Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection)

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.

3 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 1 listed. 2 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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 1 Nov 2026.

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 · 93% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 8 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 68% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ thecelticcroft

   4.2y ago

   I contacted my server host for help because this plugin keeps telling me that my site is under possible brute-force attack. I change lockout settings to lockout for 4 days following a failed attempt, but this plugin’s log was still apparently filling up with failed attempts and lockouts for the same couple of accounts that shouldn’t have been possible if it was doing it’s job. So I provided a list of IP addresses to my server host, and they checked logs at the server level and said there was no sign that any of those IP addresses had attempted to log into the site. I uninstalled the plugin. This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by thecelticcroft. This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by thecelticcroft.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ rickgravelin

   5.5y ago

   With this tool I realize that after two weeks of being live our site has had world renown popularity. Every Continet, evey country and sovergnty has recognized us, yet only 6 out of 171 of our council members have signed on to use our site. Thank you for showing me this.

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

   5.9y ago

   A good solution if you don’t use heavier plugins like WordFence or Ithemes Security.

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

   6.0y ago

   Really a helpful plugin. Support is very active too. This topic was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by ahmednabubaker.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ mohmmed alagha

   6.0y ago

   Working fine, thank you.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ bigfly

   6.0y ago

   Installed it to try dealing with brute force attacks and it successfully logs all failed attempts but never locked them out. Yes, it was enabled and set to 3 invalid logins. Lockout period was increased too but they kept coming. Uninstlled.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ CODEPRESS

   6.7y ago

   Working fine, Recommended

   Read on wp.org ↗

All 5 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (5.6). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched High · 7.5 Limit Login Attempts <= 5.5 - Unauthenticated SQL Injeciton ↗
   2024-12-05 CVE-2024-54234 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 5.5 Patched in 5.6
2. Patched Medium · 5.3 Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) <= 5.3 - IP Address Spoofing to Protection Mechanism Bypass ↗
   2024-10-07 CVE-2022-4534 Use of Less Trusted Source Affects <= 5.3 Patched in 5.4
3. Patched Critical · 9.8 Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) <= 4.9.1 - Unauthenticated SQL Injection ↗
   2022-03-02 CVE-2022-0787 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 4.9.1 Patched in 5.1
4. Patched High · 8.8 Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) <= 2.9 - Cross-Site Request Forgery to Arbitrary Plugin Installation/Activation ↗
   2021-04-22 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 2.9 Patched in 3.1
5. Patched High · 8.8 Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) <= 2.8 - Missing Authorization to Arbitrary Plugin Installation/Activation ↗
   2021-04-22 CVE-2021-24194 Improper Authorization Affects < 2.9 Patched in 2.9

Translated into 4 languages, 1 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. 2026-02-27 100+ → 200+ up after 1 days in tier
2. 2026-02-26 200+ → 100+ down after 15 days in tier
3. 2026-02-11 100+ → 200+ up after 2 days in tier
4. 2026-02-09 200+ → 100+ down after 5 days in tier
5. 2026-02-04 100+ → 200+ up after 1 days in tier
6. 2026-02-03 200+ → 100+ down after 2 days in tier
7. 2026-02-01 100+ → 200+ up after 10 days in tier
8. 2026-01-22 200+ → 100+ down 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).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection): 200+ active installs, 3.9★ (7 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-limit-failed-login-attempts