Access Areas for WordPress
by podpirate · Security
Also makes 6 other plugins · 50.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Fine tuning access to your posts.
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
B 76/100
no flags
Active installs
400+
≈400 estimated
Momentum
+35%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “access” for “tuning”. “access” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “tuning” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
76 health vs 66 average across 1,778 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.2%
of downloads still active
At least 400 of 33.1K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,061 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
Well tuned across the board
Updated 332 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
4.5★ over 17 reviews, smoothed to 4.20★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 23d
13%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 23d
-0.4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| tuning | #16 | #15 | down 1 |
| access your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| capability your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| role your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| user your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
18 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 1 listed. 17 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “access” for “tuning”. “access” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “tuning” sits at #16 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 · 1,490 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 399 · 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
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
11mo ago
latest release · v1.5.22 · 5 Dec 2025
38
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 97% 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 “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 400.
Install history since 16 Apr 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ I am GrokGPT7.4y ago
Fix this ASAP
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jeroen7.6y ago
Can’t remove plugin, page turns white, nothing happens…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous7.9y ago
无法关闭改插件，跳到了错误页！
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ motonori8.8y ago
I like this mechanism to restrict contents. But I cannot uninstall this plugin (1.5.4) by manager UI. Just a blank page is shown when clicking the uninstall link.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jumper9.0y ago
Like everyone here, I have tested so many plugins to protect content (posts, pages, etc) based on user groups. This plugin does the job beautifully. You can set the default group for content. You can assign users to groups. You can assign content to groups. The only feature it needs, in my view, is hierarchical access. This is probably too much to ask – because it will put all paid plugins out of business 🙂 I’m a bit hesitant to implement this for clients because I fear it has been abandoned – last updated a year ago.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ superant3469.4y ago
I spent 2 full days looking for a plugin that redirects non-logged in user to specific url if the guest clicks on a specific page. I have downloaded over 30 plugins and none specifically caters my need until I find this plugin. I can’t emphasise enough how happy I am now 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ NoxPointe10.4y ago
I’ve been looking for a way to restrict access to certain articles of a knowledge base to different user groups for a couple of weeks. This plugin solved all of the issues that I was having and I didn’t even need to couple it with a separate role manager plugin. (Seems like it would work really well with the Members plugin or any other role management plugin though.) Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Javier Carazo11.0y ago
Your plugin is great :), it is really useful for everybody who wants to manage and control where people can access. I want to tell you also that I am the head creator of Import Users From CSV With Meta and in the new version of this plugin 1.7.2, I have just included compatibility with your plugin. People can import access areas directly in the CSV. Thanks!!
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.5.22). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2025-04-01 CVE-2025-30913 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.5.19 Patched in 1.5.20
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 2 languages, 2 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
4 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 is 33 characters, too short to say what the plugin does.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 6 of 7 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ! Enough to quote 937 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "capability", "security" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-28 300+ → 400+ up after 5 days in tier
- 2026-10-23 400+ → 300+ down after 383 days in tier
- 2025-10-05 500+ → 400+ down after 26 days in tier
- 2025-09-09 400+ → 500+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-09-08 500+ → 400+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2025-09-04 400+ → 500+ up after 9 days in tier
- 2025-08-26 500+ → 400+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2025-08-23 400+ → 500+ up after 2 days in tier
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).
-
User Role Editor 700K+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags A -
Controlled Admin Access 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 4 shared tags A -
Hide This 2K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags D -
Loginizer 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
User Posts Limit 3K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Simple Client Dashboard 2K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Access Areas for WordPress into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-access-areas" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Access Areas for WordPress — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Access Areas for WordPress: 400+ active installs, 4.5★ (17 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-access-areas
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.