Remove & Disable XML-RPC Pingback
by cleverplugins · Uncategorized
Also makes 2 other plugins · 14.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Prevent pingback, XML-RPC and denial of service DDOS attacks by disabling the XML-RPC pingback functionality.
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
D 43/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
7K+
≈7.9K estimated
Momentum
+21%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “ping”, “pingback” and “xml rpc” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
43 health vs 58 average across 25,739 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →7.2%
of downloads still active
At least 7K of 96.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Removal-risk signals
45/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 3+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
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.
Room to improve
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 1196 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.3.14; the current branch is 6.8
3.0★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 3.98★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 1196 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
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.
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.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| disable ping your tag | #24 | #19 | 0 |
| disable xmlrpc | #22 | #20 | 0 |
| ping your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| pingback your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| xml rpc your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| xmlrpc your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “ping”, “pingback” and “xml rpc” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 4.9K · 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
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
3.3y ago
latest release · v1.6 · 24 Jul 2023
3
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 69% 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 “7K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 47 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 8K.
Install history since 9 Feb 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ mklusak5.0y ago
I am removing this plugin from my sites, because WP admin is constantly full of huge “join our newsletter” (…) admin notices. Yeah, no, thank you …
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Ben Roberts5.9y ago
Great plugin, super easy to install and just sits there doing it’s job. Very light as well, so has no effects that I could see, on site speed or memory usage. Can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t be using this to be honest. Thanks for developing it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kekeli5.9y ago
Still getting a ton of login attempts
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ kayasch7.6y ago
It was beneficial, helped me a lot!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ skyhound10.5y ago
Unfortunately, it looks like this plugin is not effective anymore as I’ve had a few sites attacked with this plugin installed. Trying to manage though .htaccess now. Wish someone would write something new to fix this.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ AskKim12.6y ago
Works well
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.6 2023/07/24 Added filter to check for and remove ‘X-Pingback’ header if necessary. Added settings page Tested up to WP 6.2 1.6
- — Version 1.5 Code hardening. Verified compatibility with WP 5.9.3 1.5
- — Version 1.4 New: Added a count under “Settings -> General” to see number of blocked attempts. Tested up to WP 5.8 Added newsletter admin notice. Code hardening. 1.4
- — Version 1.3 2020/09/21 Cleaned up code Added counter for number of times the pingback method was blocked. Tested with WP 5.5.1 28,595 downloads 1.3
- — Version 1.1 2019/04/09 version bump 1.1
- — Version 1.0.0 First release 1.0.0
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.2.2
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
4 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 names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Jetpack.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,227 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "disable ping" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-15 8K+ → 7K+ down after 94 days in tier
- 2026-06-13 9K+ → 8K+ down after 221 days in tier
- 2025-11-04 10K+ → 9K+ down after 2253 days in tier
- 2019-09-04 20K+ → 10K+ down after 790 days in tier
- 2017-07-06 10K+ → 20K+ up after 427 days in tier
- 2016-05-05 8K+ → 10K+ 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).
-
Eazy XMLRPC Pingback Disable 700+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags D -
Disable XML-RPC-API 100K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Disable XML-RPC Pingback 60K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags C -
No Self Ping 10K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Remove XML-RPC Methods 1K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A - C Control XML-RPC publishing 400+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Remove & Disable XML-RPC Pingback into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/remove-xmlrpc-pingback-ping" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Remove & Disable XML-RPC Pingback — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Remove & Disable XML-RPC Pingback: 7K+ active installs, 3.0★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/remove-xmlrpc-pingback-ping
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