Web Stories
by Google · WordPress.org page · Website
Web Stories has 60,000+ active installs on WordPress.org and 2,886,420 downloads all time. We have tracked it since September 4, 2026; download trends appear after 30 days of data. The last update was on May 15, 2025, tested up to WordPress 6.8.8.
Web Stories at a glance
Is Web Stories well maintained?
Features
The feature list from the plugin's own readme on WordPress.org, trimmed to the essentials.
- Create beautiful and engaging content easily: Web Stories make the production of stories as easy as possible from a technical perspective
- Enjoy creative flexibility for editorial freedom and branding: The Web Stories format comes with preset but flexible layout templates, standardized UI…
- Share and link your stories on the open web: Web Stories are part of the open web and can be shared and embedded across sites and apps without being confined…
- Track and measure your stories: Supports analytics and bookend capabilities for viral sharing and monetization
- Capture the attention of your readers by offering fast loading times to your stories: Web Stories are lightning fast so that your audience stays engaged and…
- Engage with your readers via immersive storytelling: Web Stories are a new and modern way to reach existing readers
- Monetize effectively the beautiful and engaging stories you create: Web Stories enable monetization capability for publishers using affiliate links. For…
Web Stories reviews and ratings
87 reviews on WordPress.org, with the most recent ones as their authors posted them.
87 reviews
- 5★
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61
- 4★
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6
- 3★
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5
- 2★
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5
- 1★
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10
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Web Stories 1.42.0 media upload stuck on “Uploading…” on WordPress 7.x
I am experiencing an issue with the Web Stories plugin version 1.42.0 on my WordPress website NKVANTAGE. I am currently using WordPress 7.x, and the Web Stories media uploader remains stuck on “Uploading…” and does not complete. The normal WordPress Media Library works correctly, so the server upload limit does not appear to be the problem. I also tested with several plugins disabled, including Rank Math, Internal Link Juicer, and LiteSpeed Cache, but the issue remains. The browser console reports JavaScript errors including “Can only have one anonymous define call per script file,” “.sortable is not a function,” and “ClipboardJS is not defined,” along with a COEP-related blocked resource error. The Web Stories plugin page also indicates that version 1.42.0 has only been tested up to WordPress 6.8.8. Please investigate whether Web Stories 1.42.0 is compatible with the newer WordPress 7.x release and whether these JavaScript errors are related to the media uploader problem.
nizamkhan -
Extremely Heavy and Not WordPress 7 Compatible
It is extremely heavy, slows down the website, and is not compatible with WordPress version 7.
amiragh -
Expected a bit more from Google...
The plugin is great... But the plugin does not have mobile design. You cant make new stories by your phone. You must use either PC or tablet.
Mr Bachelor emgi -
Close button
Hello! I'm experiencing an issue with the close button in the web stories.Observation:During the initial page load, the close button is visible. However, once the page fully loads, the close button disappears.Suspected Cause:It appears that a CSS class, likely i-amphtml-story-ui-hide-button or a similar class that applies display: none or visibility: hidden, is being dynamically added to the close button element (.i-amphtml-story-close-control) after the initial load.Testing:I've tested this on a fresh WordPress installation with only your plugin activated, and the issue occurs there as well. Initially, the button shows correctly, but after some time or after the story fully loads, it becomes hidden.Suggestion:Could you please investigate why the i-amphtml-story-ui-hide-button (or a similar hiding class) is being applied to the close button and potentially remove or prevent this class from being added, especially in scenarios where the user might want immediate access to close the story?Thank you for your work on this plugin!
alivanaee -
Categories Filter and More
This Plugin will be better If Categories Filter is added on the shortcode, and also More button on the bottom to check on older stories.
mastcomm -
Great plugin
Great plugin which brings the stories like navigation to WordPress in a few easy steps. The interface and user experience is unique. The way it adjusts the image to fit it without stretching it is amazing.I have a small issue on my mobile, where I can not scroll when moving my thumb over the stories, a little issue that harms the visitor user experience.Suggestion 1: It would be nice to have stories categories just like Instagram.Suggestion 2: Use vertical videos from Youtube.
romanaft
Web Stories alternatives
Plugins that solve the same problem, ranked by how closely they overlap with Web Stories.
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MakeStories 600+ installs · 4.3 -
Head, Footer and Post Injections 200,000+ installs · 4.9 -
Ad Inserter 300,000+ installs · 4.9 -
Accelerated Mobile Pages 70,000+ installs · 4.4 -
Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP 100,000+ installs · 4.5
Details
Web Stories are a visual storytelling format for the open web which immerses your readers in fast-loading, full-screen, and visually rich experiences.
The full description, screenshots and every review live on the WordPress.org page.
Tags
- amp
- stories
- storytelling
- web stories
More from Google
-
Site Kit by Google 5 million+ installs -
Google Cloud Storage 300+ installs
- Version
- 1.42.0
- Last updated
- May 15, 2025
- First published
- Sep 22, 2020
- Requires WordPress
- 6.6
- Tested up to
- 6.8.8
- Requires PHP
- 7.4
- Pricing
- Free on WordPress.org
Web Stories FAQ
What does Web Stories do?
According to its WordPress.org readme, Web Stories offers Create beautiful and engaging content easily: Web Stories make the production of stories as easy as possible from a technical perspective, Enjoy creative flexibility for editorial freedom and branding: The Web Stories format comes with preset but flexible layout templates, standardized UI, Share and link your stories on the open web: Web Stories are part of the open web and can be shared and embedded across sites and apps without being confined, Track and measure your stories: Supports analytics and bookend capabilities for viral sharing and monetization and Capture the attention of your readers by offering fast loading times to your stories: Web Stories are lightning fast so that your audience stays engaged and.
How many active installs does Web Stories have?
WordPress.org reports 60,000+ active installs for Web Stories as of September 7, 2026.
Is Web Stories still maintained?
The last release was on May 15, 2025, more than a year ago. WordPress.org shows a warning on plugins that go this long without an update.
Does Web Stories have good support?
On the WordPress.org forum, 2 of 4 recent support threads for Web Stories are marked resolved. That is the developer's free support; a paid version usually comes with its own channel.
Is Web Stories free?
Web Stories is free to install from WordPress.org. Many plugins also sell a paid version or add-ons.