What to inspect on every plugin
Last update age — months without a release is a maintenance risk.
wordpress.org rating and review volume — low ratings with enough reviews are a signal, not noise.
“Tested up to” vs your running WordPress core version.
Whether the plugin still loads assets site-wide when you only need it on one template.
Security hygiene checklist
Keep core, themes, and plugins updated; delete unused plugins entirely (deactivated is not enough).
Enforce strong admin authentication and limit login brute force.
Disable XML-RPC if you do not need it; restrict file editing in wp-admin.
How AuditHQ helps
Create a WordPress plugin project with your wordpress.org URL to monitor ratings, installs, freshness, and support on a schedule — so product owners see drift before reviews tank.