WP Headless
v1.0.1by Joe Bailey-Roberts · updated 7 years ago
A lightweight plugin to disable the WP frontend experience.
- Rank
- #10,593
- Up7 vs yesterday
- Active installs (est.)
- ≈ 339
- 300+ reported · High
- Total downloads
- 9.2K
- 9,200 all-time
- Rating
- 5.0/5
- 2 reviews
- Support resolved
- –
- 0 of 0 threads, last 2 months
WP Headless at a glance
WP Headless is a WordPress plugin by Joe Bailey-Roberts with 300+ active installs, the #10,593 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 8 times, 40% more than the month before. It’s rated 5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews. Version 1.0.1 came out on Apr 25, 2019, more than 7 years ago. It is tested up to WordPress 5.1.28. Among the 100 plugins tagged “headless”, it ranks #12. It was first released in 2018.
Chart time range
Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 9, 2026, 31 days.
Downloads over time
Download stats207 downloads · the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | WP Headless |
|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2026 | 5 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 7 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 10 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 11 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 5 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 7 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 3 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 7 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | 12 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | 7 |
| Oct 24, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 22, 2026 | 15 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | 22 |
| Oct 20, 2026 | 7 |
| Oct 19, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | 6 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 10 |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 6 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 6 |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 10 |
Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.
Estimated installs
≈ 339 · -1.7% in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Estimated installs |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 339 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 339 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 338 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 338 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 338 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 337 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 337 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 338 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 336 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 337 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 337 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 345 |
Rank over time
#10,593 · up 55 in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | #10,593 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | #10,600 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | #10,614 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | #10,616 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | #10,610 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | #10,623 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | #10,609 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | #10,609 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | #10,612 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | #10,636 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | #10,623 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | #10,651 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | #10,648 |
Growth %
Average -0.15% a day in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Growth |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 7, 2026 | +0.15% |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 3, 2026 | +0.30% |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 1, 2026 | -0.30% |
| Oct 31, 2026 | +0.59% |
| Oct 30, 2026 | -0.30% |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Oct 28, 2026 | -2.32% |
Active installs band
300+ on WordPress.org
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 300+ |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 300+ |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 300+ |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 300+ |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 300+ |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 300+ |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 300+ |
Search rankings
Where it appears in WordPress.org search for the searches you track, checked every day.
See where WP Headless ranks in search
Track this plugin to check its position for the searches you choose, daily, with an alert when it moves.
Change log
From our daily snapshot of WordPress.org- Rank #10651 → #10616
- Tested up to 5.1.27 → 5.1.28
Versions in use
Share of active installs on each published version, from WordPress.org.
- v1.0100%
Rating trend
5.0★★★★★2 reviews · steady in the last 30 days
Requirements & info
Version history- Version
- 1.0.1
- Requires WordPress
- 4.6
- Tested up to
- 5.1.28
- Requires PHP
- 5.2.4
- First released
- Jul 6, 2018
- Last updated
- Apr 25, 2019
- Releases, last 12 months
- …
Questions about WP Headless
How many websites use WP Headless?
WP Headless is active on 300+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #10,593 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.
How many times has WP Headless been downloaded?
9,200 times in total since 2018. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 8 times. See download stats
When was WP Headless last updated?
Version 1.0.1 came out on Apr 25, 2019 (7 years ago).
Is WP Headless compatible with the latest WordPress?
WP Headless’s readme says it’s tested up to WordPress 5.1.28, while the current version is 7.1. That doesn’t mean it breaks, but its author hasn’t confirmed it works with the latest releases.
Is WP Headless still maintained?
Its last release was 7 years ago, so it may no longer be actively maintained. No support threads were opened in the last two months.
What rating does WP Headless have?
5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews on WordPress.org.
What are the best alternatives to WP Headless?
The plugins most like WP Headless, by the tags they share, are Headless Mode (2K+), CoCart (900+) and Headless REST API Security (50+). Compare all alternatives
Latest reviews
Analyze reviewsReview stats
5.0
★★★★★
2 reviews
- 5 stars: 2 reviews, 100%
- 4 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 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★
Compare with competitors
Add up to 1 competitor. No account needed.
| Metric | |
|---|---|
| Estimated installs | ≈ 339 |
| Reported installs | 300+ |
| Rating | 5.0 |
| Reviews | 2 |
| Total downloads | 9.2K |
| Author | Joe Bailey-Roberts |
| First released | Jul 6, 2018 |
| Version | 1.0.1 |
| Requires WP | 4.6 |
| Requires PHP | 5.2.4 |
| Last updated | Apr 25, 2019 |
Alternatives to WP Headless
Compare all alternativesPopular plugins with the same tags, the most in common first.
Headless Mode
by Ben Meredith
Once you take the head off of WordPress, nobody needs to see it. This plugin hides the front end by redirecting to the shiny static (etc) site.
- Rank
- #4,551
- Installs
- 2K+
- 5.0
CoCart
by CoCart Headless
Ship your headless WooCommerce storefront faster. CoCart is the REST API built for Next.js, React, Vue, and any modern frontend — developer-first.
- Rank
- #7,141
- Installs
- 900+
- 4.9
Headless REST API Security
by Md. Rakib Ullah
Manage access to the WordPress REST API by restricting public endpoints, enabling specific route allow-listing, and handling API key authentication.
- Rank
- #20,410
- Installs
- 50+
- 5.0
WUXT Headless WordPress API Extensions
by danielauener
Extensions for the Rest API to provide endpoints that support a more convenient use of headless WordPress as back-end CMS.
- Rank
- #21,832
- Installs
- 40+
Invizo Headless Mode
by Invizo
Turn WordPress into a headless CMS backend with frontend redirects, CORS controls, draft previews, login branding, and security hardening.
- Rank
- #24,261
- Installs
- 30+
Redirect Front-end to Login
by Benjamin Intal
Redirects all front-end pages to the login page, best for building a headless WP REST API backend
- Rank
- #23,554
- Installs
- 30+
Side by side:WP Headless vs Headless ModeWP Headless vs CoCartWP Headless vs Headless REST API Security
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