Categories but exclude
A simple plugin that displays a list of all categories except those selected in widget preferences. Unlike other similar plugins like “Almost All Categories Widget”, Categories but exclude uses the latest version of…
Consider an alternative
Categories but exclude shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (50+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.3 (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 Categories but exclude stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| categories | >100 |
| category | >100 |
| exclude | >100 |
| widget | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Categories but exclude
From the official readme · v1.0Description
A simple plugin that displays a list of all categories except those selected in widget preferences. Unlike other similar plugins like “Almost All Categories Widget”, Categories but exclude uses the latest version of WordPress Widget API, which is multi-widget, which lets you use the wigdet more than once. Mostly, I created the plugin to use it with the plugin “WPML” along with “Widget Logic” to use the same widget for each language.
This will allow you to create a custom category list which will show the categories you want, and will hide the categories you do not want. For example, say you have a particular category you don’t want to be displayed named “Announcements”. You can use this plugin to display all of your other categories, except the category “Announcements”. You are not limited to just excluding one category; you can exclude multiple categories.
Languages:
If you have created your own language pack, or have an update of an existing one, you can send me your gettext PO and MO so that I can bundle it into the Categories but exclude. You can download the latest POT file from here.
Installation
- Upload the *.zip copy of this plugin into your WordPress through your ‘Plugin’ admin page.
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Place the widget in your desired sidebar through the “widgets” admin page
Screenshots
For developers
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Best Categories but exclude alternatives
All categories plugins →
FAQ
Categories but exclude: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
Is Categories but exclude free?
Yes. Categories but exclude is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Categories but exclude safe to use in 2026?
Categories but exclude shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Categories but exclude?
Categories but exclude is active on 50+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,256 times since it launched in June 2012. It was downloaded 76 times in the last 30 days.
Does Categories but exclude work with WordPress 7.1?
Categories but exclude is officially tested up to WordPress 3.3.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Categories but exclude last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on June 13, 2012 (14 years ago).
Who makes Categories but exclude?
Categories but exclude is developed and maintained by PoseLab.
What are the best alternatives to Categories but exclude?
The most popular alternatives to Categories but exclude are List category posts (80K+ installs), Media Library Assistant (70K+ installs) and PublishPress Taxonomies (40K+ installs).
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