SX User Name Security
by Daniel Roch · Security
Also makes 4 other plugins · 2.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
SX User Name Security prevents WordPress from showing your real Login everywhere. It ovverides the body_class function, User Nicename, Nickname and Di …
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
C 59/100
Stale
Active installs
800+
≈890 estimated
Momentum
+26%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “user nicename”, “nicename” and “name” to your wp.org tags. You rank #7, #13 and #24 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 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
59 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.9%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 20.3K 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.
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: Update recency
Updated 555 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
4.0★ over 13 reviews, smoothed to 4.08★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 555 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.
30
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.8
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.5
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| user nicename | #7 | #11 | down 2 |
| nicename | #13 | #12 | down 4 |
| name | #24 | #20 | 0 |
| secure your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security plugin your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| wordpress security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
6 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 3 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “user nicename”, “nicename” and “name” to your wp.org tags. You rank #7, #13 and #24 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 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 717 · 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
1.5y ago
latest release · v2.4 · 24 Apr 2025
2
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 80% 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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 32 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 900.
Install history since 25 Apr 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Anonymous8.0y ago
New chains, came shackles. Very annoying solution. This remedy is almost worse than the disease.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Fredo7310.4y ago
Super plugin Merci
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mkb196711.4y ago
Tried the plugin. Didn’t like the resulting user names. Deactivated and deleted the plugin The changed user names remain. I will have to restore the database from backup.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Viridum12.1y ago
Before you install this plugin, make sure you are committed 100% cause there is no way to just deactivate and delete the plugin and think you can go back to how things were before. The plugin is a great idea, but a total disaster if you make a small mistake when setting up users. Let me explain: I installed the plugin and unfortunately I clicked the button to fix users automatically. This meant that the names turned into strange randomized name. This is really a bad thing for a blog, I guess it’s a bad idea for any site. I wanted to change all the weird names and enter my own display name for users to protect. The author of the plugin told me that this is not possible, so I’m stuck with strange author names, unless I have my hosting service roll back the whole database to a previous date. Disaster considering work done in the mean time!! Now all my posts’s meta author links points to strange sounding author name pages. And after deactivating the pluging all author pages are now 404. Even reactivating the plugin didn’t help. I advice the plugin creators to remove the randomization function, forcing the user to enter the alternative display names manually instead.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ YogieAnamCara12.3y ago
But I would love to have it work also from the Network or Superadmin pages to work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ master41216012.4y ago
plugin I must say
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wallyO12.4y ago
I see you. I’ve been lurking around the wp support forum for years waiting for a usable solution to this user authentication credential leak. I hate watching the brutes hammering away at my random string admin username.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ inthylight12.6y ago
Why give malicious hackers half of the key to your WP site’s front door? You don’t have to. Install this. You will love yourself. Your users will love you. You’ll rest easier. And world peace will follow. (Okay, maybe not the last one…)
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.4.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 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
2 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 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 One audience phrase ("if you need"); 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 0 headings and 5 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,812 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 2 of 4 tags appear in the text; "secure", "wordpress security" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-29 900+ → 800+ down after 156 days in tier
- 2026-04-26 1K+ → 900+ down after 3650 days in tier
- 2016-04-28 700+ → 1K+ 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).
-
SP Move Login 6K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags B -
WebDefender Security – Protection & AntiSpam 1K+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags B -
BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
BulletProof Security 20K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A - L Lockdown WP Admin 10K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Lock Down Admin 2K+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for SX User Name Security into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/user-name-security" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="SX User Name Security — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> SX User Name Security: 800+ active installs, 4.0★ (13 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/user-name-security
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.