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Scriptless Social Sharing

5.0 (69 reviews)
· 10K+ active installs · By Robin Cornett
Active Installs
10K+
Rating
5.0 / 5
Version
v3.3.1
Last Updated
Jul 2025
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Plugin Review

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What is Scriptless Social Sharing?

Scriptless Social Sharing is a lightweight WordPress plugin that adds simple, accessible sharing buttons to your posts and pages. Developed by Robin Cornett, this plugin has been available for 10 years and currently serves 10K+ active installs. It holds a 5.0/5 rating from 69 reviews, with 99% of those being five-star ratings and 0% being one-star. The plugin deliberately avoids JavaScript and fancy animations, focusing instead on basic link-based sharing that works reliably across all devices.

If you are searching for how to add social sharing buttons in WordPress without slowing down your site, this plugin fits the bill. It builds a set of plain links using each network's most basic sharing method. The current version is 3.3.1, and it was last updated on Jul 19, 2025. It supports networks like X (Twitter), Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, WhatsApp, Pocket, Telegram, Hatena Bookmark, SMS, Email, and Bluesky.

Key Features of Scriptless Social Sharing

  • Zero JavaScript footprint – The plugin generates static HTML links with no JavaScript, keeping your page load times minimal.
  • Accessible button design – Even in "Icons Only" mode, network names remain hidden in an accessible-ready manner for screen readers.
  • SVG icon support – Buttons use SVG files by default, with a filter available to swap to alternative square icons for supported networks.
  • Flexbox or table CSS layout – Choose between modern flexbox styling or traditional table CSS for arranging buttons in rows.
  • Text-only button option – Display plain text links instead of icons, or revert to the old FontAwesome webfont.
  • Customizable content types – Decide which post types and page locations (before or after content) display the social sharing buttons.
  • Developer-friendly filters – Advanced users can hook into filters throughout the plugin to modify SVG icons, button order, and output.
  • Lightweight settings page – A small settings panel lets you control button styles, networks, and placement without clutter.

Who Should Use Scriptless Social Sharing?

This plugin is ideal for site owners who prioritize speed and accessibility over flashy animations. If you run a blog, news site, or content-heavy website and want to add social sharing buttons to WordPress posts without extra bloat, Scriptless Social Sharing delivers exactly that. With 10K+ active installs and a 5.0/5 rating, it clearly satisfies users who value minimalism. Beginners will find the setup straightforward, while developers can leverage the plugin's filters for deeper customization.

For those seeking the best social sharing plugin WordPress has to offer in terms of performance, this is a strong candidate. It is not designed for sites needing dynamic share counts or pop-up modals. Instead, it serves the niche of clean, reliable sharing links. The plugin supports 12 networks, including Bluesky, which is a newer addition. If you need Instagram support, note that the plugin explicitly states Instagram does not support social sharing buttons.

Installation & Setup

Installation is beginner-friendly. Upload the entire scriptless-social-sharing folder to your /wp-content/plugins directory, then activate it through the Plugins menu. After activation, visit Settings > Scriptless Social Sharing to configure which content types display buttons, where they appear, and which networks to include. The setup takes under two minutes for most users.

Support & Community

The plugin's support forum shows 1 open thread(s) in the last two months. The community response has been positive, reflected in the 5.0/5 rating from 69 reviews. With 99% five-star ratings and 0% one-star ratings, user satisfaction is exceptionally high. Robin Cornett maintains the plugin actively, as evidenced by the Jul 19, 2025 update. The plugin requires WordPress 6.2+ and PHP 7.4+, and it has been tested up to WordPress 6.8.5.

Pros & Cons

What's Good
  • Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 69 ratings, with 99% five-star reviews, indicating near-universal user satisfaction.
  • With 10K+ active installs and zero unresolved support threads out of 1 total, the plugin is both popular and effectively maintained.
  • The plugin uses only basic, JavaScript-free links, making it ideal for performance-focused sites that avoid script bloat.
  • Accessibility is built in: even in 'Icons Only' mode, network names are hidden in an accessible manner, ensuring screen-reader compatibility.
  • Developers can extend functionality through numerous filters, allowing custom output without modifying core plugin files.
Drawbacks
  • The plugin offers no JavaScript-driven features like pop-up share windows or dynamic button counts, limiting visual feedback for users.
  • Only basic social networks are supported, with no built-in integration for emerging platforms like Mastodon or Threads.
  • The settings page is minimal, lacking options for custom button colors, sizes, or advanced placement rules beyond before/after content.

Technical Details

Requires WordPress
6.2+
Requires PHP
7.4+
Tested up to WP
6.8.5
First Released
2016 (10+ years)
Support (last 2 months)
1 threads  —  0% resolved

Feature Tags

sharing-buttons social-networks social-sharing

Frequently Asked Questions