Applause
Add an applause/like/upvote button to your content.
Use with caution
Applause works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 6 months ago, and scores 45/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (30+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Applause stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| Applause | #2 |
| like button | >100 |
| thumbs-up | #45 |
| upvote | #20 |
| vote | #89 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Applause
From the official readme · v0.2Description
Add an applause/like/upvote button to your content. Click counts are stored in your WordPress database. Votes are tracked by hashed IP address.
By default, an applause button is added to the top and bottom of the post content area, which can easily be styled with CSS.
Or use a simple shortcode:
[applause]
Or use a simple shortcode with the following available parameters:
[applause url="https://example.com/" color="purple"]
Or use the direct HTML code:
<div class="applause"><applause-button url="https://example.com/" color="purple"></applause-button></div>
Change the icon color with CSS:
.applause{color:red}
Installation
Automatic
- From your WordPress Admin, navigate to: Plugins > Add New
- Search for: Applause
- Install it
- Activate it
Manual
- Download
- Unzip
- Upload to /plugins/ folder
- Activate
Frequently asked questions
It’s not showing the full like count?
If you’re using caching plugin like WP Rocket, go to Settings > WP Rocket > Advanced Rules > Never Cache URL and add /wp-json/applause/. This ensures the like count API responses are always fresh. Other caching plugins will have a similar setting.
Changelog
0.2
- Replaced third-party API with local database storage
- Simplified to single like/unlike toggle
- Votes tracked by hashed IP address
0.1
- New
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
FAQ
Applause: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 5, 2026
Is Applause free?
Yes. Applause is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Applause safe to use in 2026?
Applause works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 6 months ago, and scores 45/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Applause?
Applause is active on 30+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,622 times since it launched in October 2021. It was downloaded 107 times in the last 30 days.
Does Applause work with WordPress 7.1?
Applause is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.9, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Applause last updated?
The latest version, 0.2, was released on April 9, 2026 (6 months ago).
Who makes Applause?
Applause is developed and maintained by Web Guy.
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