A public roadmap for WordPress plugin projects is a page where users can see what you plan to build, what you are building now, and what you have shipped. To create one: collect requests in one place, group them into clear stages, let users vote, and update the board after every release.

This guide is written for plugin developers and small product teams. It uses Changeloger, a WordPress plugin for changelogs, feedback boards and roadmaps by Spider Themes, but the steps apply to any setup. If you want the general, non-plugin version of this topic, see our guide to creating a roadmap in WordPress.

Why plugin developers need a public roadmap

Plugin users rarely email you to say they are happy. They post a support thread, leave a review, or quietly switch to another plugin. A public roadmap, as Canny explains in its guide, gives them a better option: they can check whether their idea is planned before they ask, and they can see that the plugin is still actively maintained.

For a business, that means fewer repeated questions and fewer “is this coming?” tickets. It also gives you a simple way to show buyers that your product has a direction. If you want the full business case, read why WordPress plugins need public roadmaps.

Public roadmap for WordPress plugin: what to include

Keep the first version small. A useful plugin roadmap has only four parts:

• Stages such as Planned, In Progress, Completed and Rejected.
• Items written as user outcomes, for example “Export settings to CSV” rather than “Refactor export class”.
• Categories so visitors can tell a feature request from a bug or an integration.
• Votes so the community can show which items matter most.

Step 1: Collect feature requests in one place

A roadmap is only as good as the input behind it. Stop collecting ideas across support threads, emails and chat, and move them into a single board. Changeloger’s feedback board is included in the Free plugin and supports categories, upvoting and status badges. You can follow our step-by-step guide to collect feature requests from plugin users if you have not set this up yet.

Step 2: Define clear roadmap stages

Use the smallest set of stages you can explain in one sentence each. Changeloger’s defaults are a good starting point:

• Planned: confirmed for future development.
• In Progress: being built right now.
• Completed: finished and shipped.
• Rejected: not moving forward.

Saying “no” publicly is uncomfortable, but a Rejected column with a short reason saves you from answering the same request again and again.

Step 3: Build the roadmap board

In Changeloger, the public roadmap is a Kanban board with one column per stage, a colour for each column, and cards that show the title, category, comment count and vote total. Clicking a card opens the full description, status and votes. The Kanban roadmap board is a Pro feature; the Free plugin shows a preview so you can see what it looks like.

Manage it with drag-and-drop (Pro)

Behind the public page, the admin Roadmap Board lets you drag cards between columns, rename and recolour columns, and add items with a title, description, status, priority and target date. You can also use bulk actions and product tabs, so each plugin you sell can have its own roadmap.

Step 4: Let users vote and prioritise

Votes turn opinions into a ranking. On the feedback board, any visitor can sort by New, Top or Trending, and users can upvote the ideas they want. In Pro, the roadmap also supports voting, a login and registration popup with Google login for guests, and an option to hide vote counts if you prefer a quieter board.

Treat votes as a strong signal, not an order. You still decide what fits your plugin. The point is that your decisions are now based on visible demand instead of the loudest email.

Step 5: Move feedback onto the roadmap

In Changeloger, any feedback item becomes a roadmap card once you set its stage to Planned or In Progress. You can also add roadmap-only items for work that never started as public feedback. For a deeper walkthrough of that flow, read how to build a user-driven roadmap in WordPress.

Step 6: Publish it and keep it current

Add the roadmap to any page with the shortcode

(replace the product ID with yours), or use the Release Hub block to show releases, feedback and roadmap as tabs on one page. Pro also offers an iframe embed for external sites.

Then make updating it part of your release checklist. A stale roadmap hurts trust more than no roadmap, so move cards to Completed when you ship and link the matching release notes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Promising dates you cannot keep. Use stages, not deadlines, unless you are confident.
• Listing every idea. Only show items you are willing to discuss publicly.
• Hiding Rejected items. A short, honest “not now” builds more trust than silence.
• Forgetting the feedback loop. When users vote, reply or update the status so they see a result. Our guide to a WordPress upvote downvote plugin explains how voting data can guide these updates.

Start your plugin roadmap with Changeloger

A public roadmap for WordPress plugin users does not need a big budget. You can start today with the Free plugin on WordPress.org: it includes the feedback board, voting, categories and status badges, with up to 20 feedback items per product. When you are ready for the full Kanban roadmap, drag-and-drop management, import and export, and unlimited products, see the Changeloger roadmap feature page and the Free vs Pro comparison.

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