Shownotes
simplifies Show Notes, write them in OSF, get them as HTML
Consider an alternative
Shownotes shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 5 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (40+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 4 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.7 (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 Shownotes stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| markup | >100 |
| md | >100 |
| osf | #2 |
| podlove | #8 |
| shownotes | #1 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About Shownotes
From the official readme · v0.5.7Description
This Plugin converts Shownotes in OSF (Open Shownotes Format) to HTML, mp4 Chapters and Audacity/Reaper label tracks. All links to Amazon, will automatically converted to affiliate links. It also can import the show notes directly from the shownot.es ShowPad und will provide many metadata features in future.
Support
only on GitHub
if you need help, go to github.com/simonwaldherr/wp-osf-shownotes
Installation
- Upload the
shownotes-shortcodefolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the
Pluginsmenu in WordPress - Use the
[shownotes]shortcode in your post or page with the options on the front page. - Visit the options page
Frequently asked questions
What does this Plugin?
convert OSF to HTML
What is OSF?
a simple format for (Podcast-) show notes, more informations about OSF are at the OSF-in-a-Nutshell Repo
Why should i use it?
it’s easy to write, you get better results in less time and it’s automatically changes links to affiliate links
do i have to use the ShowPad?
no, you don’t have to, but we recommend it
under which license the code is released?
MIT License
how do i get the nice icons?
you can select one of the CSS files in the shownotes settings
what must i do to get the affiliate links?
enter your Amazon affiliate ID in the settings
Changelog
fix “PHP Error: The /e modifier is deprecated”
0.5.7
- big problem with search – sorry
0.5.6
- fix “PHP Error: The /e modifier is deprecated”
0.5.5
- set search to shownotes + blogpost as default, but you can turn it off (opt-out in settings page)
- proxy all Shownot.es-API Requests through your own server, so it is encrypted with your SSL connection
- remove preview buttons (most browsers nowadays block all popups)
0.5.4
- search improved for multisite installations and installations with a custom db prefix (many thanks to @chemiker)
0.5.3
- search in shownotes and blogpost content at the same time (many thanks to @RobRoy)
0.5.2
- wordpress search is a bit of confusing, so i made a switch to turn the show notes search on and off
Screenshots
For developers
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FAQ
Shownotes: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Is Shownotes free?
Yes. Shownotes is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Shownotes safe to use in 2026?
Shownotes shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 5 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Shownotes?
Shownotes is active on 40+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,795 times since it launched in May 2013. It was downloaded 191 times in the last 30 days.
Does Shownotes work with WordPress 7.1?
Shownotes is officially tested up to WordPress 5.7.20, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Shownotes last updated?
The latest version, 0.5.7, was released on December 15, 2021 (5 years ago).
Who makes Shownotes?
Shownotes is developed and maintained by Simon Waldherr.
What are the best alternatives to Shownotes?
The most popular alternatives to Shownotes are Preserved HTML Editor Marku… (3K+ installs), Markup by Attribute for Woo… (2K+ installs) and Preserved HTML Editor Markup (600+ installs).
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