WP Approve User

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

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.

34 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 8 listed. 26 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 10 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ shamrock82

   7mo ago

   Works great! An integration with MemberPress would be a great enhancement or add-on, so that I could enforce approvals for users purchasing specific memberships (even if they are a WordPress User already), but not others.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ clayray

   1.3y ago

   For a free plugin, this is quite powerful. Would be nice to be able to add the users full name (i.e. first and last name) in the approval email (rather than just the username), but the ability to edit the email the template (or turn off emails) puts it head and shoulders above the competition. This topic was modified 1 year ago by clayray.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ FolioVision

   2.7y ago

   We are looking for a way to minimise the amount of emails which we send out to dead addresses (often Gmail) via fake bbPress signups to our forum. The first step is user approval. Konstantin’s plugin is simple and focused, with straightforward settings in a settings panel. There’s no top level left column item (frankly any plugin which wants to put its settings in the main left window should require approval from the plugin moderation team, if in the plugin directory, the left top-level menu is now hopelessly cluttered on most WordPress sites). The main interface are simple text additions to the existing user table Approve | Unapprove. Frankly user approval should be built into WordPress. But until it is, thank heavens for simple solutions. No adware, no pro version, no bloatware frills, native interface. I like the idea of a previous reviewer to allow unapproved users to be kept in the database to prevent additional signups with the same address. We’d also like an improved workflow where no email goes out to users until admin approval, at which point the signup email would arrive. What would happen to a new user is that s/he would be auto-logged in at the time of signup with very limited privileges until approved or unapproved but no email would be sent without approval. This would allow simple comments to be left on a weblog post or bbPress without sending out emails to dead addresses (and damaging sender reputation). We can add these features fairly easily ourselves, but it would be great to see them in the core functionality of WP Approve User. Thank you Konstantin for your hard work on WP Approve User and for making it free.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ jamaicahomes

   2.7y ago

   this plugin does what it says simple. glad i found it. one thing would make this plugin so so so much better. The possibility to add a list of email domains for auto approval. For instance i want everyone from a particular company to register and bypass the plugin. That would be golden. If possible i would be happy to hack the plugin and incoperate if you like. But as it is your plugin i would prefer you did it.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ roreymp

   2.7y ago

   I like this plugin so useful and easy to user, Good job to the developer on this plugin

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ kl79sz

   4.0y ago

   I’m very happy with this plugin. It’s simple and it works as expected.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ kiwi3685

   4.0y ago

   This is an invaluable plugin in the battle to keep spam registrations under control. Plus great service from @konstantin

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ eduacute

   5.7y ago

   Using it with MemberPress. There is not much to configure but it works like a charm, it’simple, no HTML, just plain text but it’s better than the New User Approve plugin which exposes the iThemes Hide Back End URL to users when their user account is approved.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.3 Added French translation. Props Clovis Darrigan. Added Arabic translation. Props Mehdi Bounya. 2.3
2. — Version 2.2.3 Fixes a bug where administrators where locked out of their site if user registration was enabled after the plugin was. 2.2.3
3. — Version 2.2.2 Adds backwards compatibility for WordPress versions pre-3.5 for the user list filter. Removes unused development versions of scripts and styles. 2.2.2
4. — Version 2.2.1 Updated utility class. 2.2.1
5. — Version 2.2.0 Added a way to filter for unapproved users in the admin user list. Fixed a bug where currently active users would not be flagged as approved on activation if user registration was disabled. Added Dutch translation. Props 2.2.0
6. — Version 2.1.1 Fixed a bug, where new settings were not saved. 2.1.1

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1

Translated into 11 languages, 4 at 90% or more

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.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-01-02 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
2. 2026-01-01 3K+ → 4K+ up after 9 days in tier
3. 2025-12-23 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
4. 2025-12-22 3K+ → 4K+ up after 1 days in tier
5. 2025-12-21 4K+ → 3K+ down after 2 days in tier
6. 2025-12-19 3K+ → 4K+ up after 1 days in tier
7. 2025-12-18 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
8. 2025-12-17 3K+ → 4K+ up after 1 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).

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WP Approve User: 3K+ active installs, 4.2★ (42 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-approve-user