by Jeff Starr
4.7 (148 reviews)
Blackhole for Bad Bots
Blackhole is a WordPress security plugin that detects and traps bad bots in a virtual black hole, where they are denied access to your entire site.
Compatible with WP 7.0.1
v3.8.2
Current Version v3.8.2
Updated 2 months ago
Last Update on 21 Apr, 2026
Refreshed 12 hours ago
Last Refreshed on
Rank
#963
—
No change
Active Installs
30K+
—
No change
KW Avg Position
38.8
—
No change
Downloads
928.3K
+100 today
Support Resolved
100%
—
No change
Rating
94%
Review 4.7 out of 5
4.7
(148 reviews)
Next Milestone 40K
30K+
40K+
38
Ranks to Climb
-
Growth Needed
8,000,000
Active Installs
Pro
Unlock Exact Install Count
See the precise estimated active installs for this plugin, calculated from real-time ranking data.
- Exact install estimates within tiers
- Track install growth over time
- Milestone progress predictions
Need 2,135 more installs to reach 40K+
Rank Changes
Current
#963
Change
Best
#
Downloads Growth
Downloads
Growth
Peak
Upgrade to Pro
Unlock 30-day, 90-day, and yearly download history charts with a Pro subscription.
Upgrade NowReviews & Ratings
4.7
148 reviews
Overall
94%
5
134
(91%)
4
3
(2%)
3
4
(3%)
2
1
(1%)
1
6
(4%)
Tracked Keywords
Showing 5 of 5| Keyword | Position | Change | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blackhole | 1 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| bots | 3 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| honeypot | 9 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| anti-spam | 33 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| security | 148 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
Unlock Keyword Analytics
Track keyword rankings, search positions, and discover new ranking opportunities with a Pro subscription.
- Full keyword position tracking
- Historical ranking data
- Competitor keyword analysis
Support Threads Overview
Resolved
Unresolved
1
Total Threads
1
Resolved
0
Unresolved
100%
Resolution Rate
Track This Plugin
Get detailed analytics, keyword tracking, and position alerts delivered to your inbox.
Start Tracking FreePlugin Details
- Version
- 3.8.2
- Last Updated
- Apr 21, 2026
- Requires WP
- 4.7+
- Tested Up To
- 7.0.1
- PHP Version
- 5.6.20 or higher
- Author
- Jeff Starr
Support & Rating
- Rating
- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.7
- Reviews
- 148
- Support Threads
- 1
- Resolved
- 100%
Keywords
Upgrade to Pro
Unlock keyword rankings, search positions, and detailed analytics with a Pro subscription.
Upgrade NowSimilar Plugins
Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer
7K+ installs
#2,739
Master Addons For Elementor – Widgets, Extensions, Theme Builder, Popup Builder & Template Kits
30K+ installs
#989
LiteSpeed Cache
7M+ installs
#5
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
5M+ installs
#7
Wordfence Security - Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security
5M+ installs
#11
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Blackhole for Bad Bots
Yes, three of them: BBQ Firewall for super-fast firewall security Blackhole for Bad Bots to protect your site against bad bots Banhammer to monitor and ban any user or IP address Pro versions with more features available at Plugin Planet.
Blackhole uses its own "smart bot technology" that only blocks bots if they have demonstrated bad behavior. Firewalls typically are "static" and block requests based on a predefined set of patterns. That means that firewalls sometimes block legitimate visitors. Blackhole never blocks regular visitors, and only it blocks bots that disobey your site's robots.txt rules. So the rate of false positives is close to zero.
In order for the plugin to add the trigger link to your pages, your theme must include the template tag, wp_footer(). This is a recommended tag for all WordPress themes, so your theme should include it. If not, you can either add it yourself or contact the theme developer and ask for help. Here is more information about wp_footer(). Once the footer tag is included, the plugin will be able to add the trigger link to your pages.
No. Never. All the major search engine bots are whitelisted and will never be blocked. Unless you remove them from the whitelist setting, which is not recommended.
Impossible because the plugin never blocks by user agent. It only blocks by IP address. No other criteria are used to block anything.
Answer: Not possible with the free version, but the Pro version includes an easy way to add bots manually (via the Bad Bots Log).
Visit the plugin settings and add to the list.
Visit the plugin settings and click the button.
Not possible with the free version, but can do with the Pro version.
Visit the plugin settings and click the button.