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WPBMB Entrez icon
Possibly abandoned Tested up to 5.2.28 #11 in bibliography

WPBMB Entrez

A plugin that interfaces with the NCBI Entrez databases for listing/updating publications.

Active installs50+10+ tier
Downloads · 30d180▲ +12.5% vs prev. 30d
Rating2.5/52 reviews
Health score25/100At risk
All-time downloads3.4KSince Oct 2017
Support resolved—No recent threads
RequiresWP —PHP any
Downloads · 7d43▼ -24.6% week over week
Our verdict

Consider an alternative

WPBMB Entrez shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 2.5/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.

  • Small user base (50+ active installs)
  • Very few reviews so far
  • No update in 7 years
  • Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)

How does it stack up?

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

Daily downloads

61218Jun 30Aug 13Sep 27
Yesterday4
Daily average (1y)4
Peak day24Sep 14, 2026
Last 12 months1.4K

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

Rankings

Where WPBMB Entrez stands today

WordPress.org search rankings

Live position in the plugin search, top 100
KeywordPositionCompeting pluginsCategory
bibliography #27 39 Best bibliography plugins →
NCBI Entrez #2 2 Best NCBI Entrez plugins →
pubmed #10 15 Best pubmed plugins →
RCSB #1 1 Best RCSB plugins →

Version adoption

Share of active sites per release.

  • 1.1100.0%

Rating breakdown

★★★★★★★★★★ 2.5 from 2 reviews

  • 5★0.00%
  • 4★50.0%
  • 3★0.00%
  • 2★0.00%
  • 1★50.0%

About WPBMB Entrez

From the official readme · v1.1.0

Description

This plugin allows you to insert references to articles in NCBI Entrez databases (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) using a shortcode. It supports any query or search syntax you would use on the main NCBI site. For single sites with simple requirements the options on the settings pages may be enough. For more advanced requirements, such as, multiple unique shortcodes, parameter overrides and custom templates, shortcodes can be defined using the builder or dynamically by just inserting a shortcode in a post or page.

The plugin has a built in caching mechanism with cache life settings (if desired) to reduce page load times. Search terms that are dynamic (for example Author queries) will update automatically on the next page load if not in cache or if the cache for that shortcode is expired.

A default set of templates and stylings are included. Custom styles (either in the settings or via stylesheet) and templates are also supported using the standard WordPress styles/templates overrides in child-themes. Documentation for the various shortcode options is available. For site developers the plugin also includes documentation on the available filter and action hooks.

This plugin relies on the 3rd party services of:

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
– The plugin utilizes the NCBI Entrez Programming Utilities API (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/home/develop/api/)
– The only data sent to this resource is the search query you are retrieving references for (the same query you would type into their search box)
– The databases return scientific publication identifiers and records available to the public

RCSB Protein Data Bank (commonly referred to as ‘The PDB’) databases at: https://rcsb.org
– The plugin utilizes The RCSB PDB RESTful Web Service Interface: http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/software/rest.do
– The only data sent are the PDB identifiers (PDB ID) for one or more protein structures related to the NCBI search query
– The database returns a summary of the structure(s) and also displays the protein structure image associated with a given PDB entry.

No other information is sent or received from sources other than the services listed above.

Features

  • Supports: Pubmed and Structure NCBI Entrez databases
  • Uses the same query terms as the NCBI Entrez databases
  • Automatic updating of publication lists (for dynamic searches)
  • Static lists of publications or structures
  • Aggregation of multiple search terms/shortcodes
  • Caching of search results for a specified time
  • Custom styling via the settings or with a stylsheet through a child-theme
  • Multiple templates: Lightbox, Compact Lightbox, Inline Abstract, Title Only, Reference List, Structure
  • Developer hooks and documentation for creating user defined templates and partials

This plugin gratefully acknowledges the use of Featherlight Lightbox (see http://noelboss.github.io/featherlight/)

Installation

  1. Upload the zip file using the plugin page (if not installing directly from the WordPress repository)
  2. Activate the plugin
  3. Go to WPBMB Entrez Settings on the left hand menu on the admin pages

Changelog

1.1.0

Added new template References w/ Links

1.0.0

  • Initial Release

Full changelog on WordPress.org →

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 WPBMB Entrez alternatives

All bibliography plugins →
Alternatives
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3 Zotpress Zotpress Zotpress displays your Zotero citations on WordPress. by Katie 2K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 (66) 2 months ago 68
4 Academic Blogger's Toolkit Academic Blogger's Toolkit A plugin extending the functionality of Wordpress for academic blogging. by dsifford 300+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 (28) 7 years ago 40
5 Citations Citations This Plugin introduces practical citation functionality to the WordPress Block Editor… by WP Munich 200+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 5 (2) 3 years ago 33
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7 Side Matter Side Matter Turns footnotes into sidenotes, magically aligning each note in the sidebar next to its… by setzer 100+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 (13) 13 years ago 35
8 CM Footnotes  – Boost your content’s credibility with footnotes, citations, and bibliography CM Footnotes Add and manage footnotes, citations, and bibliography with this footnotes Plugin. Improve… by CreativeMindsSolutions 100+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2 (6) 4 months ago 62
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FAQ

WPBMB Entrez: quick answers

Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.

Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026

Is WPBMB Entrez free?

Yes. WPBMB Entrez is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

Is WPBMB Entrez safe to use in 2026?

WPBMB Entrez shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 2.5/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.

How many websites use WPBMB Entrez?

WPBMB Entrez is active on 50+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 3,356 times since it launched in October 2017. It was downloaded 180 times in the last 30 days.

Does WPBMB Entrez work with WordPress 7.1?

WPBMB Entrez 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.

When was WPBMB Entrez last updated?

The latest version, 1.1.0, was released on June 2, 2019 (7 years ago).

Who makes WPBMB Entrez?

WPBMB Entrez is developed and maintained by sdg0919.

What are the best alternatives to WPBMB Entrez?

The most popular alternatives to WPBMB Entrez are Footnotes Made Easy (2K+ installs), teachPress (2K+ installs) and Zotpress (2K+ installs).

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