Shortcodes Analyzer
🔍 Shortcodes Analyzer is a lightweight WordPress admin tool that scans your entire website and shows you exactly where each shortcode is being used — across posts, pages, and custom post types.
Whether you are cleaning up unused plugins, migrating content, troubleshooting broken shortcodes, or auditing your site before a redesign, this plugin gives you the complete picture in seconds with a single click.
No settings to configure. No database entries. Just install, activate, and scan.
✨ Key Features
✅ One-Click Full Site Scan — Analyze every registered shortcode across your entire website instantly ✅ Post, Page & CPT Support — Detects shortcode usage in posts, pages, and all custom post types ✅ Plugin Detection — Shows which plugin provides each shortcode so you know the source ✅ Direct Edit & View Links — Jump straight to any post or page using a shortcode ✅ All Shortcodes List — View every registered shortcode and its callback function at a glance ✅ Real-Time Progress — Watch results appear live as each shortcode is scanned ✅ Zero Configuration — Works out of the box with no settings to configure ✅ Lightweight & Fast — No frontend scripts, no database bloat, admin-only functionality ✅ Secure — Nonce verification, prepared SQL queries, and proper output escaping throughout
📋 10+ Use Cases
- 🧹 Plugin Cleanup — Find out if a plugin’s shortcodes are actually used before deactivating or deleting it
- 🔧 Troubleshoot Broken Shortcodes — Quickly locate posts displaying raw shortcode text like
[shortcode_name]instead of rendered content - 📦 Site Migration Prep — Audit all shortcode dependencies before migrating to a new host or theme
- 🎨 Theme Switching — Check which shortcodes will break when switching themes (theme-registered shortcodes)
- 📊 Content Audit — Get a full inventory of shortcode usage as part of a site content review
- ⚡ Performance Optimization — Identify and remove plugins whose shortcodes are no longer in use to speed up your site
- 🔄 Plugin Replacement — When switching from one plugin to another (e.g., changing page builders), find all posts that need updating
- 👥 Client Handoff — Generate a shortcode usage report before handing a site to a client or new developer
- 🛡️ Security Review — Identify shortcodes from outdated or abandoned plugins that may pose security risks
- 📝 Documentation — Know exactly which plugins power which content areas when documenting a site’s functionality
- 🧪 Staging & Testing — Verify shortcode usage matches between staging and production environments
- 🗑️ Post-Redesign Cleanup — After a site redesign, find leftover shortcodes from old plugins that are no longer needed
🛠️ How to Use
Step 1: Open the Analyzer Navigate to Settings > Shortcodes Analyzer in your WordPress admin dashboard.
Step 2: Start Scanning Click the “Start Analyzing” button. The plugin will begin scanning all registered shortcodes across your website.
Step 3: Review Results As each shortcode is processed, results appear in a table showing:
- Plugin — Which plugin provides the shortcode
- Shortcode — The shortcode name
- Post Type — Whether it is used in a post, page, or custom post type
- Title — The title of the content using the shortcode
- Actions — Quick links to View or Edit the post/page
Step 4: Browse All Shortcodes Switch to the “All Available Shortcodes” tab to see every shortcode registered on your site along with its callback function.
⚙️ Settings
This plugin requires no configuration. It works immediately after activation:
- Location: Settings > Shortcodes Analyzer
- Access: Administrator role required (manage_options capability)
- Database: No options or tables are created — the plugin is a pure scanning tool
- Frontend: No scripts or styles are loaded on the frontend — admin only
🤝 Works Great With These Popular Plugins
Shortcodes Analyzer works with any plugin or theme that registers shortcodes. Here are some popular plugins it pairs well with:
- WPBakery Page Builder — Find all pages built with WPBakery shortcodes before migrating to another builder
- Elementor — Detect legacy shortcode-based widgets when transitioning between builders
- Contact Form 7 — Locate every page where your contact forms are embedded
- Gravity Forms — Track which posts and pages use your Gravity Forms shortcodes
- WooCommerce — Find WooCommerce shortcodes like
[products],[cart], and[checkout]across your site - TablePress — Identify all posts displaying TablePress tables
- Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) — Detect ACF shortcode usage across content
- Shortcodes Ultimate — Audit usage of the many shortcodes this plugin registers
- Easy Digital Downloads — Track where EDD purchase buttons and download shortcodes appear
- bbPress / BuddyPress — Locate forum and community shortcodes embedded in pages
🔗 Need a Custom Plugin or Feature?
Looking for custom WordPress development? Get in touch with us at WPspin LLC for custom plugin development and feature requests.
