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Free Plugin by Automattic v1.12.2

Liveblog

Empowers website owners to provide rich and engaging live event coverage to a large, distributed audience.

Liveblog

The facts

Rating
2.9★ from 15
Active installs
2k+
Price
Free
Last updated
3 Jun 2026
Added
Aug 2012
Requires WP
6.4
Tested up to
WP 6.9.7
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
98,967

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Liveblog is a WordPress plugin designed for real-time updates during fast-paced events. It allows authors to post updates directly from the front end of the site, providing a streamlined experience for both writers and readers. Updates are served to viewers instantly and automatically, enhancing engagement during events like sports or product launches.

This plugin is suitable for news sites, event coverage, and any platform needing to provide timely updates without the hassle of creating individual blog posts for each update. It supports drag-and-drop functionality for images and can turn any post into a liveblog, making it versatile for various use cases.

Best for: This plugin suits news sites and event organisers looking to provide real-time updates.

What it does well

  • ✓Post updates directly from the front end
  • ✓Instant and automatic updates for viewers
  • ✓Drag and drop images into the liveblog area
  • ✓Can convert any post into a liveblog

Where it falls short

  • •Limited information on advanced features
  • •User rating suggests mixed satisfaction

Verdict

Liveblog offers a straightforward solution for live event coverage, though user feedback indicates some areas for improvement.

From the developer

Automattic's own description of Liveblog, lightly tidied.

Your readers want your updates as quickly as possible, and we think we provide the easiest and most flexible publishing environment to make that happen. Sometimes though, that’s just not enough.

When you’re covering a fast-paced event — the latest Apple unveiling, an F1 Grand Prix or the Super Bowl — a full blog post for each individual update is a poor experience for your authors and your audience.

The WordPress.com VIP Liveblog Add-On was purpose-built to address these issues.

Here’s what makes it special:

  • Post updates right from the front end of your site (no need to use the /wp-admin dashboard).
  • Viewers of your liveblog get new entries served to them instantly and automatically, without needing to refresh.
  • Authors can drag and drop photos straight into the liveblog area, without separate browser tabs or windows.
  • No need for a separate site dedicated to liveblogging — every post can be a liveblog, even existing ones.

If you’d like to check out the code and contribute, join us on GitHub — pull requests are more than welcome.

Documentation

Developer and end-user documentation lives in the docs/ directory:

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to set up the development environment and submit changes.

Read the full description on the official page →

Tagged as

topic News & Magazine Sports Real-time Event Events Live Update Updates
industry Bookstore & Publishing
feature Thorough Documentation

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