Your users have feature requests. They submit them through support tickets, emails, social media comments, and community forums. Some requests are brilliant. Some are niche. Most get lost in a spreadsheet or a Trello board that nobody checks.
Meanwhile, your users have no idea what you’re working on next. They don’t know if their feature request was heard, if it’s planned, or if it’s already being built. This lack of visibility creates frustration, churn, and repeated support tickets asking “when will you add X?”
A public product roadmap fixes all of this. It shows users what’s planned, what’s in progress, and what’s been completed. Users can vote on features they want most, submit new ideas, and see that their feedback actually influences product direction.
Product Roadmap is a WordPress plugin that lets you create and manage a public-facing product roadmap directly on your website. Users see your plans, vote on features, and track progress, all without leaving your site.
What Is Product Roadmap?
Product Roadmap is a WordPress plugin available in both free and pro versions. It adds a visual roadmap board to your website where you display planned features, collect user votes, and update statuses as you ship.
Here’s what the plugin provides:
- Visual roadmap board, A kanban-style board with customizable status columns (Planned, In Progress, Completed, etc.)
- Feature voting, Users vote on roadmap items to signal which features matter most to them
- Idea submission, Users submit feature requests directly through the roadmap, which you can review and add to the board
- Status updates, Move items between columns as work progresses, keeping users informed automatically
- Changelog integration, When features ship, they move to a changelog section that documents what’s been delivered
The result is a transparent product development process where users feel heard and can see exactly where your product is heading.
Key Features
Kanban-Style Roadmap Board
The roadmap displays as a clean, visual board with columns representing different stages. Default columns include “Under Review,” “Planned,” “In Progress,” and “Completed”, but you can customize these to match your workflow. Each item shows its title, description, vote count, and current status.
User Voting System
Every roadmap item has a vote button. Logged-in users can upvote features they want, and the vote count helps you prioritize development. Items with the most votes represent features your user base actually wants, not just features one vocal user requested in a support ticket. The Pro version adds downvoting and vote analytics.
Idea Submission
Users can submit new feature ideas through a form on the roadmap page. Submissions go to a moderation queue where you review them before they appear publicly. This turns your roadmap into a two-way communication channel, not just a broadcast of your plans, but a place where users contribute ideas.
Status Categories
Create custom status categories that match your development workflow. A SaaS product might use “Gathering Feedback → Planned → In Development → Beta → Released.” A plugin developer might use “Requested → Under Review → Next Release → Shipped.” You define the stages that make sense for your product.
Roadmap Items with Rich Content
Each roadmap item is a custom post type with full content support. Add detailed descriptions explaining the feature, screenshots or mockups showing what it will look like, and links to related documentation. Items aren’t just titles, they’re mini-specs that users can read to understand exactly what’s planned.
Changelog
When features ship, move them to the changelog. The Pro version includes a dedicated changelog section that documents every shipped feature with release dates, version numbers, and descriptions. Users can browse the changelog to see your product’s evolution and confirm that roadmap items actually get delivered.
Filtering and Search
Users can filter roadmap items by status, category, or popularity (most voted). Search lets them quickly find if a specific feature is already planned. This prevents duplicate submissions and helps users find items to vote on.
Admin Dashboard
The admin side gives you a management dashboard for all roadmap items. Sort by votes, filter by status, bulk-update statuses, and see submission analytics. The Pro version adds vote trends, popular categories, and user engagement metrics.
Free vs. Pro
Roadmap boardYesYes
User voting (upvotes)YesYes + downvotes
Idea submissionYesYes + moderation tools
Custom status columns3 defaultUnlimited custom
ChangelogBasicFull with versions
Filtering and searchBasicAdvanced filters
Vote analyticsNoTrends, top voters
Email notificationsNoStatus change alerts
Board customizationBasic colorsFull styling control
Multiple roadmaps1Unlimited
The free version gives you a fully functional roadmap board with voting and submissions. Upgrade to Pro when you need multiple roadmaps (for different products), changelog integration, email notifications, or vote analytics.
Who Should Use Product Roadmap?
SaaS Companies
SaaS products thrive on user feedback. A public roadmap shows customers that you’re actively developing the product, which reduces churn from users who leave because they think development has stalled. It also helps your sales team, prospects can see planned features and decide that the product will meet their future needs.
WordPress Plugin and Theme Developers
Plugin developers who sell premium products can use a roadmap to show customers what’s coming in the next release. Users vote on which features they want prioritized, giving developers data-driven guidance on where to invest development time. It also reduces “when will you add X?” support tickets.
Startup Products
Early-stage startups can use a public roadmap to build trust with early adopters. When users see that their feedback directly influences the product direction, they become more invested in the product’s success. The voting system helps startups focus on features that will serve the most users.
Open Source Projects
Open source maintainers can use Product Roadmap to communicate planned development and let contributors see where help is needed. Community members vote on priorities, and the roadmap becomes a coordination tool for distributed teams.
Agency Client Portals
Agencies building products for clients can give each client a roadmap view showing the development progress of their project. Status updates keep clients informed without constant meetings or status emails. Move items from “In Development” to “QA” to “Deployed” as work progresses.
Internal Product Teams
Even without making the roadmap public, product teams can use it internally to track feature requests from stakeholders, prioritize based on votes, and communicate progress across departments. Marketing knows what’s coming, sales knows what’s planned, and support knows what’s in development.
Why Public Roadmaps Work
Companies like Linear, Notion, Canny, and Productboard have proven that public roadmaps improve product development. Here’s why:
- Reduced support burden. When users can check the roadmap themselves, they stop asking “is feature X planned?” This alone can cut feature-request support tickets significantly.
- Better prioritization. Votes give you quantitative data on what users actually want. Instead of building what the loudest customer requests, you build what the most customers need.
- Increased trust. Transparency builds loyalty. Users who see a roadmap with regular status updates trust that the product is actively maintained and improving.
- Marketing asset. Your roadmap is a sales tool. Prospects who see ambitious planned features are more likely to buy, knowing the product will continue to grow.
- Accountability. A public roadmap holds you accountable to your plans. Users expect items marked “In Progress” to ship. This healthy pressure keeps development focused and shipping.
How to Set Up Product Roadmap
Step 1: Install the Plugin
Download the free version from WordPress.org or purchase Product Roadmap Pro. Install and activate through your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Configure Status Columns
Go to the Product Roadmap settings page. Define your status columns, the stages that roadmap items move through. Start with something simple like “Under Review,” “Planned,” “In Progress,” and “Shipped.” You can always add more columns later.
Step 3: Add Roadmap Items
Create your initial roadmap items. Add features you’re currently working on, features you’ve planned, and features you’re considering. Include descriptions so users understand what each item involves. Set the appropriate status for each.
Step 4: Enable User Submissions
Turn on the idea submission form so users can contribute feature requests. Configure moderation settings, choose whether submissions are auto-published or require admin approval. Set up notification emails so you’re alerted when new ideas come in.
Step 5: Embed the Roadmap
Add the roadmap to your site using the provided shortcode or block. Most companies create a dedicated “/roadmap” page. Link to it from your navigation menu, product pages, and support documentation so users know where to find it.
Step 6: Promote and Maintain
Tell your users about the roadmap. Mention it in your next product update email, add a link in your support response templates, and reference it in feature-request conversations. Then keep it updated, move items as they progress, add new items regularly, and close out shipped features.
Product Roadmap vs. Other Tools
On your own websiteYesSubdomainExternal linkExternal link
User votingYesYesLimitedReactions only
Idea submissionYesYesNoIssues
Custom brandingFull controlLimitedMinimalNone
ChangelogBuilt-in (Pro)Built-inNoReleases
Monthly costOne-time purchase$360+/yearFreeFree
WordPress integrationNativeEmbed/iframeLink onlyLink only
Data ownershipYour serverTheir serversTheir serversTheir servers
The biggest advantage of Product Roadmap over SaaS tools like Canny: it lives on your website and costs a one-time fee. Canny charges $360+/year, and your data lives on their servers. With Product Roadmap, you own everything, it matches your site’s design, and there are no recurring fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can users vote without creating an account?
By default, users need to be logged in to vote, which prevents spam and duplicate voting. However, you can configure the plugin to allow guest voting with cookie-based duplicate prevention for a lower-friction experience.
Can I have separate roadmaps for different products?
Yes, with the Pro version. Create multiple roadmap boards, one for each product, project, or product line. Each roadmap has its own items, categories, and status columns.
Do submitted ideas automatically appear on the roadmap?
No, by default. User submissions go to a moderation queue where you can review, edit, and approve them before they appear publicly. This prevents spam and lets you combine similar requests into single roadmap items.
Can I make the roadmap private?
Yes. You can restrict roadmap access to logged-in users, specific user roles, or specific membership levels. This is useful for internal roadmaps or client-specific project tracking.
Does it integrate with project management tools?
The plugin focuses on the public-facing roadmap experience. For project management integration, you can use WordPress REST API endpoints to connect roadmap items with tools like Jira, Asana, or Linear through custom integrations or Zapier.
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