WP-Ban
by Lester Chan · Uncategorized
Also makes 20 other plugins · 753K+ installs across the portfolio →
Ban users by IP, IP range, host name, user agent and referrer URL from visiting your WordPress blog.
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 84/100
no flags
Active installs
8K+
≈8.6K estimated
Momentum
-8%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “bots”, “ip” and “referrer” for “ipv6”, “ipv4” and “referer”. “bots” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipv6” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “ip” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipv4” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “referrer” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “referer” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
84 health vs 58 average across 25,738 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.4%
of downloads still active
At least 8K of 333.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,771 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized 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 83 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
3.7★ over 27 reviews, smoothed to 3.96★
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.
40
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
23%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
+0.1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ban your tag | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| ban user | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| user agent ban | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| hostname your tag | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| banned | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| ban ip | #2 | #6 | 0 |
| ip ban | #2 | #6 | 0 |
| ipv6 | #6 | #10 | up 1 |
| ipv4 | #7 | #10 | 0 |
| referer | #8 | #7 | up 1 |
| shell | #9 | #13 | up 2 |
| twenty ten | #9 | #6 | down 1 |
| forwarding | #10 | #11 | down 2 |
| referrer your tag | #22 | #23 | down 4 |
| no referrer | #22 | #21 | 0 |
| bots your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| ip your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
30 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 15 listed. 15 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 “bots”, “ip” and “referrer” for “ipv6”, “ipv4” and “referer”. “bots” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipv6” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “ip” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipv4” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “referrer” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #22. “referer” sits at #8 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 5.7K · 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
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
3mo ago
latest release · v2.0.0 · 9 Aug 2026
19
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare 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.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “8K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 61% of the way through.
Install history since 19 Jan 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ hugrat6.1y ago
Probably one of those ban plugins that don’t work if you do not have the exact default wordpress login. Bummer..
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ kapaemtarik6.5y ago
I have been searching for a tool to get rid of robot users and their advertising comments at my site’s comment section. This extension worked. It successfully blocked 48 entry from 8 different ip adress within one day. Thanks for providing it
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ luckyjo9.8y ago
Love your hardwork!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jonrolph9.9y ago
For whatever reasons, I cannot get this plugin to work. I’ve tried banning both an entire IP range, as well as each IP within that range and I am still receiving visitor reports stating that my site is receiving visitors from that range.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ d-phrag11.0y ago
Not sure if this actually works, but it slowed my admin operations to a very annoying speed. I would rather de-install this one. Sorry
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wexler11.0y ago
Ended up having to remove the plugin since the website broke as a result of a flaw in the most recent update.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mlfa11.1y ago
It appears my Ban Stats isn’t working. I’m showing 0 attempts. Does it only track the Banned IPs or does it also track Banned Referers?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ arulkaruppannan11.1y ago
Getting the fatal error
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.69.2 NEW: Don’t allow to access ban-options.php directly 1.69.2
- — Version 1.69.1 NEW: Fixed XSS 1.69.1
- — Version 1.69 NEW: Bump WordPress 4.7 FIXED: Notices 1.69
- — Version 1.68 NEW: Use translate.wordpress.org to translate the plugin NEW: Use HTML DOCTYPE FIXED: Remove get_language_attributes() 1.68
- — Version 1.67 FIXED: Notices 1.67
- — Version 1.66 FIXED: Cannot redeclare get_language_attributes() 1.66
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (2.0.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2022-12-06 CVE-2022-4260 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.69 Patched in 1.69.1
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.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.7.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 51 languages, 3 at 90% or more
Plus 27 more locales with partial translations.
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
6 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 Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 4 of 6 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("use it"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WP-CLI.
- ✓ Headings and lists 5 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,446 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "bots", "hostname" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-06-12 9K+ → 8K+ down after 322 days in tier
- 2025-07-25 10K+ → 9K+ down after 2424 days in tier
- 2018-12-05 20K+ → 10K+ down
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).
-
Banhammer – Monitor Site Traffic, Block Bad Users and Bots 1K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A - I IP Ban 80+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
EDH Bad Bots 50+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B -
bad_ip WP 20+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags C -
Automatic Ban IP 20+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D - A Automatically Ban IPs — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP-Ban into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-ban" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP-Ban — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP-Ban: 8K+ active installs, 3.7★ (27 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-ban
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.