XML Documents
This plugin adds the necessary infrastructure to add a “XML Document”-type custom post type which renders an XML document with an XSLT stylesheet in lieu of the regular post content. This can be useful in custom…
Consider an alternative
XML Documents shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 15 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 15 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.2 (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 XML Documents stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| cpt | >100 |
| custom post type | >100 |
| tei | #2 |
| xml | >100 |
| xslt | #19 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About XML Documents
From the official readme · v0.2Description
This plugin adds the necessary infrastructure to add a “XML Document”-type custom post type which renders an XML document with an XSLT stylesheet in lieu of the regular post content. This can be useful in custom applications where there is a need to display XML documents from source, but you also want the regular benefits of WordPress tagging, commenting, etc. for these documents.
This plugin will not work out of the box… it is an infrastructure plugin. Additional coding (albeit minor) is necessary to get it running. See the “Installation” section for more information and sample code.
The development of this plugin is supported by MIT Global Shakespeares, where it will be used to render the full text of Shakespeare plays from TEI-XML source.
To-do
- Custom stylesheets, per-document and/or custom parameters to be passed to the XSL transform
- Search integration
Installation
- Make sure you have PHP5 and the PHP XSL module installed.
- Install and activate this plugin.
- Create a new custom post type with the
supportsattributexmldoc. This custom post type will completely ignore itspost_content, so make sure itssupportsstatement does not includeeditor. - Place your stylesheet in your current theme’s directory, named as
stylesheet.xsl. - Create a new entity of your new post type. There will be an option to upload and choose an XML document (see screenshots). Do that, publish it, and view it, and you will see the XML document rendered with the XSLT as the content of that entry.
Here’s some sample code:
register_post_type('script',
array(
'label' => 'Scripts',
'public' => true,
'hierarchical' => false,
'supports' => array('title', 'comments', 'xmldoc')
)
);
For more information on register_post_type and Custom Post Types, visit the Codex.
Changelog
0.2
- A couple bugfixes for the admin interface.
0.1
- Initial public 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.
Best XML Documents alternatives
All cpt plugins →
FAQ
XML Documents: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 1, 2026
Is XML Documents free?
Yes. XML Documents is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is XML Documents safe to use in 2026?
XML Documents shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 15 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use XML Documents?
XML Documents is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,131 times since it launched in May 2011. It was downloaded 50 times in the last 30 days.
Does XML Documents work with WordPress 7.1?
XML Documents is officially tested up to WordPress 3.2.1, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was XML Documents last updated?
The latest version, 0.2, was released on May 31, 2011 (15 years ago).
Who makes XML Documents?
XML Documents is developed and maintained by mitcho (Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine).
What are the best alternatives to XML Documents?
The most popular alternatives to XML Documents are MAS Static Content (10K+ installs), Post Types Unlimited (10K+ installs) and Sticky Posts – Switch (6K+ installs).
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
