Limited-Time Offer

Get Extra 20% off on FullCharge Yearly Plan — available for first 10 users only. Don’t miss out! 🚀

TrackWP

Highlight Search Terms

v1.8.5

by Rolf Allard van Hagen · updated 2 days ago

Very lightweight (vanilla) Javascript that wraps search terms in an HTML5 mark tag within WordPress search results.

HighlighthilitemarksearchSearch Terms
WordPress.org SaveAnalyze reviews Track this plugin
Rank
#2,728
Up2 vs yesterday
Active installs (est.)
≈ 6,570
6K+ reported · High
Total downloads
189.9K
189,883 all-time
Rating
5.0/5
40 reviews
Support resolved
–
0 of 0 threads, last 2 months
Growing·Downloads +23.3% (30d)·Toward 7K+ · ETA ~9d

Highlight Search Terms at a glance

Highlight Search Terms is a WordPress plugin by Rolf Allard van Hagen with 6K+ active installs, the #2,728 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 39 times, 23% more than the month before. It’s rated 5.0 out of 5 from 40 reviews. Version 1.8.5 came out on Nov 6, 2026 and is tested up to WordPress 7.2. It leads the 3 plugins tagged “Search Terms”. It was first released in 2009.

Chart time range

Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 10, 2026, 30 days.

Showing the last 30 days. Full history comes with any paid plan.See plans

Downloads over time

Download stats

3K downloads · the last 30 days

Downloads over time
Highlight Search Terms Compare series
Downloads over time: 30 days across 1 series.05001K1.5KOct 10Oct 15Oct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 3Nov 8Nov 7, 2026: Tested up to 7.2Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.0.8
View as table
DateHighlight Search Terms
Nov 8, 2026162
Nov 7, 20261,411
Nov 6, 2026396
Nov 5, 202635
Nov 4, 202634
Nov 3, 202636
Nov 2, 202639
Nov 1, 202627
Oct 31, 202629
Oct 30, 202633
Oct 29, 202638
Oct 28, 202651
Oct 27, 202645
Oct 26, 202649
Oct 25, 202643
Oct 24, 202628
Oct 23, 202664
Oct 22, 202673
Oct 21, 202654
Oct 20, 202638
Oct 19, 202638
Oct 18, 202623
Oct 17, 202623
Oct 16, 202626
Oct 15, 202634
Oct 14, 202619
Oct 13, 202644
Oct 12, 202631
Oct 11, 202617
Oct 10, 202619

Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.

Estimated installs

≈ 6,583 · -0.1% in the last 30 days

Estimated installs
Estimated installs: 13 days across 1 series.6.6K6.6KOct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9Nov 7, 2026: Tested up to 7.2Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.0.8
View as table
DateEstimated installs
Nov 9, 20266,583
Nov 8, 20266,584
Nov 7, 20266,575
Nov 5, 20266,579
Nov 4, 20266,589
Nov 3, 20266,572
Nov 2, 20266,584
Nov 1, 20266,584
Oct 31, 20266,586
Oct 30, 20266,592
Oct 29, 20266,589
Oct 28, 20266,589
Oct 27, 20266,592

Rank over time

#2,728 · up 12 in the last 30 days

Popular rank
Popular rank: 15 days across 1 series.#2.7K#2.7K#2.7K#2.7KOct 16Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 7, 2026: Tested up to 7.2Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.0.8
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 9, 2026#2,728
Nov 8, 2026#2,730
Nov 7, 2026#2,734
Nov 6, 2026#2,730
Nov 5, 2026#2,734
Nov 4, 2026#2,730
Nov 3, 2026#2,729
Nov 2, 2026#2,727
Nov 1, 2026#2,727
Oct 31, 2026#2,727
Oct 30, 2026#2,723
Oct 29, 2026#2,727
Oct 28, 2026#2,733
Oct 27, 2026#2,733
Oct 16, 2026#2,740

Growth %

Average -0.01% a day in the last 30 days

Growth %, day over day
Growth %, day over day: 12 days across 1 series.-0.2%0%0.2%Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9
View as table
DateGrowth
Nov 9, 2026-0.01%
Nov 8, 2026+0.14%
Nov 7, 2026-0.03%
Nov 5, 2026-0.15%
Nov 4, 2026+0.26%
Nov 3, 2026-0.18%
Nov 2, 20260.00%
Nov 1, 2026-0.03%
Oct 31, 2026-0.09%
Oct 30, 2026+0.05%
Oct 29, 20260.00%
Oct 28, 2026-0.05%

Active installs band

6K+ on WordPress.org

Active installs (rounded band)
Active installs (rounded band): 15 days across 1 series.5.8K6K6.2KOct 16Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 7, 2026: Tested up to 7.2Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.0.8
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 9, 20266K+
Nov 8, 20266K+
Nov 7, 20266K+
Nov 6, 20266K+
Nov 5, 20266K+
Nov 4, 20266K+
Nov 3, 20266K+
Nov 2, 20266K+
Nov 1, 20266K+
Oct 31, 20266K+
Oct 30, 20266K+
Oct 29, 20266K+
Oct 28, 20266K+
Oct 27, 20266K+
Oct 16, 20266K+

Search rankings

Where it appears in WordPress.org search for the searches you track, checked every day.

See where Highlight Search Terms ranks in search

Track this plugin to check its position for the searches you choose, daily, with an alert when it moves.

Track this plugin

Change log

From our daily snapshot of WordPress.org
  1. So far:Rank #2730 → #2728
    • Tested up to 7.0.8 → 7.2
    • Released 1.8.5 (was 1.8.4)
  2. Rank #2733 → #2734Downloads -12.3%
    • Tested up to 7.0.7 → 7.0.8

Versions in use

Share of active installs on each published version, from WordPress.org.

  • v1.890%
  • v1.55.6%
  • Other4.9%

Rating trend

5.0★★★★★40 reviews · steady in the last 30 days

Requirements & info

Version history
Version
1.8.5
Requires WordPress
3.7
Tested up to
7.2
Requires PHP
5.6
First released
Apr 14, 2009
Last updated
Nov 6, 2026
Releases, last 12 months
…

Questions about Highlight Search Terms

How many websites use Highlight Search Terms?

Highlight Search Terms is active on 6K+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #2,728 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.

How many times has Highlight Search Terms been downloaded?

189,883 times in total since 2009. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 39 times. See download stats

When was Highlight Search Terms last updated?

Version 1.8.5 came out on Nov 6, 2026 (2 days ago). See every release

Is Highlight Search Terms compatible with the latest WordPress?

Yes. It’s tested up to WordPress 7.2, ahead of the current 7.1.

Does Highlight Search Terms have known security vulnerabilities?

No. WPVulnerability’s database lists no known vulnerabilities for Highlight Search Terms. See its security record

Is Highlight Search Terms still maintained?

Yes. Its last release was 2 days ago. No support threads were opened in the last two months.

What rating does Highlight Search Terms have?

5.0 out of 5 from 40 reviews on WordPress.org. 98% of them give 5 stars.

What are the best alternatives to Highlight Search Terms?

The plugins most like Highlight Search Terms, by the tags they share, are Search & Replace (100K+), Relevanssi (100K+) and Search Regex (100K+). Compare all alternatives

Latest reviews

Analyze reviews
All reviews on WordPress.org

Review stats

5.0

★★★★★

40 reviews

  • 5 stars: 39 reviews, 98%
  • 4 stars: 1 reviews, 3%
  • 3 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
  • 2 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
  • 1 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
Positive
100%4–5★
Mixed
0%3★
Critical
0%1–2★
  • Each new 1★ review takes 159 five-star reviews to balance out.

Compare with competitors

Add up to 1 competitor. No account needed.

Starter · 1 competitor
Highlight Search Terms
Suggested:
Metric
Highlight Search Terms
Estimated installs≈ 6,570
Reported installs6K+
Rating5.0
Reviews40
Total downloads189.9K
AuthorRolf Allard van Hagen
First releasedApr 14, 2009
Version1.8.5
Requires WP3.7
Requires PHP5.6
Last updatedNov 6, 2026

Alternatives to Highlight Search Terms

Compare all alternatives

Popular plugins with the same tags, the most in common first.

Side by side:Highlight Search Terms vs Search & ReplaceHighlight Search Terms vs RelevanssiHighlight Search Terms vs Search Regex

More by Rolf Allard van Hagen

See everything by Rolf Allard van Hagen

Other plugins from this author in our catalog.