PerformerJS
PerformerJS allows you to add really cool effects and features to your website by doing some simple editing of the HTML code in your pages.
Consider an alternative
PerformerJS shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 11 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.2 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & supportDaily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where PerformerJS stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| css | >100 |
| html | >100 |
| interaction | >100 |
| javascript | >100 |
| performer | #57 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About PerformerJS
From the official readme · v1.0.5Description
For beginners:
Ever wanted to put those really great effects on your website, but didn’t know how to start? Yeah, so have we. That’s why we wrote Performer – to take away the pain. AJAX, toggling visibility, form and password checking, tabbing, inline editing and more. We’ve got it all. Check out all the features here, or download the PerformerJS plugin to get started.
For intermediate developers:
Performer allows you to easily add JavaScript features – like AJAX stuff – to your pages using nothing but CSS classes and other standard element attributes, like rel and rev. There are a wide range of features available and Performer works with jQuery, MooTools and Prototype.
For advanced developers:
Prototype allows you to easily add JavaScript features to your pages using nothing but CSS classes and other standard element attributes. Using the power of a JavaScript library (there’s a list of libraries Performer supports below) means you have to write less JavaScript code to get things done. But even that isn’t enough. For simple effects and functions wouldn’t it be great to add the JavaScript functionality as you build the HTML of a page? See the Getting Started section for some simple examples.
To be clear; Performer works with your JavaScript library to make it easier to add simple functionality to your page. While it may be possible to write an entire complex web application interface using Performer, I don’t recommend it. Check out the Documentation for full details on all features Performer supports.
And if you don’t have one of the supported JavaScript libraries already in use on your site, PerformerJS will automatically include the latest version of jQuery from the Google AJAX API site.
Installation
Put the plugin into your /wp-content/plugins/ folder and activate using the Manage Plugins screen. The files should be at the following locations:
/wp-content/plugins/performerjs/
/wp-content/plugins/performerjs/index.php
/wp-content/plugins/performerjs/performer-min.js
Changelog
This is the first version.
1.0.5
Made plugin handle non-standard plugin directories. Tested up to 4.2.
1.0.4
Added delay parameter to Looper, allowing for slideshows. Fixed some bugs.
1.0.3
Fixed 3 bugs
1.0.1
Updated to version 1.0.1 of the library, enabled loading of customised jQuery, Prototype and MooTools version
1.0
Updated to version 1.0 of the library
0.8
Initial plugin version, numbered 0.8 to keep up with the version of the Performer JavaScript library itself.
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 PerformerJS alternatives
All css plugins →FAQ
PerformerJS: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is PerformerJS free?
Yes. PerformerJS is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is PerformerJS safe to use in 2026?
PerformerJS shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.
How many websites use PerformerJS?
PerformerJS is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,504 times since it launched in December 2009. It was downloaded 80 times in the last 30 days.
Does PerformerJS work with WordPress 7.1?
PerformerJS is officially tested up to WordPress 4.2.39, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was PerformerJS last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.5, was released on April 20, 2015 (11 years ago).
Who makes PerformerJS?
PerformerJS is developed and maintained by Chris Taylor.
What are the best alternatives to PerformerJS?
The most popular alternatives to PerformerJS are WPCode (3M+ installs), Code Snippets (1M+ installs) and Simple Custom CSS Plugin (100K+ installs).
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