La Sentinelle antispam
by Marcel Pol · Security
Also makes 17 other plugins · 81.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
Feel safe knowing that your website is safe from spam. La Sentinelle will guard your WordPress website against spam in a simple and effective way.
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 89/100
no flags
Active installs
3K+
≈3.9K estimated
Momentum
+1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “anti spam” and “comments” for “spambot” and “spammer”. “anti spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spambot” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “comments” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spammer” sits at #24 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.2%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 57.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,060 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.
This plugin shipped 4 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
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 12 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 21 reviews, smoothed to 4.37★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 2 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
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.
45
Momentum
Holding steady
+0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
31%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| antispam your tag | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| antispam wordpress | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| antispam for comments | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| comments antispam | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| stop forum spam your tag | #12 | #17 | up 4 |
| spambot | #8 | #5 | up 1 |
| guard | #13 | #4 | down 1 |
| antispam comment spam | #6 | #7 | up 2 |
| spammer | #24 | #18 | down 1 |
| stop | #24 | #19 | 0 |
| anti | #24 | #20 | 0 |
| anti spam your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| comments your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| registration your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
68 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 11 listed. 57 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “anti spam” and “comments” for “spambot” and “spammer”. “anti spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spambot” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “comments” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “spammer” sits at #24 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 “stop forum spam”. #12 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 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.6K · 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
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.
4
releases in the last 12 months
12d ago
latest release · v4.2.0 · 20 Oct 2026
8
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 “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 20 months ago; the previous band took 18 months to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 4 Sep 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Anonymous6mo ago
I use it on every site I work on; it’s the best antispam plugin I’ve found. Very simple and lightweight, it blocks at least 90% of the spam I get. I even wrote a short tutorial for the setup. Thanks a lot for this great plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Thomas Lloancy8mo ago
La Sentinelle met fin à la pire merde qui ait jamais été inventée : le CAPTCHA. Même le nom est débile. Le CAPTCHA et les bots de SPAM sont pour moi un seul et même enfer dans le monde de l’internet, créés par des gens qui ne devraient même pas avoir le droit de toucher un ordinateur. Et on est content de voir des Coder Heroes sortis de nulle part pour rétablir la balance.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Pieter Sand10mo ago
This is a really good and reliable anti-spam plugin with excellent, prompt support from Marcel. Marcel Pol and his plugin are a credit to the WordPress community. We are happy to recommend this plugin highly.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ monwebmaster1.0y ago
J’utilise la Sentinelle Antispam depuis plusieurs années sur la plupart de mes sites WordPress. C’est un plugin simple, efficace et discret. Pas de CAPTCHA, pas de dépendance à Google et tout est transparant pour les utilisateurs. En quatre ans et des milliers de soumissions de formulaires, j’ai eu un seul faux positif. Pour moi, c’est clairement un des meilleurs plugins AntiSpam.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gwenm1.1y ago
Empêche l’inscription de faux comptes.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Michal Kuruc1.5y ago
This plugin is absolutely perfect – simple, super effective, and completely free. I install it on all my own websites as well as client sites. It works right after activation, no need for complicated settings or CAPTCHAs, and it blocks spam reliably without any hassle. I really appreciate that it stays lightweight and focused on what matters. I truly hope the plugin will continue to be developed and maintained for a long time. If there’s a way to support the author, I’d be more than happy to do so – at the very least, I’d love to buy them a coffee.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Django1.5y ago
Within a few days of launching a new site, it became painfully obvious that we needed better protection for our contact form. We looked at a few options such as captchas however these all required third-party scripts and cookies. After a few weeks I’m happy to report that the plugin has blocked over 1000 spam submissions !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ grynge1.8y ago
I’ve been using this plugin for a couple of months now, I have also used other plugins from the same author as well. He has made a simple but yet very effective way to combat the form spam, I use contact form 7 and it integrates with that super easy. The spam has been 100% correct with no false positives. You can collect the spam if you want to double check but depending on your site that could be an endless job with the amount of spam some of my sites collect. I’ve been able to monitor real contacts from the forms, and I can only say that the spam that has come through has been delivered by hand and not via bot system.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 4.1.0 2026-01-20 Remove WebGL spamfilter, it’s not reliable. Fix JavaScript error with Contact Form 7 refill. 4.1.0
- — Version 4.0.4 2025-11-17 Run JavaScript for ajax and webgl only if enabled. Set autoload explicitly for options. 4.0.4
- — Version 4.0.3 2025-10-05 Fix alert (ouch, sorry). Thanks mediaformat. 4.0.3
- — Version 4.0.2 2025-07-22 Verify Nonces correctly. Use sanitize_text_field for settings. Use plugin_dir_path instead of WP_PLUGIN_DIR. 4.0.2
- — Version 4.0.1 2025-05-29 Fix Paypal button in Forminator forms. Fix WebGL spamfilter with CF7 refill. 4.0.1
- — Version 4.0.0 2025-05-06 Remove jQuery dependency (thanks mediaformat). 4.0.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 8 languages, 4 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 1 Nov 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 5 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 5 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you have"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, WPForms, Easy Digital Downloads.
- ✓ Headings and lists 5 headings and 4 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 5,115 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "anti-spam" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-03-11 2K+ → 3K+ up after 542 days in tier
- 2023-09-16 1K+ → 2K+ up after 545 days in tier
- 2022-03-20 900+ → 1K+ up after 241 days in tier
- 2021-07-22 700+ → 900+ up after 133 days in tier
- 2021-03-11 600+ → 700+ up after 130 days in tier
- 2020-11-01 500+ → 600+ up after 61 days in tier
- 2020-09-01 300+ → 500+ up after 234 days in tier
- 2020-01-11 200+ → 300+ 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).
-
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Antispam Bee 700K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Spam Destroyer 5K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags B -
Antispam 400+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags D - M MP Spam Be Gone 200+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for La Sentinelle antispam into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/la-sentinelle-antispam" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="La Sentinelle antispam — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> La Sentinelle antispam: 3K+ active installs, 5.0★ (21 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/la-sentinelle-antispam
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