What We Were Writing
What We Were Writing helps editors prepare a collection of historical posts for a specific calendar date.
Solid choice
What We Were Writing is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. Was last updated 1 week ago, and scores 64/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 1 week ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
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 What We Were Writing stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| anniversary | #35 |
| archive | >100 |
| history | >100 |
| posts | >100 |
| shortcode | >100 |
About What We Were Writing
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
What We Were Writing helps editors prepare a collection of historical posts for a specific calendar date.
Choose a future display date in the WordPress administration area. The plugin finds published posts from the same day and month in earlier years. Select the required posts and save the collection.
On the scheduled date, the [what_we_were_writing] shortcode displays a simple server-rendered HTML list grouped by year. When no collection exists for the current date, the shortcode returns no output.
Features:
- Manual selection of posts for any display date.
- Automatic search by matching day and month in previous years.
- Several posts from one year or from different years.
- Simple server-rendered output without JavaScript or animations.
- No external services, tracking, or third-party libraries.
- Multisite-compatible database installation and removal.
The plugin stores only the display date and a JSON list of selected post IDs in its own database table.
Shortcode
Basic usage:
[what_we_were_writing]
Optional attribute:
titlechanges the section heading.
Example:
[what_we_were_writing title="Our history"]
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
/wp-content/plugins/or install the ZIP file from the WordPress administration area. - Activate What We Were Writing.
- Open Posts > What We Were Writing.
- Choose a display date, select posts, and save the collection.
- Place
[what_we_were_writing]on the required page or in a shortcode-compatible block.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when no collection is scheduled for today?
The shortcode returns an empty string and does not display a notice or placeholder.
What happens if a selected post is deleted?
Deleted, private, draft, or otherwise unavailable posts are skipped automatically.
Does a collection repeat every year?
No. Each collection belongs to one exact calendar date, including the year.
Where is the data stored?
The plugin stores the display date and selected post IDs in its own database table.
Does the plugin collect personal data or contact external services?
No. The plugin does not collect personal data, send tracking information, or contact external services.
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 What We Were Writing alternatives
All anniversary plugins →FAQ
What We Were Writing: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is What We Were Writing free?
Yes. What We Were Writing is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is What We Were Writing safe to use in 2026?
What We Were Writing is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. Was last updated 1 week ago, and scores 64/100 on our health check.
How many websites use What We Were Writing?
What We Were Writing is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 289 times since it launched in October 2026. It was downloaded 291 times in the last 30 days.
Does What We Were Writing work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested What We Were Writing up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.0 or newer.
What PHP version does What We Were Writing need?
What We Were Writing requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was What We Were Writing last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on October 4, 2026 (1 week ago).
Who makes What We Were Writing?
What We Were Writing is developed and maintained by Andrew P. Popov.
What are the best alternatives to What We Were Writing?
The most popular alternatives to What We Were Writing are Connections Business Direct… (80+ installs), Siteversary (<10 installs) and Anniversary For WooCommerce (<10 installs).
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