There are currently more than 35,000 plugins available in WordPress.org directory. Each day plugins are removed for various reasons including guideline violations, security vulnerabilities, or plugin author requests. However, there is no system in place to notify sites using those plugins. In this article, we will show you how to check for plugins that are no longer in WordPress.org directory.
Video Tutorial
If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.
First thing you need to do is install and activate the No Longer in Directory. Upon activation, simply go to Plugins » No Longer in Directory to check your plugins.
The plugin will check all your installed plugins in the WordPress plugin directory. If it finds a plugin originally downloaded from WordPress.org, but is no longer available there, then it will list it.
It will also show you plugins which are not updated in the last two years. Plugins which are not updated this long are usually considered abandoned, and you should consider finding an alternative.
The abundance of plugins available can make it difficult for users to decide which plugins they should install. The WordPress directory provides some helpful hints, but these hints are not always very helpful. See our article about understanding WordPress plugin compatibility.
So how do you find best WordPress plugins that are safe and stable?
You can find lots of WordPress plugins on WPBeginner and other reputable WordPress publications. Check out our blueprint where you can see the tools and plugins we are using on our sites.
If you are not sure whether a plugin will work or not, then you can always test out a plugin yourself by installing on a local server.
We hope this article helped you check plugins no longer available in WordPress.org directory.
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Syed Balkhi says
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Joe Banks says
FYI:
no-longer-in-directory
By White Fir Design
This plugin has been closed as of October 2, 2018 and is not available for download. Reason: Guideline Violation.
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for letting us know about this, we will be sure to take a look for alternatives
Admin
Joe Banks says
You bet! If I find something, myself, I’ll comment it here.
WPBeginner Staff says
Please contact the plugin author. You can provide them with the better translation.
WPBeginner Staff says
Both are correct depending on different scenarios.
Travis Pflanz says
I’m sorry, I was asking if WPBeginner knows of any plugins that will do the tasks listed.
Travis Pflanz says
Along the same lines of this article, are there any plugins that will list all of the following on the plugins page:
– Show the last date the plugin was updated by the plugin author
– Show the last date (and version) the plugin was updated on the website
– Original installation date on the website
– Last date activated on the website
– Last date deactivated on the website
Philippe Gelot says
Thank for this information.
I am french, this plugin “No Longer in Directory” has a bad translation in the result :
“No installed plugins were last updated over two years ago in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory.”
in french “Aucun des plugins installés ne se trouve encore dans le répertoire de plugins WordPress.org.”