WP Deferred JavaScripts
by Willy Bahuaud · Performance
Also makes 9 other plugins · 8.5K+ installs across the portfolio →
Defer the loading of all JavaScripts added with wp_enqueue_script(), using LABJS (an asynchronous javascript library).
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
F 39/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
800+
≈850 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “deferring”, “javascript” and “optimization” 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.
39 health vs 69 average across 1,806 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.5%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 159.9K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,099 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Performance 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 10+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.6.30, 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 3712 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.6.30; the current branch is 6.8
3.2★ over 35 reviews, smoothed to 3.73★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3712 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| labjs your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| deferring your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| javascript your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| optimization your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “deferring”, “javascript” and “optimization” 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 167 · 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
10.2y ago
latest release · v2.0.5 · 1 Sep 2016
9
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 6 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 53% of the way through.
Install history since 27 May 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ webstpro8.0y ago
This plugin prevents showing on the navigation menu on some pages when used with Visual Composer.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Todd Farino8.5y ago
Like everyone else, I wanted to speed up my site and deferring javaScript is a must. The problem is this plugin does more damage than it helps. – Stops drop down menus in Avada from working. – Google Maps, broke. – Sliders, some break. ZERO explanation as to how to exclude certain javascript form deferring. Went to the support board, and they help no one. Good idea, but needs allot of work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ capbussat8.6y ago
Great! Easy to use if you need to fine tune speed of your web. There is a need to spped up web downloading, after cache you can use this to optimize Javascript download. But it needs fine tuning otherwise you will get some strange results like pages that do not render properly for a few seconds. Always begin by using a cache plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Joris Le Blansch8.9y ago
For instance breaks Ajax in Contact 7. To avoid IMO.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Emanuel Pietri9.2y ago
Hi there. Unfortunately i must inform you this plugins broken my Google maps. We need other plugins for resolving referring problem.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tigershroof9.5y ago
Okie, so tested this right now with more than 16 different configurations and it works very well. It is the only plugin that actively defers JS. Rest are not as effective. If you are using any Caching Plugin, it may conflict with your website and may break your site. In 16 tests, nothing like this happened. Tested with PHP7 and latest Version of WordPress.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sailordudes9.7y ago
Hey guys, i was advised to install this plugin but my site is broken. De-activating and deleting it has not helped… Pls HELP how to resolve this? I read an article that I am supposed to delete my cache which -I think- I did but without effect. Perhaps I haven’t done it on the right please. Deaer Plugin support, please help, my site is unusuable at the moment! René
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ESAR9.8y ago
I had a site running slowly and was told Javascript needed to be deferred. I was hesitant, but the most recent reviews were good. Nope. It made my site slower and key areas on the main page showed up as white boxes. Kept getting errors trying to delete it, took about 4 attempts for it to go away. Too scary/risky for a high traffic site. This topic was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by ESAR.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 116 languages, 1 at 90% or more
Plus 92 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
2 of 8 pass · checked 25 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 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 5 of 6 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("Exclude Scripts").
- ! 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 956 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "deferring", "performance" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-05-14 900+ → 800+ down after 106 days in tier
- 2026-01-28 1K+ → 900+ down after 854 days in tier
- 2023-09-27 2K+ → 1K+ down after 361 days in tier
- 2022-10-01 3K+ → 2K+ down after 410 days in tier
- 2021-08-17 4K+ → 3K+ down after 315 days in tier
- 2020-10-06 5K+ → 4K+ down after 99 days in tier
- 2020-06-29 6K+ → 5K+ down after 230 days in tier
- 2019-11-12 7K+ → 6K+ down after 405 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).
-
AMP 300K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags C -
Performance Lab 100K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Speculative Loading 70K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Async JavaScript 60K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags C -
Optimization Detective 60K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
Image Prioritizer 40K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP Deferred JavaScripts into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-deferred-javascripts" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP Deferred JavaScripts — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP Deferred JavaScripts: 800+ active installs, 3.2★ (35 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-deferred-javascripts
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