WP Compiler
by Bytes.co · Uncategorized
Also makes 2 other plugins · 5K+ installs across the portfolio →
Harness the power of pre-processed CSS and minified JS in your theme or plugin, without any complicated installs or build tools.
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
D 50/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews · Open vulnerability
Active installs
900+
≈980 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “compiled”, “less” and “sass” 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.
50 health vs 58 average across 25,751 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →17%
of downloads still active
At least 900 of 5.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 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.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 8+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 5.0.31, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 2932 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.0.31; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 4.20★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 2932 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| compiled your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| less your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| sass your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| scss your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| styles your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 2 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “compiled”, “less” and “sass” 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 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 182 · 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
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.
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% 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 “900+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 1K.
Install history since 18 Sep 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ tomaaszq7.1y ago
I was looking for a way to compile scss directly on the server and have a compilation there without installing Gulp on the server. From today I don’t have to watch and send files locally. Plugin works very good, Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mikhaell7.1y ago
I use this plugin successfully. Good job! It has a wide application for me. I have only one problem – if I use ‘production mode’, sass is compiled and compressed correctly, but JS (using js.manifest) generates an empty file. I will note that in the “development mode”, everything works fine! I look forward to new releases and hope to implement transpilation from ES6 to ES5 in the near future 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ chrishaff7.1y ago
I used this with the understrap theme to compile a customized bootstrap along with my own SCSS. This plugin is focused om it’s task to help you during development with the excellent auto-compilation when you turn on DEV MODE. You can just forget about it and edit your files and they will be compiled on save. The plugin has no impact on a production site. Thank You!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hardonhorsepoweradmin7.3y ago
I have been manually compiling my LESS style-sheets for a few years now, then tried a few other automatic compilers from other sources with no luck. Many other methods are slow, and do not include the “Dev Mode” which this plugin includes. This plugin is simple to use, and does what it should without error. The Dev Mode feature is very nice when you need to test style-sheet changes to live site without deploying a staging site. Thank you again!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sammccarthy7.3y ago
I use UIKit, and this plugin makes it incredibly easy to incorporate the .less source files into my own stylesheets and compile it all on the fly when changes are made. Thank you for making a great plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dragosstancu7.6y ago
A very useful tool for developers. Helps you keep your js/css clean and structured into files, for easy access. Works like a charm! Exactly what I was looking for. A true time saver. The .manifest feature is golden.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence Intelligence1 open vulnerability affects the current version (1.0.0). 0 of 1 disclosed are patched.
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 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Harness the power of pre-processed CSS and minified JS in your theme or plugin, without any complicated ins..."
- ✓ 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 Never says who the plugin is for or 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 1,018 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "sass" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-03 1K+ → 900+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2026-07-31 900+ → 1K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-07-30 1K+ → 900+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-07-28 900+ → 1K+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-07-25 1K+ → 900+ down after 1588 days in tier
- 2022-03-20 800+ → 1K+ up after 239 days in tier
- 2021-07-24 700+ → 800+ up after 238 days in tier
- 2020-11-28 600+ → 700+ up after 39 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).
- W WP-SCSS 40K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A
-
Instant CSS 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C - L Lenix scss compiler 700+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Theme SCSS Compiler 100+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags - T Tuxedo CSS Editor 70+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
- S Sassify 20+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP Compiler into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-compiler" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP Compiler — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP Compiler: 900+ active installs, 5.0★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-compiler
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