lot of experience with it to remember how to do it manually…and there are no instructions for manual creation anywhere as far as I can see.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mikehaceman10.0y ago
Very easy and simple plugin that makes the content split into responsive columns. The only issue might be with the sizing – when columns must switch from e.g. full 3 grid to 1 grid on mobile. Is it 960 px or 180 px ? Maybe with future update ?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ submitexpress10.1y ago
installed it but cannot figure out how to use or configure. No documentation on how to use!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mrazm11.7y ago
I installed this plugin but could not get it to work with my Photocrati theme although it seems quite simple.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.3.4). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 WEN Responsive Columns <= 1.3.2 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Shortcode ↗2024-03-15 CVE-2024-27988 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.3.2 Patched in 1.3.3
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 6.4.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 4 languages, 0 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
2 of 8 pass · checked 31 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Easily display columnized content in your pages or posts."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 1 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("There is something cool you could add…").
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you have"); 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 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 510 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "column shortcode" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-06-30 900+ → 800+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-29 800+ → 900+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-06-27 900+ → 800+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-26 800+ → 900+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-25 900+ → 800+ down after 148 days in tier
- 2026-01-28 1K+ → 900+ down after 1212 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 2K+ → 1K+ down after 2110 days in tier
- 2016-12-24 400+ → 2K+ up
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).
-
Block Editor Bootstrap Blocks 900+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags B -
Bootstrap's Columns Controller 200+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags D -
PixGridder 100+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags D -
Advanced Columns Block: Layout builder 100+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags B -
Column Shortcodes 60K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags D -
Genesis Widget Column Classes 5K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WEN Responsive Columns into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wen-responsive-columns" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WEN Responsive Columns — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WEN Responsive Columns: 800+ active installs, 3.7★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wen-responsive-columns
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