Google Authenticator
by Ivan · Login & Users
Also makes 1 other plugin · 21K+ installs across the portfolio →
Google Authenticator for your WordPress blog.
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 86/100
no flags
Active installs
20K+
≈29K estimated
Momentum
+19%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “authentication”, “login” and “password” for “xmlrpc”, “usability” and “lockout”. “authentication” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “xmlrpc” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “login” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “usability” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “password” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lockout” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
86 health vs 61 average across 2,203 Login & Users plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.6%
of downloads still active
At least 20K of 769.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Login & Users plugin keeps 0.7%, across 1,476 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Login & Users 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 2 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 69 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.3★ over 135 reviews, smoothed to 4.25★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
18%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| google authenticator | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| authenticator | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| qrcode | #4 | #3 | down 2 |
| xmlrpc | #6 | #4 | 0 |
| usability | #10 | #10 | up 1 |
| #19 | #17 | up 5 | |
| lockout | #11 | #9 | up 1 |
| otp your tag | #24 | #11 | down 1 |
| google login | #21 | #20 | down 3 |
| two factor authentication | #21 | #17 | 0 |
| two factor | #24 | #19 | down 1 |
| api otp authentication | #13 | #9 | down 2 |
| authentication your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| login your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| password your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
56 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 12 listed. 44 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “authentication”, “login” and “password” for “xmlrpc”, “usability” and “lockout”. “authentication” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “xmlrpc” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “login” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “usability” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “password” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lockout” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Under-ranked on “otp”. wp.org puts you #24; on merit you place #11. The plugins above you are winning on install count, not on rating or upkeep.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 20.9K · 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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v0.56 · 23 Aug 2026
23
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 “20K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 13 months ago and the previous band took 8.6 years to cross, so the real count is still just under 30K.
Install history since 1 Aug 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Paul7mo ago
Hi Ivan, thanks so much for the update! I’ve used this for years and even started patching it myself to keep it compatible with newer PHP versions. So glad to see you’re still supporting it. Much appreciated!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Trần Quân2.6y ago
Great plugin, but I wish to use a QR code for scanning when I log in.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Bart Bak3.5y ago
Works! Uses WordPress UI, is super lightweight, not overdesigned, and is trivial to set up. Great job!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ntalam3.5y ago
Fatal error: Uncaught Firebase\JWT\BeforeValidException: Cannot handle token prior to 2023-04-30T20:30:33+0000 in …\one-tap-google-sign-in\includes\vendor\firebase\php-jwt\src\JWT.phpI understand it requires synchronization, but you need to handle this error properly. Cheers
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jjbbrr3.9y ago
One of my sites got hacked and some spam blogs posted. Don’t know how they got access but decided to add 2FA as a preventative. Implemented for all authors. Works out of the box, simple interface without lots of bells and whistles.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sianvdheide4.0y ago
Since a few days the plugin stopped working. It used to work perfect. Users who have Google Authenticator activated can’t login anymore. They get the message that their username/password is invalid while it isn’t. They’re able to login again when I deactivate Google Authenticator in their profile. Is this a known bug, if so, how to fix this? Thanks in advance.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Elenbaas4.2y ago
Great little app. Easy to use and install, does the job. Saves me from having to use Wordfence, which is much resource heavier. This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Elenbaas.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ icedterminal4.4y ago
This plugin works fine with PHP 7.4 and WP 6.0, if you’re using them. However, 7.4 ceases all support 28th Nov, 2022. At the time of my comment, this is 5 months away. Time is ticking. PHP 8.0 is in use on my server with WP 6.0. While WP works without issue, the plugin does not. Occasionally I get failures to authenticate. To get around this I have to login to the database and manually disable this plugin. The error log reports “Undefined array key” over and over. There is a different documented bug that has been solved by users you can find under the “Support” tab. The GitHub repo has gone untouched since 8th December, 2020. I fear this plugin has been abandoned. Unfortunate really. It’s dead simple to use with none of the extra stuff you don’t want that other plugins cram in.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 0.55 Improved PHP compatibility for PHP 7.4 through 8.5. Fixed deprecated and strict runtime issues in plugin code. Improved compatibility and safety of Base32 handling. 0.55
- — Version 0.54 Fixed a bug in multisite. 0.54
- — Version 0.53 Add a Polish translation 0.53
- — Version 0.52 Add a Dutch translation Add a Portuguese translation 0.52
- — Version 0.51 Fix a regression that broke app passwords 0.51
- — Version 0.50 New maintainer ivankk Conditionally include base32 class 0.50
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (0.56). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2016-04-28 Improper Authentication Affects <= 0.47 Patched in 0.48
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
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 64 languages, 9 at 90% or more
Plus 40 more locales with partial translations.
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
5 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description is little more than the plugin name.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you need"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Multisite, Dropbox.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,507 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "login", "otp" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-10-17 30K+ → 20K+ down after 3121 days in tier
- 2017-04-01 20K+ → 30K+ up after 155 days in tier
- 2016-10-28 10K+ → 20K+ 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).
- L Limit Login Attempts 300K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags C
-
WPS Limit Login 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A - S Smart Passworded Pages 2K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags D
-
Loginizer 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Google Authenticator into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/google-authenticator" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Google Authenticator — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Google Authenticator: 20K+ active installs, 4.3★ (135 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/google-authenticator
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.