Spam protection for WordPress registration, login, comments, and contact forms.
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Health
A 86/100
Few reviews
Active installs
3K+
≈3.2K estimated
Momentum
-13%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “security”, “anti spam” and “spam” for “spammer”, “block spam” and “spam users”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spammer” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “anti spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “block spam” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “spam users” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
86 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →14%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 21.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,059 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Security plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 4 reviews to 2026-02-10Reviewers treat it as the working successor to Stop Spammers, with praise for blocking bad actors and surviving a PHP version change, though one asks where country level blocking and a migration path went.
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
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 57 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.3★ over 4 reviews, smoothed to 4.11★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
Get the full rank-higher report →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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
10%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.5
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| dam | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| no spam your tag | #9 | #24 | down 2 |
| spam protection your tag | #11 | #24 | down 2 |
| spam your tag | #12 | #23 | down 1 |
| spammer | #9 | #21 | down 1 |
| anti spam your tag | #18 | #23 | 0 |
| block spam | #11 | #22 | down 1 |
| spam users | #12 | #23 | 0 |
| spam registration | #7 | #23 | 0 |
| stop spam | #13 | #21 | down 4 |
| block spam registration | #8 | #23 | down 1 |
| comment spam | #14 | #23 | 0 |
| registration spam | #9 | #22 | down 2 |
| disposable email | #14 | #16 | up 1 |
| registration page spam | #10 | #23 | down 2 |
| spam comments | #18 | #24 | down 1 |
| anti spam security | #18 | #23 | 0 |
| form spam | #19 | #24 | up 1 |
| spam ip | #11 | #22 | 0 |
| block spam comments | #14 | #23 | down 1 |
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
59 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 34 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “security”, “anti spam” and “spam” for “spammer”, “block spam” and “spam users”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spammer” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “anti spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “block spam” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “spam users” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “spam”. #12 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “spam protection”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 1 Sep 2025 · 426 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.7K · 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.
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 98% run the current release. 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 “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 57 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 3K.
At the current install trend, crossing 4K+ in roughly 67 days.
Install history since 31 Aug 2025
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ w-sky9mo ago
I’ve been using “Stop Spammers” before since some time but also noticed that development had stalled a few years ago. Until this new project emerged (and the old was renamed to Classic). Great to see the old good idea and functions while new functions being added in “Dam Spam”! For me this is the successor of Stop Spammers.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ euphemism9mo ago
Works well – we have a membership site and this helps to keep the bad actors out. It also sometimes blocks legit users, but has a pretty easy way to grant access.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ swagatamm10mo ago
Hey, you say “Dam Spam is the modernized successor to Stop Spammers,” but the “Stop Spammers” has country level blocking feature, which is so good, and this crucial feature seems to be missing on Dam Spam, is it intentional?…also how do we migrate to Dam Spam, there isn’t any migrate button available..
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rienfalcon11mo ago
Our free site, [domain removed] has been around for over 30 years. For the past eight years, we used Stop Spammers, and due to unexpected PHP version issues, we switched to Dam Spam, which now works perfectly. After correcting an incorrect IP address in our CIDR entry in the block or allow list, we were able to do so. Thanks to Web Guy’s advice! I think Dam Spam is the better choice compared to Stop Spammers. This topic was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by threadi.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.7 Added style support for challenge page (you can now control its appearance with custom styles in your theme’s stylesheet) 1.1.7
- — Version 1.1.6 Added fallback handling to clean up unverified accounts 1.1.6
- — Version 1.1.5 Security patches 1.1.5
- — Version 1.1.4 Improved wildcard checking for Allow and Block Lists 1.1.4
- — Version 1.1.3 Improved country blocking Improved light mode styles 1.1.3
- — Version 1.1.2 Improved country blocking 1.1.2
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.1.8). 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.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
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
3 of 8 pass · checked 24 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 12 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 12 of 12 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 3 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,059 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("anti-spam", "no spam", "security" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-04 2K+ → 3K+ up after 56 days in tier
- 2026-07-10 1K+ → 2K+ up after 117 days in tier
- 2026-03-15 900+ → 1K+ up after 8 days in tier
- 2026-03-07 800+ → 900+ up after 9 days in tier
- 2026-02-26 700+ → 800+ up after 11 days in tier
- 2026-02-15 600+ → 700+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-02-14 700+ → 600+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-02-13 600+ → 700+ up after 8 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).
-
Stop Spammers Classic 20K+ installs · 4.4★ · 5 shared tags A -
oopspam Anti-Spam: Spam Protection for WordPress Forms & Comments (No CAPTCHA) 6K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 4K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Universal Honey Pot 1K+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags C -
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Antispam Bee 700K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Dam Spam into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/dam-spam" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Dam Spam — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Dam Spam: 3K+ active installs, 4.3★ (4 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/dam-spam
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