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Smart Answer icon
Slowing down Tested up to 6.8.10 #8 in answers

Smart Answer

This plugin empowers users to craft unique questions, seamlessly integrating them into custom pages through shortcodes. Users can not only receive responses but also exert control by marking answers as favorites for…

Active installs<10New
Downloads · 30d47▲ +104.3% vs prev. 30d
Rating—0 reviews
Health score30/100At risk
All-time downloads1.1KSince Apr 2024
Support resolved—No recent threads
RequiresWP 4.0PHP 7.4+
Downloads · 7d13▼ -18.8% week over week
Our verdict

Consider an alternative

Smart Answer shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. Was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.

  • Small user base (<10 active installs)
  • Very few reviews so far
  • No update in over a year
  • Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)

How does it stack up?

Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support

Daily downloads

134Jul 2Aug 15Sep 29
Yesterday3
Daily average (1y)1
Peak day12Apr 3, 2026
Last 12 months398

Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.

Rankings

Where Smart Answer stands today

WordPress.org search rankings

Live position in the plugin search, top 100
KeywordPositionCompeting pluginsCategory
answers >100 5,515 Best answers plugins →
questions >100 10,000 Best questions plugins →
shortcode >100 10,000 Best shortcode plugins →
smart >100 5,084 Best smart plugins →

About Smart Answer

From the official readme · v2.1

Description

This plugin empowers users to craft unique questions, seamlessly integrating them into custom pages through shortcodes. Users can not only receive responses but also exert control by marking answers as favorites for future reference or banning those that are undesirable. This comprehensive tool enhances user engagement and flexibility within the WordPress platform.

Usage

  1. After activation, go to the plugin settings to create custom questions.
  2. Copy the shortcode provided for your question.
  3. Paste the shortcode into any post or page where you want the question to appear.

Installation

  1. Upload the entire smart-answer directory to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a custom question?

Navigate to the plugin settings, locate the “Create Question” option, and follow the prompts to design your personalized question.

How can I use the question on a custom page?

After creating a question, you’ll receive a shortcode. Simply copy and paste this shortcode into the desired custom page or post.

Can I manage the answers I receive?

Yes, within the plugin interface, you can view, favorite, or ban specific answers associated with your custom question.

What happens when I mark an answer as a favorite?

Favoriting an answer allows you to easily reference and retrieve it later for quick access.

How does the banning feature work?

Banning an answer ensures it won’t be displayed, providing control over content quality.

Is there a limit to the number of questions I can create?

The plugin supports the creation of multiple custom questions, allowing for diverse and personalized content.

How do I uninstall the plugin if needed?

Navigate to the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins, find the plugin “Smart Answer”, and click “Deactivate” and then “Delete”.

Where can I find additional support or report issues?

Visit our support page or contact us via support@softcial.com.

Changelog

This is the first version of the plugin.

2.1

Resolve plugin issues related to the review 3.

2.0

Resolve plugin issues related to the review 2.

1.9

Resolve plugin issues related to the review.

1.8

comment debug_translations function.

1.7

stripcslashes fields.

1.6

stripcslashes responses and update support email.

Full changelog on WordPress.org →

Screenshots

Desktop view
Desktop view
Mobile view
Mobile view
Smart Answer screenshot
Smart Answer screenshot
Smart Answer screenshot
Smart Answer screenshot
Smart Answer screenshot
Smart Answer screenshot

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.

Active installs badge Rating badge Health score badge

Best Smart Answer alternatives

All answers plugins →
Alternatives
Rank Plugin Active installs Rating Updated Health
1 Product Questions & Answers for WooCommerce Product Questions & Answers for WooCommerce Allows the customers to ask questions about products and admin to answer/moderate them. by expresstechsoftware 400+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 (6) 1 year ago 47
2 FAQ with categories FAQ with categories Easy to manage FAQ with categories, including accordion, filter, search and show more… by Joeri van Veen 20+ ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 2 months ago 63
3 AK Bootstrap FAQ AK Bootstrap FAQ Bootstrap FAQ plugin integrated with Custom Post Type. Shortcode [ak_bootstrap_faq]. by Krishna Paul 10+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 3.3 (3) 11 years ago 25
4 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Simple management of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) via post type and categories. by Ben Huson 10+ ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 8 months ago 38
5 Qhub Q&A WordPress Plugin Qhub Q&A WordPress Plugin Show questions from your Qhub simultaneously on your Wordpress site! by Qhub 10+ ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 12 years ago 23
6 Init FAQ Init FAQ A Init Faq (Frequently Asked Questions) plugin is a simple and quick way to display faqs in… by InitGears 10+ ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 10 years ago 23
8 FAQ Info Instigator FAQ Info Instigator Easily create and manage FAQs on your WordPress site. Display FAQs with a shortcode or on… by Abdul Samad <10 ★★★★★★★★★★ 5 (2) 2 years ago 31
9 Scripts + Pixels Direct Answer Scripts + Pixels Direct Answer Add a structured Direct Answer block, render it on the front-end, and expose answers via a… by Scripts + Pixels Studio <10 ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 4 months ago 42
10 Askora – Product Questions & Answers for WooCommerce Askora – Product Questions & Answers for WooCommerce A calm, focused Q&A plugin that helps you answer customer questions before they abandon… by WP Easy Soft <10 ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 4 days ago 64
11 AskLoop Widget AskLoop Widget Embed your AskLoop anonymous Q&A profile on WordPress. Requires an AskLoop account at… by Askloop <10 ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 11 hours ago 64

FAQ

Smart Answer: quick answers

Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.

Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 30, 2026

Is Smart Answer free?

Yes. Smart Answer is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

Is Smart Answer safe to use in 2026?

Smart Answer shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. Was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.

How many websites use Smart Answer?

Smart Answer is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,075 times since it launched in April 2024. It was downloaded 47 times in the last 30 days.

Does Smart Answer work with WordPress 7.1?

Smart Answer is officially tested up to WordPress 6.8.10, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

What PHP version does Smart Answer need?

Smart Answer requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.

When was Smart Answer last updated?

The latest version, 2.1, was released on June 17, 2025 (1 year ago).

Who makes Smart Answer?

Smart Answer is developed and maintained by Softcial.

What are the best alternatives to Smart Answer?

The most popular alternatives to Smart Answer are Product Questions & Answers… (400+ installs), FAQ with categories (20+ installs) and AK Bootstrap FAQ (10+ installs).

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