wp_mail return-path
by barnz99 · Uncategorized
Simple plugin that correctly sets the return-path header when using wp_mail. Mitigates the "via" and "The actual sender of" Notif …
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 51/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
4K+
≈5K estimated
Momentum
-16%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “outlook”, “phpmailer” and “return path” 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.
51 health vs 58 average across 25,752 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →11%
of downloads still active
At least 4K of 36.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,773 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 1056 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.3.14; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 1056 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| outlook your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| phpmailer your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| return path your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| sender your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| wp mail your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “outlook”, “phpmailer” and “return path” 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 2.5K · 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
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
2.9y ago
latest release · v1.1.1 · 11 Dec 2023
5
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 95% 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 “4K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band yesterday and the previous band took 13 months to cross, so the real count is still just under 5K.
Install history since 17 Dec 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ nigelpentland2.0y ago
Works a treat and fixes an otherwise troublesome issue. Many thanks.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Em3.0y ago
Needed to be able to set return-path email header in my WordPress emails so that they don’t get flagged as spam. This plugin does the trick.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous User 90184185.0y ago
It works, and it fixes a major flaw of WP.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ asterix306.4y ago
Finally I am able to use proper email addresses. Thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fuchsws8.7y ago
… and just does what it should do, thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Thomas Maier8.8y ago
It still works and solves the issue it supposed to solve.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ cmconway9.5y ago
Works with 4.7.4. I’m also using gravity forms and Avada theme. Installing it was quick and it removed the “via” header from emails sent from my site’s gravity forms notifications to gmail. There’s more to removing the via header (DKIM, SPF, From header, etc) but this was the missing piece for my site.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Robin Labadie10.0y ago
Thanks for this simple and nice plugin 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.1 Tested with 6.3 1.1.1
- — Version 1.1.0 Tested with 5.6.1 Fixed typo on filter_var Changed to a singleton class 1.1.0
- — Version 1.0.3 Tested with WordPress 4.9.4 1.0.3
- — Version 1.0.2 Now only sets the sender if it’s not already set with a valid email address. 1.0.2
- — Version 1.0.1 Tested on 4.4 1.0.1
- — Version 1.0.0 Inital Release 1.0.0
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.4.2
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
1 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 Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! 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 463 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "wp-mail" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-31 5K+ → 4K+ down after 387 days in tier
- 2025-10-09 6K+ → 5K+ down after 230 days in tier
- 2025-02-21 5K+ → 6K+ up after 1306 days in tier
- 2021-07-26 500+ → 5K+ 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).
- F Fix Email Return-Path 100+ installs · 3.7★ · 3 shared tags D
- S Send From 500+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags B
-
Pro Mail SMTP 300+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
Flex SMTP — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags -
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Easy WP SMTP – WordPress SMTP and Email Logs: Gmail SMTP, Office 365, Outlook, Custom SMTP, and more 500K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for wp_mail return-path into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-mail-returnpath" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="wp_mail return-path — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> wp_mail return-path: 4K+ active installs, 5.0★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-mail-returnpath
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