Featherweight
by jody nesbitt · Performance
Also makes 3 other plugins · 10.1K+ installs across the portfolio →
Speed up WordPress by disabling unused features — emojis, embeds, query strings, XML-RPC, RSS and more — for fewer requests and faster pages.
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 82/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈15K estimated
Momentum
+8%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “optimization” and “performance” for “query strings” and “emojis”. “optimization” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “query strings” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “performance” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “emojis” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
82 health vs 69 average across 1,807 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.0%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 329.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,100 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.
This plugin shipped 7 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
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.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 140 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.1★ over 45 reviews, smoothed to 4.10★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
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.
41
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
+0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
23%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| remove query strings your tag | #3 | #6 | down 1 |
| disable emoji your tag | #4 | #8 | 0 |
| disable embeds your tag | #4 | #8 | 0 |
| autosave | #3 | #7 | 0 |
| query strings | #6 | #10 | 0 |
| emojis | #8 | #12 | 0 |
| disable emojis | #4 | #8 | up 1 |
| disable emoji scripts | #5 | #10 | 0 |
| optimisation | #9 | #13 | up 3 |
| prefetch | #10 | #11 | up 1 |
| strings | #15 | #20 | up 1 |
| emoji | #11 | #15 | 0 |
| heartbeat | #12 | #13 | up 1 |
| disable comments | #13 | #15 | down 2 |
| remove query string | #8 | #18 | down 1 |
| remove emoji scripts | #8 | #16 | 0 |
| image optimisation | #17 | #13 | up 2 |
| heartbeat api | #19 | #17 | up 1 |
| remove emojis | #11 | #13 | 0 |
| remove emoji styles | #11 | #18 | 0 |
| optimization your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
184 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 152 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “optimization” and “performance” for “query strings” and “emojis”. “optimization” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “query strings” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “performance” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “emojis” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 12.9K · 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.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
7
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v2.2.3 · 13 Jun 2026
15
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 28% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3.1 years ago; the previous band took 3.2 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 15 Nov 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ anze5.8y ago
I use this plugin on all the sites I work on and it reduces speeds. I only wish author would update it more, because it would be a shame that such a great plugin would go to waste.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Tom6.1y ago
This did a great job reducing useless requests and code for emojis, loading dashicons for non-admin users and things like that. It’s a simple install and, as mentioned, it is a free and open source plugin that competes nicely with some paid plugins. If you just want to get rid of emojis, try Autoptimize (the Extra settings) or Ryan Hellyer’s Disable Emojis plugin, but you’re still going to have all the other stuff this gets rid of. If you want to pay money, you can match this and maybe get rid of a bit more cruft with the perfmatters Premium plugin ($25/yr). In my experience, it’s pretty common for an optimization plugin to cause a 500 error. There are a lot of little things that can go wrong and if you are trying to push performance by doing things the platform (WordPress) is not designed to do (in fact is designed NOT to do), you have to be ready for some collateral damage. In my case, this plugin worked flawlessly, but I would recommend that any plugin like this be tested on a staging platform first and then deployed to a live site.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ eraumavez786.2y ago
Hello, This is my first review, and i am doing it, because the atual ranking is unfair. The plugin should have more positive reviews and more downloads. It’s a free plugin, with no adverstising. But have the same and more feature then premium or freemium plugins. Just compare it with perfmatters or clearfy (these last, don’t have Woocommerce configurations, for example). Lets be fair, install and compare all.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ S. Dufour6.5y ago
I usually do not post reviews unless something is extremely good or extremely bad. This one falls into the EXTREMELY BAD category. It literally took my site down with a 500 error. I had to manually go into WP, delete the plugin folder, go into my DB and deactivate all the plugins there to finally be able to get into my admin menu and start reactivating those plugins that work. If you try to do a CLI uninstall through the php script, it returns an error. STAY AWAY.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sean Wichert, Sr.6.6y ago
⚡ So great! Took <15m to get 2 sites to load in under 3s! It took me about 15 minutes to do for both my WP sites just now, and it works by allowing people to simply toggle on/off WordPress features they don’t need. Granted, I am able to disable almost everything because I don’t need many of WordPress’ built-in features, but that’s the point. Excellent job on this plugin folks. 🙏 Thank you and keep up the good work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ argyro877.6y ago
I used this plugin to optimize the speed of my website and I had an Internal Server Error and the website went down.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lelik727.7y ago
Do not think this set! You will have big problems !!!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ cemserdar7.8y ago
it is impossible to uninstall it from wp plugins! first time i see such a thing!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.2.3 Visual refresh: the Featherweight dashboard now uses the same hero-card treatment as Cache by Folium. Folium suite overview now includes the live Cache by Folium plugin with its WordPress.org link. 2.2.3
- — Version 2.2.2 Fixed: “headers already sent” warning on REST, AJAX and feed requests when the DNS-prefetch option was enabled — the prefetch tags now print in the page head instead of at plugin load. WordPress.org compliance pass: tigh 2.2.2
- — Version 2.2.1 Tested up to WordPress 7.0. The Folium suite menu now uses a leaf icon (fitting — “Folium” is Latin for leaf). Sitewise now shows as “Coming soon” in the Folium overview until it’s publicly released, rather than linking 2.2.1
- — Version 2.2.0 WP Disable is now Featherweight — a new name and look as part of the Folium Studio suite. Nothing else changes: same plugin, same slug, same settings (everything you’ve configured carries over automatically on update). N 2.2.0
- — Version 2.1.0 New admin experience: WP Disable now opens inside the shared “Folium” menu with a redesigned, tabbed settings screen (dashboard, live optimisation count, instant search). All existing settings and their behaviour are unc 2.1.0
- — Version 2.0.2 Hardening: block direct access to all plugin PHP files. The SEO tab now only appears when a supported SEO plugin (Yoast SEO) is active, and fixed a settings message typo. Props @JeroenSormani. Refreshed the plugin descri 2.0.2
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 2 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
5 of 8 pass · checked 30 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Speed up WordPress by disabling unused features — emojis, embeds, query strings, XML-RPC, RSS and more — fo..."
- ! 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 Mentions WooCommerce, Yoast, REST API.
- ✓ Headings and lists 7 headings and 6 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,289 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "Disable Embeds", "optimization" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2023-10-12 20K+ → 10K+ down after 1153 days in tier
- 2020-08-15 30K+ → 20K+ down after 759 days in tier
- 2018-07-18 20K+ → 30K+ up after 138 days in tier
- 2018-03-02 10K+ → 20K+ up after 29 days in tier
- 2018-02-01 900+ → 10K+ up after 230 days in tier
- 2017-06-16 500+ → 900+ up after 33 days in tier
- 2017-05-14 100+ → 500+ 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).
-
AMP 300K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags C -
Performance Lab 100K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Optimization Detective 60K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
Image Prioritizer 40K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
WP Meteor Website Speed Optimization Addon 20K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Flying Pages: Preload Pages for Faster Navigation & Improved User Experience 20K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Featherweight into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-disable" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Featherweight — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Featherweight: 10K+ active installs, 4.1★ (45 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-disable
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