Gwolle Guestbook

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.

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.

124 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 94 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn'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. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 9 months ago; the previous band took 2.7 years to cross, which places it about 74% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ wpapm

   9mo ago

   I’ve been using the guestbook for so long now… and I haven’t actually left a review yet? Shame on me! The guestbook is simply fantastic! The add-on is great too. I highly recommend both!

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ fedor77

   1.0y ago

   Узнал о наличии в нём массы спама только через два года, устал удалять, но, кое что оставил. Забавный этот плагин, мне нравится. Простой в использовании.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Michael Korte

   1.8y ago

   I used this plugin to create a guestbook on a few different pages of mine. For family and for business purposes. Only thing I’m missing would be PICTURES! Can it be made possible to add pictures to an entry?

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ ingenuity

   2.2y ago

   The Gwolle Guestbook worked exactly as needed when I built a memorial website for a famed photographer, John Dominis. About five years later, I used it again on a site about using Yoga to prepare for end of life. I then saw that the guest entries can easily be formatted with links and images. On a couple of occasions, I needed help and found that the support for the plugin is excellent. I have not found anything like this plugin and I highly recommend it.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ wanfeel

   2.7y ago

   I love this plugin! You can create other new books by adding an ID. I thought it would be even better if you could use a shortcode in each guestbook to change the email notification destination. That way, for example, on a membership website, users will be able to have a guestbook and receive notifications. This topic was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by wanfeel.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ digasco

   3.2y ago

   Just what I needed, thank you

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ bimam

   3.3y ago

   good plugin, nich guestbook, simple and usefull

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Patrick Horemans

   3.8y ago

   this is the best plugin to place a guestbook on a WordPress Website, it has everything you need. also the developer gives the best service one can imagine simply TOP

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 5.0.2 2026-06-23 Fix update on older versions of WordPress. Add option to enable/disable sitemap. Always show starrating in starrating widget. Change order of postboxes on admin import page. List Rate It as third party library 5.0.2
2. — Version 5.0.1 2026-06-20 Remove constants from Add-On. Use real slug for disabling Add-On, constant might not exist anymore. Do not define GWOLLE_GB_ADDON_VER constant twice. 5.0.1
3. — Version 5.0.0 2026-06-19 Integrate version 2.10.2 of the Add-On. Rename all add-on functions to _v2 to avoid conflicts. Deactivate separate add-on plugin. Add checkbox to enable or disable double entry check. Fix warning in Sitemap fo 5.0.0
4. — Version 4.10.1 2026-02-06 Remove dependency on jQuery on frontend. Remove gwolle_gb_ajax_callback jQuery callback. Escape key closes metabox. Fix undefined variable in main widget. Change a few class names. 4.10.1
5. — Version 4.10.0 2025-12-23 Remove support for Cleantalk antispam service, merged in their plugin. (since v6.68 released on 13.11.2025). Rewrite most jQuery code into vanilla JavaScript. Use CSS transition for main button of form. Use CS 4.10.0
6. — Version 4.9.3 2025-06-23 Fix security issue in BBcode (thanks zer0gh0st (D.Sim) through Wordfence). Use esc_url and wp_kses on BBcode data through url and img. Use preg_replace_callback for a callback function for sanitizing. Add labe 4.9.3

All 8 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (5.1.2). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 5.1.1 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via 'permalink' Parameter ↗
   2026-10-15 CVE-2026-103481 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.1.1 Patched in 5.1.2
2. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 4.9.2 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via `gwolle_gb_content` Parameter ↗
   2025-07-09 CVE-2025-5807 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.9.2 Patched in 4.9.3
3. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 4.7.1 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2025-01-31 CVE-2025-24710 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.7.1 Patched in 4.7.2
4. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 4.1.2 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2021-11-23 CVE-2021-24980 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.1.2 Patched in 4.2
5. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 2.5.3 - Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2018-07-28 CVE-2018-17884 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.5.3 Patched in 2.5.4
6. Patched Medium · 6.1 Gwolle Guestbook <= 2.1.0 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2017-03-01 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.1.0 Patched in 2.1.1
7. Patched High · 8.8 Gwolle Guestbook <= 2.1.0 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2017-03-01 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 2.1.0 Patched in 2.1.1
8. Patched Critical · 9.0 Gwolle Guestbook <= 1.5.3 - Remote File Inclusion ↗
   2015-11-04 CVE-2015-8351 Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program Affects < 1.5.4 Patched in 1.5.4

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0

Translated into 83 languages, 12 at 90% or more

Plus 59 more locales with partial translations.

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. 2026-02-16 30K+ → 20K+ down after 994 days in tier
2. 2023-05-29 40K+ → 30K+ down after 1 days in tier
3. 2023-05-28 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1 days in tier
4. 2023-05-27 40K+ → 30K+ down after 614 days in tier
5. 2021-09-20 50K+ → 40K+ down after 131 days in tier
6. 2021-05-12 40K+ → 50K+ up after 979 days in tier
7. 2018-09-06 30K+ → 40K+ up after 640 days in tier
8. 2016-12-05 20K+ → 30K+ up after 308 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).

Embed this report card

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

Gwolle Guestbook: 20K+ active installs, 4.8★ (113 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/gwolle-gb