BlackBox Debug Bar
BlackBox is a plugin for plugin and theme developers. It collects and displays useful debug information (errors, executed queries, globals, profiler).
Consider an alternative
BlackBox Debug Bar shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 35/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- No update in 13 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.5 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where BlackBox Debug Bar stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| debug bar | >100 |
| debugging | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 from 15 reviews
About BlackBox Debug Bar
From the official readme · v0.1.3Description
BlackBox is symfony like unobstrusive debug bar attached to the top of the browser window.
How can it help you with development:
1. instantly inspect global variables (GET, POST, COOKIE, SERVER)
2. debug both frontend and admin area
3. executed MySQL queries and time it took to execute each query (useful for finding slow queries)
4. profiler for measuring performance of your plugins and themes
5. errors occurred when loading WordPress page
Installation
This section describes how to install the plugin and get it working.
- Upload plugin to
/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Done!
Screenshots
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.
Best BlackBox Debug Bar alternatives
All debug bar plugins →
FAQ
BlackBox Debug Bar: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is BlackBox Debug Bar free?
Yes. BlackBox Debug Bar is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is BlackBox Debug Bar safe to use in 2026?
BlackBox Debug Bar shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 35/100 on our health check.
How many websites use BlackBox Debug Bar?
BlackBox Debug Bar is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 20,353 times since it launched in February 2011. It was downloaded 112 times in the last 30 days.
Does BlackBox Debug Bar work with WordPress 7.1?
BlackBox Debug Bar is officially tested up to WordPress 3.5.2, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was BlackBox Debug Bar last updated?
The latest version, 0.1.3, was released on March 4, 2013 (14 years ago).
Who makes BlackBox Debug Bar?
BlackBox Debug Bar is developed and maintained by Greg Winiarski.
What are the best alternatives to BlackBox Debug Bar?
The most popular alternatives to BlackBox Debug Bar are Query Monitor (200K+ installs), ElasticPress Debugging Add-… (800+ installs) and Debug Bar Rewrite Rules (700+ installs).
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