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Plan a move Radar no. 77 · Falling behind

Async JavaScript

By David Clough

What it does: Adds async or defer to scripts so pages can load faster.

Why it’s listed: WordPress 6.3 gave developers built-in defer and async script loading. This plugin has not been updated since 2023 and is tested only up to 6.2. Two public advisories are on record, both listed as fixed.

View on WordPress.org ↗ Its admin notices on dismissed.fyi ↗ Checked Reviewed by Abhishek Deshpande

Active installs
60k+
Last updated
2023-06-22
Tested up to
6.2.15
Rating
4.7 / 5 (102)
Version
2.21.08.31
Maintainers
3

Is Async JavaScript still maintained?

It has gone over two years without an update.

Falling behind: WordPress or a service it relies on has moved on.

Placements are our opinion, based on public evidence. Risk here means a plugin may not get a fix if a problem appears. It doesn’t mean we found a flaw, unless we show an advisory. Going quiet alone never puts a plugin in Replace now.

Updates No release since 2023-06-22. That was 3 yr 4 mo before our check. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Compatibility Tested up to WordPress 6.2.15. WordPress 7.1.4 was current on 2026-10-31. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Security 2 public advisories on record. Details are below. wpvulnerability.net · checked 2026-10-31
Reviews The latest 10 reviews average 5.0 stars, against 4.7 overall. None of them gave 1 or 2 stars. Newest activity: 2023-08-02. We see no negative trend. WordPress.org reviews · checked 2026-10-31
Maintainers 3 listed contributors. No recent support threads. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Usage 2,656 downloads in the last 30 days, including updates. 93.02% of sites run version 2.21. WordPress.org stats · checked 2026-10-31

What to do next

  1. Back up the site, and use a staging copy for any change.
  2. Measure whether it still helps.
  3. If you need script optimization, try one of the alternatives below.

If it works today, no need to panic. Plan the change around your next update.

Recommended alternatives to Async JavaScript

Autoptimize ↗

Optimize and defer scripts.

800k+ installs · 4.7 stars · Updated 2026-10-25 · Tested 7.1.4

WP-Optimize ↗

Caching, compression and minification.

1M+ installs · 4.8 stars · Updated 2026-09-21 · Tested 7.1.4

Flying Scripts ↗

Delay chosen scripts until interaction.

30k+ installs · 5.0 stars · Updated 2026-10-10 · Tested 7.0.8

Each listed plugin was updated in the last six months, is tested with WordPress 7.0 or newer, and had no open advisory in WPVulnerability when we checked. We have not tried them ourselves. No one pays to appear here.

Security record

AdvisorySeverityFixed in
Cross-site scripting Not scored 2.21.06.29
CVE-2020-36854 ↗
Cross-site scripting
Medium (6.4) 2.20.02.27

wpvulnerability.net · checked 2026-10-31

A listed advisory does not mean the current version is exploitable.

Latest reviews

Dates show last activity. Titles are written by WordPress.org users.

Also on this radar: Speed and fonts

No one can pay to appear on the radar or to change a placement. How we stay independent

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