Special Text Boxes
by minimus · Performance
Also makes 2 other plugins · 1.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Highlights any portion of text as text in the colored boxes.
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
1K+
≈1.9K estimated
Momentum
+73%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “color” for “boxes”. “color” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “boxes” 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 1,809 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.4%
of downloads still active
At least 1K of 258.9K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,104 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 4 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 49 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
3.4★ over 21 reviews, smoothed to 3.89★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
30
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| special | #2 | #8 | 0 |
| boxes | #8 | #23 | down 1 |
| colored | #7 | #15 | — |
| info boxes | #4 | #17 | 0 |
| content boxes | #16 | #22 | 0 |
| color your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| content your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| info your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| text your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
20 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 5 listed. 15 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
- Swap “color” for “boxes”. “color” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “boxes” 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 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.2K · 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v6.6.1 · 13 Sep 2026
67
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “1K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 months ago and the previous band took 18 months to cross, so the real count is still just under 2K.
Install history since 14 Aug 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Michael1.0y ago
Initially, I rated the plugin as a one-star because something broke a few months ago and text was no longer accepted in the field. However, the developers fixed the issue and it has been running great for me ever since. I’m crossing my fingers that it stays that way, but who knows with today’s technology. Thank you for addressing the issue and making the plugin useful again. This topic was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Michael.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Nikita2.4y ago
It looks as if the plugin was developed 10 years ago and has not been updated This topic was modified 2 years ago by Nikita.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ relivin3.9y ago
Gave error message. Don’t know why.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Oliver Nielsen10.0y ago
Very good !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ etravelcontent10.7y ago
Really nice Plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ etravelcontent10.7y ago
Really nice Plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ denisseattle11.2y ago
No integration with menu or editor. Little to no documentation. Old school plugin left over from the early days of WP.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ c2632c263211.7y ago
This is a great plugin that deserves 5 stars. I am thinking about upgrading to the pro version, but gotta look into what more it offers than the free version. Saves me a lot of time trying to figure out how to do a border in css or html. I am happy with this plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 6.5.1 WordPress 7.0 ready 6.5.1
- — Version 6.5 update: updated to React 19 update: third party libraries are updated fix: block’s content input is fixed fix: admin data requests are fixed 6.5
- — Version 6.2.6 WordPress 6.8 ready 6.2.6
- — Version 6.2.5 Plugin security improved 6.2.5
- — Version 6.2.4 Plugin security improved 6.2.4
- — Version 6.2.2 WordPress 6.5 ready 6.2.2
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (6.6.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2022-06-17 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.9.110 Patched in 6.0.0
- Patched Medium · 5.5 Special Text Boxes <= 5.9.109 - Authenticated (Admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2021-09-21 CVE-2021-24485 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.9.109 Patched in 5.9.110
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 78 languages, 0 at 90% or more
Plus 54 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
4 of 8 pass · checked 28 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 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you need", "if you have").
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 689 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "content", "performance" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-24 2K+ → 1K+ down after 526 days in tier
- 2025-03-16 3K+ → 2K+ down after 639 days in tier
- 2023-06-16 4K+ → 3K+ down after 255 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 6K+ → 4K+ down after 469 days in tier
- 2021-06-22 7K+ → 6K+ down after 246 days in tier
- 2020-10-19 9K+ → 7K+ down after 506 days in tier
- 2019-06-01 10K+ → 9K+ down
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).
-
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag B -
WP Super Cache 1M+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag A -
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.1★ · 1 shared tag A -
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
ManageWP Worker 1M+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
One Click Demo Import 1M+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Special Text Boxes into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-special-textboxes" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Special Text Boxes — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Special Text Boxes: 1K+ active installs, 3.4★ (21 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-special-textboxes
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