Cookies for Comments

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.

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.

0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 2 months ago and the previous band took 15 months to cross, so the real count is still just under 20K.

1. ★★★★★ Annonnimmo

   6.0y ago

   (REVIEW UPDATED August 2021) Based on my long experience, I think this the simplest, fastest e most effective plugin to avoid spam in WordPress comments. I’m using this plugin on several sites, since years, and it works like a charm. Also on a big website with thousands of daily views (using .htaccess) P.s. It works very well with all versions of WP 5.x This topic was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Jan Dembowski. This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Annonnimmo. This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Annonnimmo. Reason: updated for date

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ Pothi Kalimuthu

   9.8y ago

   If you don’t use any other spam filter plugins, then you can rely on this to stop spam comments for sure!

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Spitt

   10.7y ago

   There used to be 2 types of anti-spam plugins. The first one will block all comments, and also block shopping carts if you run a site where people need to pay. The second doesn’t work. There is now a 3rd category, and this one not only works, but also will not block shopping carts. This anti-spam works well with Clickbank and WP eMember possibly other carts as well. Thank you so much! The last update stopped the anti-spam from Tips and Tricks HQ with their WP Security plugin, and I was inundated with 100s of spam comments per day. Now, this solution works, and everything is sent to spam, without messing with my shopping cart. Thank you so much. mmoexploiters.com

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ Jason G.

   11.7y ago

   I originally found out about this plugin on Justin Tadlock’s blog. He was all for it so I figured it has to be a good one. I currently have it installed on all of my sites along with the recommended .htaccess rule, and now I do not ever see any spam! Awesome job guys! Thanks for a great plugin!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ Jon Christopher

   11.7y ago

   Love the premise of this plugin, and the results are respectable & accurate. Can’t ask for more than that! If a project I’m working on supports comments, this is my go-to plugin to reduce spam.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Hugh Lashbrooke

   12.0y ago

   This plugin is 100% essential for any WordPress site. In fact, it would be great if this was added to core.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ Alexander Gounder

   12.1y ago

   The graph Spam Blocked in Akismet went from 111 comments blocked in April 2014 to barely one if not zero comments a month.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ chamacs

   12.2y ago

   Some of the plugins that I tried before promised cutting the SPAM but failed miserably to do so. I now believe that at my site [Link redacted], this plugin has served me very well.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 0.5.5 Sanitize the cookie key before setting it. Props Matt Cutts and @planetzuda 0.5.5
2. — Version 0.5.4 Added a rejection message for when people trip over the cookie protection. Plugin requires WordPress 3.1+ now. 0.5.4
3. — Version 0.5.2 Use an image to deliver cookie as well as stylesheet. Don’t load WordPress to set the cookie. Makes pageload much faster! Added “time to post comment” to comment notification emails. Support for SSL sites. If user is log 0.5.2
4. — Version 0.5.1 Generate cfc_key all the time if it’s missing, not just on serving the css html Added MU signup form mod_rewrite rules to docs and admin page Added Settings page link to plugins page. Add explanation text to css file. Ad 0.5.1

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.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-08-27 20K+ → 10K+ down after 458 days in tier
2. 2025-05-26 30K+ → 20K+ down after 429 days in tier
3. 2024-03-23 40K+ → 30K+ down after 471 days in tier
4. 2022-12-08 50K+ → 40K+ down after 1161 days in tier
5. 2019-10-04 40K+ → 50K+ up after 398 days in tier
6. 2018-09-01 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1008 days in tier
7. 2015-11-28 20K+ → 30K+ up

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).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Cookies for Comments into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Cookies for Comments: 10K+ active installs, 4.9★ (18 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/cookies-for-comments