WordPress plugin readme short description under 150 characters
Use the first readme description line as a 150-character plugin-browser filter, not as a compressed homepage pitch.
Why this can grow a startup
WordPress says the readme controls the front-facing plugin directory output, and the short description line sits directly under the plugin name. That means the first sentence does shelf work before screenshots, FAQ, or support proof have a chance to help. If the line names the user and the job in plain language, the right admin keeps reading. If it turns into marketing sludge, it gets cut off and the page starts vague.
Source-backed example
WordPress says the short description should be no more than 150 characters, should avoid markup, and will be cut off if it runs longer than that.
Source-reported evidence
Source: WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes · Browse WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes tactics
WordPress recommends a 150-character short description because that line is what shows under the plugin name in the directory.
Attributed to the cited source; GrowthDex has not independently verified it. Use this as context, not as a forecast, benchmark, or recommended target.
Evidence scope: claims and metrics are attributed to the linked source; GrowthDex has not independently replicated the reported result. Check the original context and validate fit before applying it. Read the evidence methodology.
When to use it
Use this when Marketplaces, SEO, Positioning is relevant to plugin browser, readme, short description and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
How to do it
- Choose one target segment and define the exact next action this tactic should prompt.
- Adapt the tactic to Marketplaces and SEO, using evidence from WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes as context—not as a promised result.
- Record a baseline for: Qualified search visitors who complete the intended next action. Set a guardrail that would make you pause the test.
- Run a narrow pilot and choose a test window that fits the normal decision or use cycle; do not scale before you have observed the full cycle.
- Compare the signal with its baseline. Scale only if the intended action improves without crossing the guardrail; otherwise revise one variable or stop and record what you learned.
Compare a stack for your situation
Compare source-backed tactics against your product, stage, budget and channel strengths, then choose one experiment to test.
Explore the context
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Apply this with an operator
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