BotBlocker
Kills spam-bots, leaves humans standing. No CAPTCHAS, no math questions, no passwords, just spam blocking that stops spam-bots dead in their tracks.
Consider an alternative
BotBlocker shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 1.6/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 24/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Mixed reviews — 1.6/5 from 10 ratings
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.3 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where BotBlocker stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| akismet | >100 |
| bot | >100 |
| captcha | >100 |
| comments | >100 |
| spam | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 1.6 from 10 reviews
About BotBlocker
From the official readme · v1.0.4Description
Since the vast majority of WordPress spam is automated in nature, the goal of BotBlocker is to block comment spam bots and not hinder users. This is accomplished through the use of honeypot technology, which tricks the spambot into identifying itself by performing actions that a human could not.
BotBlocker’s features include:
- Works out of the box to block spam
- Automatically stops spam-bots from commenting
- Zero hindrance to users: no CAPTCHAS, math questions, passwords or extra input required
- Zero false positives and ignores registered users
- Can be configured to completely block spam-bots or flag comments as spam
- Spam detection messages can be easily adjusted
- No javascript or cookies required
- Hooks into
wp-comments-post.phpto prevent spam-bots from directly submitting spam comments - Should work fine with most customized comment forms
- No API keys required
http://www.lform.com/botblocker/ for more information.
Plugin by LFORM, a web design company in New Jersey.
Installation
- Upload the
botblockerfolder in the zip file to the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- BotBlocker is installed and working!
- Additional configuration can be performed by clicking on ‘Settings’ in the ‘Plugins’ screen.
Changelog
Upgrade immediately: fixed bug that caused logged in users & admins to be flagged as spam bots.
1.0.4
- Fixed bug with mechanism that prevents comments from directly being submitted to wp-comments-post.php.
1.0.3
- Fixed bug that caused logged in users & admins to be flagged as spam bots. Registered users & admins will no longer be filtered by the spam bot system.
1.0.2
- Fixed debug mode
1.0.1
- Added screenshot of plugin settings screen
- Tweaked menu option
1.0
- Initial release
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best BotBlocker alternatives
All akismet plugins →
FAQ
BotBlocker: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Is BotBlocker free?
Yes. BotBlocker is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is BotBlocker safe to use in 2026?
BotBlocker shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 1.6/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 24/100 on our health check.
How many websites use BotBlocker?
BotBlocker is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 11,364 times since it launched in April 2012. It was downloaded 125 times in the last 30 days.
Does BotBlocker work with WordPress 7.1?
BotBlocker is officially tested up to WordPress 3.3.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was BotBlocker last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.4, was released on April 25, 2012 (14 years ago).
Who makes BotBlocker?
BotBlocker is developed and maintained by Brandon Fenning.
What are the best alternatives to BotBlocker?
The most popular alternatives to BotBlocker are WP Armour (400K+ installs), Honeypot Anti-Spam (10K+ installs) and FV Antispam (900+ installs).
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