Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair
by Marcello Ruoppolo · Security
Also makes 1 other plugin · 280+ installs across the portfolio →
Protect your WordPress. The ultimate lightweight security suite. Block brute-force attacks, auto-repair infected core files, hide your login URL, set …
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Health
B 80/100
Few reviews
Active installs
200+
≈260 estimated
Momentum
+50%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “brute force”, “firewall” and “malware scanner” for “protector”, “auto repair” and “clickjacking”. “brute force” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “protector” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “firewall” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “auto repair” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “malware scanner” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “clickjacking” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
80 health vs 66 average across 1,775 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.1%
of downloads still active
At least 200 of 6.4K 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 8 releases 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 184 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 3 reviews, smoothed to 4.15★ 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.
34
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
12%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| repair core your tag | #4 | #15 | — |
| protector | #5 | #8 | 0 |
| auto repair | #6 | #15 | up 2 |
| malware removal | #11 | #17 | down 2 |
| repair | #11 | #21 | down 2 |
| removal | #14 | #24 | down 1 |
| clickjacking | #9 | #11 | 0 |
| malware | #22 | #23 | down 1 |
| hacked | #15 | #17 | down 2 |
| site repair | #13 | #20 | down 1 |
| checksums | #22 | #14 | down 5 |
| wordpress malware removal | #14 | #19 | 0 |
| lightweight firewall | #18 | #20 | down 1 |
| brute force your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| firewall your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| malware scanner your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
30 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 13 listed. 17 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
- Swap “brute force”, “firewall” and “malware scanner” for “protector”, “auto repair” and “clickjacking”. “brute force” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “protector” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “firewall” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “auto repair” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “malware scanner” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “clickjacking” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 8 Nov 2024 · 722 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 452 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #11,300 to #12,900, alongside the other plugins at 200+ 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
8
releases in the last 12 months
6mo ago
latest release · v4.0.4 · 30 Apr 2026
8
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 18% 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 “200+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Modeled within the band wp.org reports; tightens as we track daily.
Install history since 14 Feb 2026
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ marknobre8mo ago
Eu estava há dias tentando resolver alguns problemas de acesso e segurança no meu site e não conseguia encontrar a solução. Instalei o Protector e em poucos minutos já estava tudo funcionando. A função de esconder o admin URL é excelente. This topic was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by marknobre.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dalmirjr9.5y ago
Parabéns Marcello, tenho certeza que este plugin vai ajudar muito os proprietários de websites.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gabrielleite.ipd9.6y ago
Plugin sem frescura, resolve o problema de maneira muito simples, configurei ele em menos de 10 segundos.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
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 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Protect your WordPress. The ultimate lightweight security suite. Block brute-force attacks, auto-repair inf..."
- ✓ 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 One audience phrase ("whether you are"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions REST API.
- ! Headings and lists 5 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,761 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 1 of 5 tags appear in the text ("Brute Force", "firewall", "malware scanner", "repair core" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
No tier crossings observed yet.
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).
-
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 3 shared tags A -
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
BulletProof Security 20K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-admin-protect" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair: 200+ active installs, 5.0★ (3 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-admin-protect
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