WP Colorbox
by Noor Alam · Media
Also makes 25 other plugins · 152.1K+ installs across the portfolio →
View image, video (YouTube, Vimeo), page, inline HTML, custom content in lightbox. Add jQuery Colorbox lightbox effect to your WordPress site.
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 71/100
Stale
Active installs
5K+
≈5.5K estimated
Momentum
+9%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “gallery”, “image” and “lightbox” 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.
71 health vs 62 average across 3,279 Media plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.2%
of downloads still active
At least 5K of 158.6K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Media plugin keeps 0.8%, across 2,318 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Media 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 441 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
4.3★ over 23 reviews, smoothed to 4.16★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 441 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
-0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| colorbox your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| simple colorbox | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| colorbox gallery | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| gallery your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| image your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| lightbox your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| photo your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
7 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 4 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “gallery”, “image” and “lightbox” 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 2.8K · 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
1.2y ago
latest release · v1.1.6 · 16 Aug 2025
7
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 87% 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 “5K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 7 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 27 May 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ alphaomegawebdesign4.4y ago
I use the colorbox lightbox for many years in my projects and for me it´s still the best lightbox plugin on the market. Its easy to use and very flexible in functionality and design. Really great job. Thank you!!!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ klstock128.5y ago
I was looking for a pop-up text solution. This fit it great.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gtwa8.6y ago
Very good but it is not running on firefox and ms edge
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ brontho8.8y ago
Many thanks to the plugin developers – you did a great job! I was able to start enjoying nice lightbox stuff on my website right after I saved my initial Fancybox settings(and no matter what class was attributed to my img links!) I changes nothing in my php/css, which is so cool. It just works. That’s fantastic!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ malagraphicdesign9.0y ago
Works perfectly, thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Joss0ne9.1y ago
I needed to be patient adn I got good continuous support from Noor. He managed to help me resolve m the issue I was encountering.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ abc289.6y ago
The plugin was easy to install and use. I had a little issue with the size of the window when it opened in Lightbox and sent an email to the developer in hopes of a solution. I received an email back the ~same day~ with instructions to resolve the issue. The instructions were simple and straightforward – a perfect solution. (Side note… there was nothing wrong with the plugin, just a preference related to size that I was hoping for, so the developer’s help was above and beyond 🙂 Thank you so much!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Piskatje9.7y ago
Nice looking lightbox.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.6 Removed title option. 1.1.6
- — Version 1.1.5 Made some security related improvements in the plugin. 1.1.5
- — Version 1.1.4 Removed some unused files. 1.1.4
- — Version 1.1.3 Made some security related improvements in the plugin. 1.1.3
- — Version 1.1.2 Updated Colorbox to the latest version (1.6.4). 1.1.2
- — Version 1.1.1 Compatible with WordPress 4.8 Updated all the permalinks 1.1.1
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.1.6). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Colorbox Lightbox <= 1.1.5 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-08-20 CVE-2025-49397 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.1.5 Patched in 1.1.6
- 2020-08-14 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.1.4 Patched in 1.1.5
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 6.8.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 50 languages, 5 at 90% or more · development strings
Plus 26 more locales 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
7 of 8 pass · checked 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "View image, video (YouTube, Vimeo), page, inline HTML, custom content in lightbox. Add jQuery Colorbox ligh..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions YouTube, Vimeo.
- ✓ Headings and lists 2 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,518 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "gallery", "photo" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-03-30 6K+ → 5K+ down after 171 days in tier
- 2025-10-10 7K+ → 6K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2025-10-08 6K+ → 7K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-10-07 7K+ → 6K+ down after 430 days in tier
- 2024-08-03 8K+ → 7K+ down after 290 days in tier
- 2023-10-18 9K+ → 8K+ down after 68 days in tier
- 2023-08-11 10K+ → 9K+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2023-08-08 9K+ → 10K+ up after 1 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).
-
Firelight Lightbox 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 4 shared tags A -
LightPress Lightbox 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags B -
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 3 shared tags B - S Simple Lightbox 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags A
-
Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block 20K+ installs · 4.9★ · 3 shared tags A -
WP Lightbox 2 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP Colorbox into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-colorbox" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP Colorbox — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP Colorbox: 5K+ active installs, 4.3★ (23 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-colorbox
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.