Classic Text Widget
Brings back the classic WordPress text widget without TinyMCE. This is based on the code from WordPress Ver. 4.7.5
Consider an alternative
Classic Text Widget shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 2K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 40/100 on our health check.
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Classic Text Widget stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| classic text widget | >100 |
| text | >100 |
| text widget | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 15 reviews
About Classic Text Widget
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
Brings back the classic WordPress text widget without TinyMCE. This is based on the code from WordPress Ver. 4.7.5
Functionality is exactly the same as the pre-version 4.8 text widget. Additional default functionality includes shortcode execution and custom class filter.
Note: This widget uses PHP namespaces to prevent conflicts with other widgets of a similar nature. PHP namespaces are only supported in PHP Version 5.3.0 and higher. If your site uses a PHP version earlier than 5.3.0, do not install this widget unless your PHP version is upgraded first.
Installation
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Changelog
1.0.2
Bumped “Tested up to” tag
1.0.1
Added filter so you can provide your own custom class for the widget. If you choose not to create your own class, the default secondary class is custom-classic-textwidget.
Usage:
add_filter( ‘classic_text_widget_class’, ‘my_classic_text_widget_class’ );
function my_classic_text_widget_class( $class ) {
return ‘my_classic_text_widget_class’;
}
1.0.0
- Initial commit based on WordPress 4.7.5 Text Widget and plugin conversion by carasmo
- Restores the pre 4.8 Classic WordPress text widget just like the good old days.
Screenshots
For developers
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FAQ
Classic Text Widget: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026
Is Classic Text Widget free?
Yes. Classic Text Widget is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Classic Text Widget safe to use in 2026?
Classic Text Widget shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 2K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 40/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Classic Text Widget?
Classic Text Widget is active on 2K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 21,704 times since it launched in June 2017. It was downloaded 271 times in the last 30 days.
Does Classic Text Widget work with WordPress 7.1?
Classic Text Widget is officially tested up to WordPress 5.2.28, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Classic Text Widget last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on April 29, 2019 (7 years ago).
Who makes Classic Text Widget?
Classic Text Widget is developed and maintained by Victor Font.
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