WP Term Locks
Prevent categories, tags, and other taxonomy terms from being edited or deleted
Use with caution
WP Term Locks works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 10 hours ago, and scores 48/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 10 hours ago
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.8 (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 WP Term Locks stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| lock | >100 |
| meta | >100 |
| metadata | >100 |
| taxonomy | >100 |
| term | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About WP Term Locks
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
Prevent categories, tags, and other taxonomy terms from being edited or deleted
WP Term Locks allows administrators to lock taxonomy terms from being edited or deleted by other capable users
Also checkout
Installation
- Download and install using the built in WordPress plugin installer.
- Activate in the “Plugins” area of your admin by clicking the “Activate” link.
- No further setup or configuration is necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Does this create new database tables?
No. There are no new database tables with this plugin.
Does this modify existing database tables?
No. All of WordPress’s core database tables remain untouched.
How do I query for terms via their locks?
With WordPress’s get_terms() function, the same as usual, but with an additional meta_query argument according the WP_Meta_Query specification: https://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Meta_Query $terms = get_terms( 'category', array( 'depth' => 1, 'number' => 100, 'parent' => 0, 'hide_empty' => false, // Query by lock 'meta_query' => array( array( 'key' => 'locks', 'value' => '' ) ) ) );
Where can I get support?
Basic: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-term-locks/ Priority: https://chat.flox.io/support/channels/wp-term-locks/
Where can I find documentation?
http://github.com/stuttter/wp-term-locks/
Changelog
1.0.1
- Fix single-site capabilities check
1.0.0
- Remove list-table override class
- Bump minimum WordPress version to 4.7
- Restructure files for improved mu-plugins support
- Clean-up unused assets
0.2.0
- Update base class
0.1.4
- Update textdomain
- Update headers & meta
0.1.3
- Updated metadata UI class
0.1.1
- Updated form field classes
Screenshots
For developers
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Best WP Term Locks alternatives
All lock plugins →
FAQ
WP Term Locks: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is WP Term Locks free?
Yes. WP Term Locks is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is WP Term Locks safe to use in 2026?
WP Term Locks works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 10 hours ago, and scores 48/100 on our health check.
How many websites use WP Term Locks?
WP Term Locks is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,824 times since it launched in January 2016. It was downloaded 59 times in the last 30 days.
Does WP Term Locks work with WordPress 7.1?
WP Term Locks is officially tested up to WordPress 4.8.33, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was WP Term Locks last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on October 10, 2026 (10 hours ago).
Who makes WP Term Locks?
WP Term Locks is developed and maintained by John James Jacoby.
What are the best alternatives to WP Term Locks?
The most popular alternatives to WP Term Locks are Post Lockdown (1K+ installs), Wbcom Designs (300+ installs) and Lock Your Updates Plugins/T… (300+ installs).
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