Stop XML-RPC Attacks
by Pascal CESCATO · Security
Also makes 2 other plugins · 6.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
Blocks dangerous XML-RPC methods while preserving Jetpack, WooCommerce, and mobile apps compatibility.
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
Few reviews
Active installs
6K+
≈6.5K estimated
Momentum
+42%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “brute force”, “security” and “jetpack” for “stop”, “xml” and “user enumeration”. “brute force” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “stop” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “xml” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “jetpack” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “user enumeration” 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 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →19%
of downloads still active
At least 6K of 31K 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 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.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 66 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 4 reviews, smoothed to 4.17★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 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.
42
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
27%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
+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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rpc | #3 | #10 | up 2 |
| xml rpc | #3 | #11 | up 2 |
| stop | #5 | #17 | up 1 |
| block xml rpc | #2 | #9 | up 1 |
| ddos your tag | #6 | #11 | down 1 |
| xmlrpc your tag | #7 | #12 | up 1 |
| xml | #9 | #19 | up 2 |
| stop brute force attacks | #6 | #21 | down 2 |
| user enumeration | #11 | #21 | down 4 |
| disable xml rpc | #7 | #15 | down 1 |
| jetpack your tag | #24 | #23 | 0 |
| brute force attacks | #9 | #24 | 0 |
| site xml | #11 | #21 | 0 |
| brute force attack | #11 | #24 | 0 |
| brute force your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
24 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 14 listed. 10 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “brute force”, “security” and “jetpack” for “stop”, “xml” and “user enumeration”. “brute force” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “stop” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “xml” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “jetpack” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “user enumeration” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.7K · 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
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 · v2.0.0 · 23 May 2026
2
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 77% 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 “6K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2.9 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 11 Jan 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Anonymous User 163442714.1y ago
Nice plugin thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sandip Roy4.7y ago
It works silently in the background. This is the only security plugin I use, since a W***fence update broke my site about a year back. Gives me a peace of mind.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ baf2854.8y ago
all good, thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lesgitesdusomail7.0y ago
Tout est dans le titre. Reste à dire : Merci !
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 2 languages, 0 at 90% or more · development strings
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 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Blocks dangerous XML-RPC methods while preserving Jetpack, WooCommerce, and mobile apps compatibility."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Jetpack.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 556 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "xmlrpc" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2023-12-20 7K+ → 6K+ down after 57 days in tier
- 2023-10-24 6K+ → 7K+ up after 385 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 4K+ → 6K+ up after 413 days in tier
- 2021-08-17 2K+ → 4K+ 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).
- P Protection Against DDoS 3K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags D
-
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
CloudSecure WP Security 100K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A -
Jetpack Protect 100K+ installs · 4.6★ · 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 Stop XML-RPC Attacks into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/stop-xml-rpc-attacks" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Stop XML-RPC Attacks — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Stop XML-RPC Attacks: 6K+ active installs, 5.0★ (4 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/stop-xml-rpc-attacks
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