WP Applaud
WP Applaud adds a Medium-like clap feature on your blog posts. Makes it easy for readers to appreciate the content they like.
Consider an alternative
WP Applaud shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 100+ sites, is rated 3.6/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (100+ active installs)
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where WP Applaud stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| applaud | #1 |
| Clap | #6 |
| feedback | >100 |
| Medium | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 3.6 from 5 reviews
About WP Applaud
From the official readme · v1.5Description
Hey there!
Do you have blogger-brain? We do. We think a lot about our content. We wonder how well it’s doing, what our readers have to say, is it good enough. But, instead of struggling with analytics, we wanted a simple way of tracking our content’s performance. And what better way to do that then a simple, social-media-like feature to get the job done!
Lo, and behold, – the WordPress Applaud plugin – WP Applaud
Our simple plugin adds a cool “clap” feature on your WordPress blog. (Just like Medium)
For every article, a reader can clap to show their appreciation towards the post. The more the claps, the more they like a post. Think of it as an upvote, a like, or a heart, shown —simply, elegantly, and professionally— as a clap.
Make your blog more interactive, get instant feedback about your posts, with the awesome WP Applaud plugin.
Features
- The plugin adds an applaud functionality to your website (similar to Medium)
- The applaud option can be added to a “post”, “page” or archive page
- A user can applaud multiple times
- The applaud count is tracked using cookies
- Data is stored instantly without reload using AJAX
- You could add a custom title to the applaud action
- You can use the plugin with custom templates
- The plugin offers a widget that lists most applauded posts
Installation
The WP Applaud plugin installs and activates like any other WordPress plugin
- Upload
wp-applaud.zipto the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Frequently asked questions
Which theme is it compatible with?
It is compatible with all theme. As it adds applaud icon after content.
Where do I find Statistics?
You can view top 10 applauded posts on meta box in dashboard (/wp-admin/).
Changelog
1.5
- NEW:
-
- Add Applaud statistics to dashboard
- FIX:
-
- Applaud triggering more than single user limit
1.3
- NEW:
-
- Add setting at individual posts/page to exclude applaud functionality
-
- Added gutenberg support for exclude functionality
1.0
- Initial release
Screenshots
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.
FAQ
WP Applaud: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 2, 2026
Is WP Applaud free?
Yes. WP Applaud is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is WP Applaud safe to use in 2026?
WP Applaud shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 100+ sites, is rated 3.6/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
How many websites use WP Applaud?
WP Applaud is active on 100+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 8,034 times since it launched in February 2019. It was downloaded 70 times in the last 30 days.
Does WP Applaud work with WordPress 7.1?
WP Applaud is officially tested up to WordPress 5.2.28, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does WP Applaud need?
WP Applaud requires PHP 5.4.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was WP Applaud last updated?
The latest version, 1.5, was released on September 2, 2019 (7 years ago).
Who makes WP Applaud?
WP Applaud is developed and maintained by wpapplaud.
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
