WebberZone Followed Posts v3.2: Integration, Performance, and a Modern API

Version 3.2.0 of WebberZone Followed Posts is a significant update that focuses on three areas: tighter integration with other WebberZone plugins, improved front-end performance, and a more modern, extensible foundation for developers.

It has been some time since the last major release. During that gap, I’ve been aligning the codebase with the standards used across my other plugins, particularly Top 10 and Contextual Related Posts. This release brings Followed Posts fully into that ecosystem.

The most important change in v3.2.0 is that Followed Posts no longer operates purely as a standalone tracker. It can now feed behavioural data into other plugins, allowing tracking data to influence what users actually see on the site.

The power of integration: Followed Posts meets Contextual Related Posts

Contextual Related Posts (CRP) excels at identifying related content based on titles, content, and keywords. In practice, however, editorial relevance and behavioural relevance are not always the same thing. Sometimes, the most useful recommendations are simply the posts that other users actually followed next.

Instead of duplicating display logic inside Followed Posts, v3.2.0 introduces a direct integration with CRP. Followed Posts supplies behavioural data, and CRP handles the display.

The flow is straightforward:

1. Followed Posts tracks how visitors move from one post to another.
2. You enable the CRP Integration option in Followed Posts.
3. Followed Posts injects the followed-post data into CRP’s related posts pipeline.

This combines algorithmic relevance with real user behaviour, producing recommendations that are both context-aware and usage-driven.

A new JavaScript tracker, without jQuery

Earlier versions of Followed Posts relied on jQuery for front-end tracking. While this worked well historically, it also added unnecessary weight to the page.

In v3.2.0, the tracking script has been rewritten in plain JavaScript. This removes the jQuery dependency entirely, allowing the tracker to load and execute earlier.

Key improvements include:

• Faster loading due to fewer dependencies
• Use of modern browser APIs such as fetch, with automatic fallbacks
• Runtime detection of REST API availability, falling back to AJAX when needed

For sites focused on Core Web Vitals and front-end performance, this change reduces overhead without altering tracking behaviour.

REST API support for developers

Version 3.2.0 introduces first-class REST API support, enabling you to work with Followed Posts data without relying on direct database access.

Available endpoints include:

• POST /wp-json/wfp/v1/tracker for recording navigation events
• GET /wp-json/wfp/v1/followed-posts/{id} for retrieving followed-post data

This enables use cases such as headless front ends, custom dashboards, or integrations with external systems, while keeping the tracking logic consistent.

Hook Registry system

Internally, Followed Posts now uses a Hook Registry pattern to manage actions and filters. This is the same approach used across my other plugins and helps keep hook registration consistent and discoverable.

Rather than registering hooks throughout the codebase, they are now routed through a central registry:

// Before
add_action( 'init', 'my_function' );
add_filter( 'the_content', 'another_function' );

// After
Hook_Registry::add_action( 'init', 'my_function' );
Hook_Registry::add_filter( 'the_content', 'another_function' );

This makes debugging easier and improves long-term maintainability.

A modernised admin interface

The admin interface has been updated to match the design and structure used in Top 10 and Contextual Related Posts. If you use multiple WebberZone plugins, the settings screens should now feel consistent.

Improvements include:

• Cleaner navigation and layout
• Better usability on smaller screens
• Shared Options API structures across plugins

Full changelog

New

• Integration with Contextual Related Posts to feed followed-post data into the related posts output
• REST API endpoints for tracking and retrieving followed-post data
• Front-end tracking rewritten in vanilla JavaScript with no jQuery dependency
• Updated admin interface aligned with other WebberZone plugins
• New display styles, including left-aligned thumbnails and text-only layouts
• Dashboard widget showing posts with the most followed links
• Centralised Hook Registry system for managing actions and filters

Improvements

• Improved compatibility testing with recent WordPress and PHP versions
• Updated security reporting integration with Patchstack
• Smarter dependency handling and build processes
• Automatic REST API versus AJAX detection in the tracking script
• Pagination support for REST API responses
• AJAX-based cache clearing with proper nonce verification
• Tools page updated to use standard WordPress postbox layouts

Bug fixes

• Fixed PHP warnings caused by null post properties in edge cases
• Resolved compatibility issues with recent WordPress releases

Download and support

WebberZone Followed Posts v3.2.0 is available now from the WordPress.org plugin repository and can be updated directly from your WordPress dashboard.

If you run into issues or have questions, please use the WordPress.org support forums so they can be tracked and addressed properly.