Widget Content Blocks
by Danny van Kooten · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 8 other plugins · 1.1M+ installs across the portfolio →
Edit widget content using the default WordPress visual editor and media uploading functionality. Create widgets like you would create posts or 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
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈15K estimated
Momentum
-1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “visual editor”, “widget” and “widgets” for “widget content”, “content blocks” and “uploading”. “visual editor” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “widget content” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widget” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “content blocks” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widgets” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #13. “uploading” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 56 average across 5,896 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.8%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 352.6K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,186 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities 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 3 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 72 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 60 reviews, smoothed to 4.48★
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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
10%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| wysiwyg your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| wysiwyg widget | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| widget content | #4 | #5 | down 1 |
| wysiwyg editor | #2 | #2 | — |
| content blocks | #8 | #11 | 0 |
| rich text your tag | #11 | #10 | down 1 |
| widgets your tag | #13 | #11 | down 1 |
| content widgets | #5 | #6 | down 1 |
| default widgets | #6 | #6 | 0 |
| uploading | #15 | #17 | down 2 |
| classic widgets | #12 | #13 | down 2 |
| about me widget | #15 | #12 | down 2 |
| custom widgets | #17 | #17 | down 1 |
| widget areas | #20 | #19 | down 1 |
| widget area | #20 | #20 | down 1 |
| translation ready | #20 | #15 | up 2 |
| classic editor widgets | #14 | #16 | 0 |
| pages on widgets | #14 | #15 | down 1 |
| author widget | #24 | #17 | 0 |
| wordpress widgets | #16 | #18 | down 1 |
| visual editor your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
58 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 28 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 “visual editor”, “widget” and “widgets” for “widget content”, “content blocks” and “uploading”. “visual editor” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “widget content” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widget” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “content blocks” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “widgets” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #13. “uploading” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “rich text”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “widgets”. #13 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 9.6K · 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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
3
releases in the last 12 months
4mo ago
latest release · v2.3.13 · 23 Jun 2026
19
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 99% 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 3.5 years ago; the previous band took 2.9 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 1 Jan 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Anonymous2.6y ago
Just works exactly how you’d like it to work. And.. easy to work with for editors, because they don’t have to deal with the widgets section to make a change, it’s just like editing a post.Thanks a lot!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ aerta3.8y ago
Brilliant plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nullmem9.1y ago
I needed a WYSIWYG editor for widgets for my clients but needed a way to keep them from accidentally deleting the widget along with all the content. This is perfect implementation, thank you to the developer. This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by nullmem.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jssilver9.2y ago
I used this to create a custom link widget – the default link widget just didn’t work for me. But I can see that Widget Content Blocks can be used to solve many widget problems. Highly recommended.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tageins9.2y ago
I use this plugin together with the Elementor page builder, and it works great. The advantage is, that my customers can edit their texts without bothering with the elementor UI, instead just use the usual editor. This is great! This topic was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by tageins.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jberg19.5y ago
It makes it so easy to have WYSIWYG editable widgets and also use the blocks in my custom templates.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ thewoosh9.7y ago
This is an absolutely essential plugin that I have used for many years. It should be part of WordPress Core. Get it – it’s a no-brainer
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Christina9.7y ago
This is such a great way to create widget content!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.3.13 Fix: Some HTML elements being escaped despite user having unfiltered_html capability. 2.3.13
- — Version 2.3.12 Added: Revision history support for Widget Blocks. Improved: Escaping and sanitization of widget output and admin text. Improved: Updated plugin copy, links, tags, PHP requirement, and WordPress compatibility information 2.3.12
- — Version 2.3.11 Version bump – this plugin is still working fine! 2.3.11
- — Version 2.3.10 Version bump just to get rid of the “unmaintained” warning. 2.3.10
- — Version 2.3.9 Updated WordPress compatibility. View the full changelog on GitHub 2.3.9
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 6 languages, 1 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 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Edit widget content using the default WordPress visual editor and media uploading functionality. Create wid..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 4 of 4 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Mailchimp.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,368 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
- 2023-05-05 20K+ → 10K+ down after 1067 days in tier
- 2020-06-02 30K+ → 20K+ down after 671 days in tier
- 2018-08-01 40K+ → 30K+ down after 1007 days in tier
- 2015-10-29 30K+ → 40K+ 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).
-
WP Editor Widget 9K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags D -
Blocksy Companion 300K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Widget Context 30K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A - S SpiceBox 20K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B
- C Custom Post Type Widgets 10K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Widget Content Blocks into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wysiwyg-widgets" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Widget Content Blocks — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Widget Content Blocks: 10K+ active installs, 4.8★ (60 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wysiwyg-widgets
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