WP Core Update Cleaner
by Upperdog · Uncategorized
Also makes 2 other plugins · 35.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
This plugin automatically removes some files in the root folder, like wp-config-sample.php, readme and license files, when WordPress is manually or au …
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
Active installs
800+
≈880 estimated
Momentum
+52%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “core”, “update” and “upgrade” 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 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →7.9%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 10.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,766 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 956 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.5.14; the current branch is 6.8
4.5★ over 4 reviews, smoothed to 4.13★ and held back under 25 reviews
3 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 956 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| core your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| update your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| upgrade your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “core”, “update” and “upgrade” 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 193 · 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 · v1.2.0 · 19 Mar 2024
3
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 900.
Install history since 8 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ SypaCC6.5y ago
It makes life much easier by doing it’s job perfectly.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Curtis10.4y ago
Thank you for your plugin development. This plugin does what it says. Was using a read.me plugin remover on my sites. This is even better. Second the thought of a future update to add removal install.php.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Julie11.5y ago
Glad I found this! It’s so annoying to have to remember to take these little steps every time WordPress core updates. It’s a real time-saver, so long as automatic updates are disabled. This plugin works perfectly with manual updates. However, with automatic updates, the readme.html file isn’t removed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous11.5y ago
Clean code which does what it says it does. Needs one improvement for 5 out of 5: removal of wp-admin/install.php An added star if they gave it a UI with a customizable list of files and directories to remove.
Read on wp.org ↗
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
3 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 "This plugin automatically removes some files in the root folder, like wp-config-sample.php, readme and lice..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! 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 1 heading and 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,016 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 2 of 3 tags appear in the text; "upgrade" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-18 900+ → 800+ down after 147 days in tier
- 2026-03-24 1K+ → 900+ down after 1680 days in tier
- 2021-08-17 400+ → 1K+ up after 1156 days in tier
- 2018-06-18 100+ → 400+ 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).
- E Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades 60K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Core Rollback 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A - S Simple Automatic Updates 2K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
- W Windows Compatibility Fix 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Core Files Update Cleanup 30+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags - P Plugin Reinstaller 30+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP Core Update Cleaner into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-core-update-cleaner" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP Core Update Cleaner — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP Core Update Cleaner: 800+ active installs, 4.5★ (4 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-core-update-cleaner
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