Rename Plugins Folder
by Jose Mortellaro · Security
Also makes 57 other plugins · 25.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
With Rename Plugins Folder you can rename the plugins folder. This is an underestimated way to increase the security of your installation.
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 85/100
Few reviews
Active installs
300+
≈390 estimated
Momentum
+69%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “rename” and “folder” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5 and #9 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed these are the slots worth spending.
85 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.6%
of downloads still active
At least 300 of 5.3K 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.
This plugin shipped 1 release 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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 30 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 3 reviews, smoothed to 4.15★ and held back under 25 reviews
2 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
37
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
20%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.6
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rename plugins folder your tag | #1 | #8 | — |
| rename | #5 | #20 | up 1 |
| folder | #9 | #19 | 0 |
| plugins installation | #23 | #24 | up 1 |
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
16 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 4 listed. 12 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
- Add “rename” and “folder” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5 and #9 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 2 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 212 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #10,100 to #11,100, alongside the other plugins at 300+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
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.
1
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v0.0.1 · 21 May 2026
1
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% 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 “300+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3.6 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 4 Oct 2022
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Klodi2.5y ago
Good job. Has any way to change the wp-content Folder? This topic was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Klodi.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rickstar1235.5y ago
A very simple plugin that does exactly what it says. I was about to get my hands dirty and start messing around with the wp-config.php, but this did it all in 5 seconds flat and saved me the stress of messing it up. Thank you so much. This topic was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by rickstar123.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ DOT - Lord G.5.7y ago
Simple and light as a feather. One more tool for site security.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.4.8 · WP 5.6.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 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
3 of 8 pass · checked 28 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 No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you want"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 2 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,854 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 2 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2023-03-23 200+ → 300+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2023-03-20 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-19 200+ → 300+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2023-03-16 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-03-15 200+ → 300+ up after 11 days in tier
- 2023-03-04 300+ → 200+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2023-02-28 200+ → 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).
-
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Hostinger Tools 3M+ installs · 3.6★ · 1 shared tag B -
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ installs · 3.7★ · 1 shared tag B -
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Loginizer 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Rename Plugins Folder into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/rename-plugins-folder" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Rename Plugins Folder — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Rename Plugins Folder: 300+ active installs, 5.0★ (3 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/rename-plugins-folder
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