PE Category Filter
Modern WordPress plugin for filtering categories from home page with performance optimization and security enhancements.
Solid choice
PE Category Filter is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 72/100 on our health check.
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Needs PHP 8.3 or newer
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 PE Category Filter stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| category | #40 |
| exclude | #88 |
| filter | #34 |
| performance | >100 |
| security | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About PE Category Filter
From the official readme · v2.1.1Description
PE Category Filter is a modern WordPress plugin that allows you to filter specific categories from your website’s home page while keeping those posts accessible through category archives, search, and direct URLs.
Key Features:
- Flexible filter scope: Choose where excluded categories are hidden — the blog posts index only (default), also a static front page, or everywhere on the front end (including theme homepage sections and recent-posts blocks).
- Hierarchy-aware: Excluding a parent category also excludes its child categories.
- Modern Architecture: Symfony-inspired dependency injection and service layer patterns
- Performance Optimization: Intelligent caching with 80% reduction in database queries
- Security Enhancements: CSRF protection, input validation, and output escaping
- Accessibility: Screen reader support and keyboard navigation
- Testing: Comprehensive automated test suite (unit and integration tests) covering core functionality
How it works:
The plugin excludes posts from selected categories from your site’s front-facing listings, according to the filter scope you choose (blog posts index, static front page, or all front-end post queries including theme homepage sections). Posts from excluded categories won’t appear there, but they remain fully accessible through:
* Category archive pages
* Search results
* Direct URLs
* RSS feeds
* Other WordPress queries
Live Examples:
This plugin is actively used on:
* slackware-es.com – Spanish Slackware Linux community
* ecosdeleden.com – Educational content for children
Configuration
- Go to
Settings > PECF Pluginin WordPress admin - Select categories you want to exclude from the home page
- Click “Save Changes”
- Posts from excluded categories won’t appear on the home page but remain accessible through category pages, search, and direct URLs
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
Installation
WordPress Admin (Recommended):
1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for “PE Category Filter”
3. Click “Install Now” and “Activate”
Manual Installation:
1. Download the plugin from the WordPress.org repository
2. Upload to /wp-content/plugins/pe-category-filter/
3. Activate through the WordPress admin
Alternative Methods:
For developers, this plugin is also available through Composer and GitHub for advanced installation methods.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this plugin on a multisite installation?
Presumably, yes, the plugin should work with WordPress Multisite (not comprehensively tested). Each site would have its own category filter settings.
Is this plugin accessible?
Yes, the plugin supports screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Does this plugin affect SEO?
No, the plugin only affects the home page display. Posts remain accessible through category pages, search, and direct URLs, maintaining SEO value.
Will this plugin slow down my website?
No, the plugin is designed for optimal performance with intelligent caching and efficient queries.
Can I change my mind and include categories again?
Absolutely! You can modify your category selections at any time through the settings page.
Does it work with caching plugins?
Yes, the plugin is fully compatible with all major caching plugins including WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and LiteSpeed Cache.
Is it compatible with page builders?
Yes, the plugin works with all major page builders including Elementor, Gutenberg, Beaver Builder, and Divi.
Changelog
Major modernization with new architecture, performance improvements, and security enhancements. Requires PHP 8.3+.
2.1.1
- Fixed: the “everywhere on the front end” scope no longer filters category archives, search results or feeds — excluded posts remain fully browsable there, as intended. The scope now applies only in the front page / blog index context.
2.1.0
- Added a “Filter scope” setting to control where excluded categories are hidden: blog posts index only (default), blog index plus a static front page, or everywhere on the front end (including theme homepage sections and recent-posts blocks). Fixes excluded posts still appearing on static front pages built from secondary queries.
- Excluding a parent category now also excludes its child categories.
- Centralized the query-eligibility check as a single source of truth.
- Backward compatible: the default scope preserves the previous behavior.
2.0.1
- Fixed admin interface category layout to display one per line
- Improved category description display and formatting
- Enhanced CSS with vertical flexbox layout for better readability
- Simplified asset loading by removing unused minified files
- Fixed category grid breaking when descriptions are present
- Improved user experience in plugin settings page
2.0.0
- Complete architectural modernization
- Symfony-inspired dependency injection
- Performance optimization with intelligent caching
- Security enhancements with CSRF protection
- Screen reader support and keyboard navigation
- Comprehensive testing suite (51 tests)
- Modern PHP 8.3+ features
- Complete documentation overhaul
1.4.0
- Global code refactoring in order to use classes, namespaces and to ensure compatibility with latest WordPress and PHP versions.
- Included a package definition using a
composer.jsonfile in order to allow installation from Github. - Included a
phpcs.xmlconfiguration file forphpcs. - Switched to semantic versioning system for releases.
1.3
- Global code assessment to ensure compatibility with latest WP versions.
- Adding the GitHub README.md file (this plugin is now also hosted on github).
- Corrections to “readme” file/documentation.
Screenshots
For developers
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Best PE Category Filter alternatives
All category plugins →
FAQ
PE Category Filter: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 17, 2026
Is PE Category Filter free?
Yes. PE Category Filter is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is PE Category Filter safe to use in 2026?
PE Category Filter is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 72/100 on our health check.
How many websites use PE Category Filter?
PE Category Filter is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 16,240 times since it launched in March 2012. It was downloaded 135 times in the last 30 days.
Does PE Category Filter work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested PE Category Filter up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.0 or newer.
What PHP version does PE Category Filter need?
PE Category Filter requires PHP 8.3 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was PE Category Filter last updated?
The latest version, 2.1.1, was released on September 6, 2026 (1 month ago).
Who makes PE Category Filter?
PE Category Filter is developed and maintained by Pavel Espinal.
What are the best alternatives to PE Category Filter?
The most popular alternatives to PE Category Filter are Pages with category and tag (50K+ installs), Search & Filter (50K+ installs) and PublishPress Taxonomies (40K+ installs).
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