Literal Shortcode
A shortcode used to display other shortcodes, html tags, and ascii characters without having them reverted by the WYSIWYG editor. Does [ ], < >, and custom chr codes with several easy to remember shortcodes for each.
Consider an alternative
Literal Shortcode shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- 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 Literal Shortcode stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| bracket | >100 |
| display | >100 |
| echo | >100 |
| shortcode | >100 |
| tag | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Literal Shortcode
From the official readme · v1.0.0Description
A shortcode used to display other shortcodes, html tags, and ascii characters without having them reverted by the WYSIWYG editor. Does [ ], < >, and custom chr codes with several easy to remember shortcodes for each.
Readme Generator
- This plugin’s readme.txt file was generated by the bitacre Readme Generator for WordPress Plugins.
Support
Donations
Donations are graciously accepted to support the continued development and maintenance of this and other plugins. We currently accept Paypal and kind words.
Installation
- Download the latest zip file and extract the
literal-shortcodedirectory. - Upload this directory inside your
/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate ‘Literal Shortcode’ on the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Insert the shortcode in a post or page (replacing category-slug with an acutal slug name) to return the number of posts in that category.
Changelog
First release, no upgrade notice (included to make the WordPress readme.txt validator happy).
1.0.0
- First released version.
- There may still be bugs, but I can’t find any.
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 Literal Shortcode alternatives
All bracket plugins →
FAQ
Literal Shortcode: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 19, 2026
Is Literal Shortcode free?
Yes. Literal Shortcode is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Literal Shortcode safe to use in 2026?
Literal Shortcode shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Literal Shortcode?
Literal Shortcode is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,417 times since it launched in April 2012. It was downloaded 45 times in the last 30 days.
Does Literal Shortcode work with WordPress 7.1?
Literal Shortcode is officially tested up to WordPress 3.5.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Literal Shortcode last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.0, was released on January 1, 2013 (14 years ago).
Who makes Literal Shortcode?
Literal Shortcode is developed and maintained by Luke Mlsna.
What are the best alternatives to Literal Shortcode?
The most popular alternatives to Literal Shortcode are Etsy Shop (3K+ installs), Simple Tournament Brackets (300+ installs) and Tournamatch (100+ installs).
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