SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce)
by Forge12 Interactive GmbH · Forms
Also makes 7 other plugins · 11.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
SilentShield – the invisible shield against spam. Spam is the weed of the internet. It clogs your forms, steals your time, and corrupts your data.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 91/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
-19%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “contact form 7” and “spam protection” for “contact form 7 module” and “form monitoring”. “contact form 7” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #19. “contact form 7 module” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #16. “form monitoring” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
91 health vs 65 average across 2,516 Forms plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.2%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 313.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Forms plugin keeps 1.3%, across 1,671 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Forms plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 44 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 25 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.7★ over 24 reviews, smoothed to 4.29★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
5 of 7 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
48
Momentum
Holding steady
-0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
36%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+1.8
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| fluentform your tag | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| internet | #4 | #7 | 0 |
| ai captcha | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| captcha woocommerce | #2 | #5 | 0 |
| woocommerce captcha | #2 | #5 | up 3 |
| woocommerce checkout captcha | #2 | #5 | up 1 |
| cf7 math captcha | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| wpforms | #7 | #9 | down 1 |
| captcha your tag | #7 | #7 | down 2 |
| invisible | #6 | #8 | 0 |
| contact form 7 module | #5 | #8 | — |
| text captcha | #5 | #10 | down 1 |
| cf7 woocommerce integration | #3 | #8 | 0 |
| cf7 | #9 | #10 | down 2 |
| honeypot your tag | #10 | #11 | down 1 |
| at internet | #4 | #7 | — |
| free captcha | #4 | #6 | up 1 |
| form monitoring | #7 | #11 | 0 |
| wpform | #7 | #7 | down 2 |
| javascript comment form validation | #7 | #10 | up 3 |
513 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 393 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Swap “contact form 7” and “spam protection” for “contact form 7 module” and “form monitoring”. “contact form 7” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #19. “contact form 7 module” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #16. “form monitoring” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Slipping on “contact form 7”. Down 6 places since 2026-09-17, now #19. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- One page off on “spam protection”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,490 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 32.8K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
44
releases in the last 12 months
25d ago
latest release · v2.15.16 · 8 Oct 2026
128
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 11 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 1 Jul 2022
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ uwejansen6mo ago
I have been using this plugin with Contact Form 7 and overall it works well. The setup is straightforward, and it helps reduce spam submissions without making the form too complicated for visitors. It integrates nicely with Contact Form 7 and does what it is supposed to do. For a free plugin, it is a very useful solution. I am giving 4 stars because there is still some room for improvement, for example in terms of documentation or additional configuration options. But overall, it is a solid and helpful plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ solanum6mo ago
I use this plugin on ALL my client’s websites because it is easy to set up and it works incredibly well in protecting my sites 😀
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Nico Demus9mo ago
Easy to use and does exactly what it should. Not overloaded, pretty easy to setup. Awesome ! Works like a charm with Elementor !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lyndzer10mo ago
This is FINALLY the solution I was looking for. Thousands of spam emails from my website have been a plague. Now – with this amazing plug-in – it has STOPPED. My gratitude is immense. A real game changer!!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ martinpelletier12mo ago
Blocks login even if login protection is not checked in dashboard. Moreover, the right answer does not allow to login. You get locked out your own WP site.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ KnallBlauMedia1.1y ago
I’m using this plugin for 1-2 years and it’s the best solution yet.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ pluggedindev1.1y ago
The support team is next level! Jumped in immediately and resolved the issue quickly. The plugin works great for my client’s gravity form. Highly recommend and will use again in the future.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dbinda1.1y ago
As webmaster, I always use this great plugin in all my websites to protect any contact form (using CF7) and also the WordPress administration login page. Now, my websites are safer, and my customers are not bothered any more. Finally, the support is excellent.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.7.6 Security [Audio Captcha]: The accessibility audio endpoint ( /captcha/audio ) no longer returns the captcha solution for math challenges. The math answer was never used by the frontend (math formulas are read aloud direc 2.7.6
- — Version 2.7.5 Fix [Forms]: Enabling WordPress Comments, JetFormBuilder or Ultimate Member protection no longer attaches the captcha submit interceptor to unrelated forms — most notably the WooCommerce “Add to cart” form ( form.cart ), 2.7.5
- — Version 2.7.4 New [Analytics]: When the SilentShield API is active, the Analytics page now shows an “API Exclusive Blocks” section with measured numbers — how many spam submissions the API blocked that none of the local rules (Captcha 2.7.4
- — Version 2.7.3 Fix [WooCommerce Checkout]: The JavaScript protection could wrongly reject legitimate checkouts (“JavaScript protection not correct”) and require several clicks on “Place order”. The captcha and its timing fields ( js_st 2.7.3
- — Version 2.7.2 Fix [Forms]: Comments and other default WordPress forms now set the JavaScript timing field ( js_end_time ) at the moment of submission instead of on page load. Previously the timestamp was pre-filled during init, making 2.7.2
- — Version 2.7.1 Improved [Translations]: French (fr_FR) translations overhauled — replaced anglicisms with correct French terminology throughout (“spam” → “indésirables”, “bots” → “robots”, “plan” → “offre”, “plugin” → “extension”, “clé 2.7.1
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (2.15.16). Sites still on an older version should update.
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 4 languages, 1 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
6 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 11 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 11 of 11 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("built for"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Elementor, Contact Form 7, WPForms and 7 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 6 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 6,303 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "fluentform", "spam protection" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-12-02 9K+ → 10K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2025-11-30 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-11-29 9K+ → 10K+ up after 245 days in tier
- 2025-03-29 8K+ → 9K+ up after 114 days in tier
- 2024-12-05 7K+ → 8K+ up after 127 days in tier
- 2024-07-31 6K+ → 7K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-07-30 7K+ → 6K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-07-29 6K+ → 7K+ up after 5 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
CF7 Apps – Addons for Contact Form 7 (Honeypot, Database, Redirection, Webhook, etc.) 300K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Contact Form 7 Text CAPTCHA 1K+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags C -
LukasApps CAPTCHA tools for Contact Form 7 100K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Gravity Forms Zero Spam 100K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Image CAPTCHA for Contact Form 7 and WPForms by HookAndHook (DSGVO/GDPR) 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Honeypot Anti-Spam 10K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce) into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/captcha-for-contact-form-7" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce) — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce): 10K+ active installs, 4.7★ (24 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/captcha-for-contact-form-7
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