Abandoned WordPress Plugins with 10,000+ Active Installations: A Reproducible Dataset and Methodology (June 2026 Snapshot)
Description
This deposit identifies WordPress plugins distributed through the official WordPress.org Plugin Directory which (a) report at least 10,000 active installations and (b) have not received a release update for two years or more. The dataset is produced from the public WordPress.org Plugin Directory API and is intended to support reproducible research into open-source software abandonment, web security risk, and content-management system ecosystem dynamics. The 26 June 2026 snapshot contains 176 plugins representing approximately 4.93 million active installations. The accompanying methodology document specifies inclusion criteria, query procedure, data fields, and limitations. A self-contained Python script (query.py) is included so the snapshot can be reproduced or extended to additional dates without external dependencies. Files: - plugin-graveyard-2026-06-26.csv — the dataset (176 rows) - methodology.pdf — methodology, summary statistics, limitations, citation guidance - query.py — reproducible query script (Python 3.10+, no third-party dependencies, no API key) - README.md — schema and reproduction instructions This dataset is also archived on Zenodo (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20901450) and Figshare (DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.32798370). A continuously refreshed, browsable version of the underlying tracker is maintained at https://royalplugins.com/plugin-graveyard/.