Recent Posts
You may pass parameters when calling the function to configure some of the options. Example: mdv_recent_posts(10, '', '', true, 5, false, false)
Consider an alternative
Recent Posts shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 400+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (400+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 10 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.4 (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 Recent Posts stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| list | >100 |
| posts | >100 |
| recent | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Recent Posts
From the official readme · v1.3Description
Retrieves a list of the most recent posts.
Configuration
You may pass parameters when calling the function to configure some of the options.
Example: mdv_recent_posts(10, '', '<br />', true, 5, false, false)
The parameters:
$no_posts – sets the number of recent posts to display
$before – text to be displayed before the link to the recent post
$after – text to be displayed after the link to the recent post
$hide_pass_post – whether or not to display password protected posts
$skip_posts – allows skipping of a number of posts before showing the number of posts specified with the $no_posts parameter
$show_excerpts – allows the post excerpt to be output after the post title
$include_pages – allows recent pages to be show with recent posts
Version History
1.1.2 – Added a space before rel=”bookmark”
1.1.3 – Fix the space for real. Props Sandro Bonazzola
1.2 – Use the esc_* functions and cleanup coding standards
Installation
- Upload
recent-posts.phpto the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Place
<?php mdv_recent_posts(); ?>in your templates.
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 Recent Posts alternatives
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FAQ
Recent Posts: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is Recent Posts free?
Yes. Recent Posts is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Recent Posts safe to use in 2026?
Recent Posts shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 400+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Recent Posts?
Recent Posts is active on 400+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 59,611 times since it launched in January 2005. It was downloaded 82 times in the last 30 days.
Does Recent Posts work with WordPress 7.1?
Recent Posts is officially tested up to WordPress 4.4.34, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Recent Posts last updated?
The latest version, 1.3, was released on December 8, 2015 (11 years ago).
Who makes Recent Posts?
Recent Posts is developed and maintained by Nick Momrik.
What are the best alternatives to Recent Posts?
The most popular alternatives to Recent Posts are List category posts (80K+ installs), My-Plugins (30K+ installs) and VK Link Target Controller (30K+ installs).
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