RSS Feed Retriever
by Travis · Content & Feeds
Also makes 1 other plugin · 9K+ installs across the portfolio →
The fastest RSS feeds plugin for WordPress. Includes excerpt & thumbnail image. Use as a news aggregator, autoblog, or RSS parsing.
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
C 57/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
6K+
≈6.9K estimated
Momentum
+27%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “news aggregator”, “rss aggregator” and “rss feed” 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.
57 health vs 64 average across 1,193 Content & Feeds plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.0%
of downloads still active
At least 6K of 198.6K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Content & Feeds plugin keeps 0.8%, across 864 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Content & Feeds 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
53/100Maintenance 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 3+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Falling behind WordPress. Tested up to WordPress 6.1.16.
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 1394 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.1.16; the current branch is 6.8
4.7★ over 38 reviews, smoothed to 4.36★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 1394 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.
32
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
0.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| retriever | #3 | #1 | 0 |
| wp rss retriever | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| news aggregator your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| rss aggregator your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| rss feed your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| rss import your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| rss parsing your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
5 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 2 listed. 3 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
- “news aggregator”, “rss aggregator” and “rss feed” 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.
- Already on top for “retriever”. #3 without listing it. A tag would change little there; your slots are better spent on a search you don't yet win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 6.5K · 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
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
3.8y ago
latest release · v1.6.10 · 6 Jan 2023
44
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 96% 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 “6K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 23 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 7K.
Install history since 21 Apr 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ hmmcrunchy3.2y ago
Excellent works a dream – simple and efective Be very handy if there was a default message to display if there is nothing on the RSS feed – rather than just displaying an error
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ vampyris3.6y ago
Considering this plugin is free, I think it’s a great alternative to the many other RSS display plugins out there that charge money for displaying images.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mediasmia4.1y ago
Has not been updated for over 1 year and is not compatible with PHP 8.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Marty4.4y ago
The shortcode provided does an ample job of importing RSS feeds. There are two things that would improve this plugin: 1) Make it clear the plugin alters your site’s RSS feed and adds thumbnails to it. Then offer an option to disable that function. Better yet, don’t mess with the site’s RSS feed at all as the purported purpose of this plugin is to display RSS feeds on the frontend of your site, not alter your site’s RSS feed. It took me awhile to track this down and now I’ve replaced the plugin entirely due to this. 2) Offer a Block to be used with the Block Editor Finally Gutenberg users will get a good chunk of the functionality you need for bringing in RSS feeds through the Core RSS Feed block now provided in WP.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hammersmithsociety4.6y ago
Does what it says, perfect for our needs – thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Khubaib Mehmood6.0y ago
I tried almost 10 to twelve free plugin’s versions, but this plugin is best ever. The best thing is that you can manage feed layout according to your requirement with a little bit of coding. Thanks for making this plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ akingbenga7.2y ago
tx
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ninebyte7.2y ago
huh, last version killed standards … if i could i would take this one star also. do you never test your plug on other systems too? with other feeds ? good idea, but no success .. links on images without images .. timingproblems, not cool .. no way to override the new feature with link on image .. This topic was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by ninebyte. Reason: more bugs
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.6.0 Add additional methods for retriving thumbnail images 1.6.0
- — Version 1.5.5 Fix a bug where dofollow option was not working with thumbnails 1.5.5
- — Version 1.5.3 Add more details to RSS errors Fallback to original RSS fetch method if feed is invalid 1.5.3
- — Version 1.5.2 Increase performance with built-in caching system for all feeds Disable ajax for feeds already cached 1.5.2
- — Version 1.5.1 Fix an issue causing some sources to block SimplePie requests 1.5.1
- — Version 1.5.0 Defer loading feeds via JavaScript (solves slow page loading issue) Add ajax option (true or false) to disable deferred loading Fix an issue where some feeds would not fetch Hide images that contain broken or blocked lin 1.5.0
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.6.10). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2023-01-04 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 1.6.7 Patched in 1.6.8
- 2023-01-04 Missing Authorization Affects <= 1.6.7 Patched in 1.6.8
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 11 languages, 6 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
6 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 Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 7 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("use this"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gutenberg.
- ✓ Headings and lists 5 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,933 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-08 7K+ → 6K+ down after 140 days in tier
- 2026-05-21 8K+ → 7K+ down after 154 days in tier
- 2025-12-18 9K+ → 8K+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2025-12-15 8K+ → 9K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-12-14 9K+ → 8K+ down after 184 days in tier
- 2025-06-13 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1082 days in tier
- 2022-06-27 8K+ → 10K+ up after 898 days in tier
- 2020-01-11 1K+ → 8K+ 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).
-
RSS Aggregator by Feedzy – Feed to Post, Autoblogging, News & YouTube Video Feeds Aggregator 40K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
Content Pilot – Autoblogging & Affiliate Marketing Suite 700+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags B -
WP RSS Aggregator – RSS Import, Feed to Post, Autoblogging, AI Content 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
RSS Retriever Lite 200+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B - W WP Autoblog 100+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
RSS Feeds News Blocks 100+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for RSS Feed Retriever into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-rss-retriever" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="RSS Feed Retriever — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> RSS Feed Retriever: 6K+ active installs, 4.7★ (38 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-rss-retriever
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