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Shadowbox JS

By Matt Martz

Design & Themes / Themes & Templates

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Shadowbox JS Review - In-Depth Analysis

Shadowbox is a versatile media viewing application that allows users to display various media types without leaving the current page. It is customizable and supports popular JavaScript libraries.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.86/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 9+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Shadowbox is an online media viewing application that supports all of the web's most popular media publishing formats. Shadowbox is written entirely in JavaScript and CSS and is highly customizable. Using Shadowbox, website authors can display a wide assortment of media in all major browsers without navigating users away from the linking page.

This plugin can also be used as a drop-in lightbox replacement, without requiring you to edit posts already using lightbox. By default, this plugin will use Shadowbox for all image links, movie links, audio links, and YouTube/Google Video links including those generated by the gallery shortcode.

Shadowbox is licensed under the terms of the Shadowbox.js License. This license grants personal, non-commercial users the right to use Shadowbox without paying a fee. It also provides an option for users who wish to use Shadowbox for commercial purposes. You are encouraged to review the terms of the license before using Shadowbox.

Comparing to Alternatives

Shadowbox JS is a well-regarded lightbox plugin with several alternatives available that offer similar modal window functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly praised for its visual appeal and effectiveness in beautifying images
Longstanding reliability with users reporting consistent performance over years
Supports modal window functionality effectively
No known security vulnerabilities reported
Free and pro versions available to suit different user needs

Weaknesses

Plugin has not been updated in several years, raising compatibility concerns
Lack of ongoing support from the original author
Reports of PHP errors with recent WordPress versions
Potential risk of incompatibility with future WordPress updates

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin holds a strong positive rating with 88.9% of users giving it 5 stars, though there is a notable minority expressing concerns about lack of updates and support.

Positive highlights

"Cool and beautiful! Beautifies the sample images!" — oGuitarrista
"Best modal window plugin... still works like charm." — ezejaime
"Love this and use on all my sites" — Suzi Berman

Common complaints

Plugin has not been updated in four years
Causes PHP errors with recent WordPress versions
No support available from the plugin author

Weaknesses

Outdated codebase leading to compatibility issues
No recent updates to address bugs or security
Abandoned by original developers

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a visually appealing and reliable lightbox plugin and are comfortable using a plugin that is no longer actively maintained.

Not ideal for

Users who require active support, frequent updates, or guaranteed compatibility with the latest WordPress versions should consider alternative plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core lightbox functionality that beautifies images and provides modal window effects.

Pro version

The pro version typically includes enhanced features such as additional customization options and advanced modal window capabilities.

Final Verdict

Shadowbox JS remains a highly regarded lightbox plugin praised for its visual appeal and reliable performance by many users. However, the lack of updates and support in recent years has led to compatibility issues and PHP errors for some, which is a significant consideration for those using newer WordPress versions.

While it offers good value with both free and pro versions, users seeking active maintenance and support might prefer exploring the many available alternatives. Overall, Shadowbox JS is best suited for users who prioritize aesthetics and are comfortable with a plugin that is effectively in maintenance mode.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Shadowbox JS plugin.

Javascript

Shadowbox

media viewing

Screenshots

FAQ

Upload the shadowbox-js folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory or install directly through the plugin installer
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress or by using the link provided by the plugin installer
Visit the settings page in the Admin at Settings -> Shadowbox JS and install the required dependencies
Optional: Activate the ‘Shadowbox JS – Use Title from Image’ plugin to push the title from ‘img’ tags onto the parent ‘a’ tag

Download or purchase Shadowbox from http://www.shadowbox-js.com/ and then…

This can be accomplished using filters. You will need to run a filter on ‘shadowbox-js’; and here is some sample code to show you how:

function custom_shadowbox_js($url) {     return get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory') . '/js/shadowbox.js'; } add_filter('shadowbox-js', 'custom_shadowbox_js');

Just drop that code, modifying to your needs, in a custom plugin or mu-plugin and enjoy.

Just as above this can be accomplished using filters. You will need to run a filter on ‘shadowbox-css’; and here is some sample code to show you how:

function custom_shadowbox_css($url) {     return get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory') . '/css/shadowbox.css'; } add_filter('shadowbox-css', 'custom_shadowbox_css');

Just drop that code, modifying to your needs, in a custom plugin or mu-plugin and enjoy.