71
Protect Uploads
A tiny security tool with some very confusing reviews.
HealthyGrowing
71/100
Small user base and conflicting reports about core functionality make this a risky choice for security.
Active installs
~45,000
our estimate · wp.org shows 40k+
Rating
4.8★
12 ratings
Trend · vs a year ago
+150%
Growing fast
149 → 372 installs/day
Downloads over time
real new installs per day · release spikes shown separately from the trend2025-04-302025-08-082025-11-162026-02-232026-06-03
organicrelease spikerelease tailorganic trend · 14d rolling median
Growing fast · +150% in the last year
149/day a year ago→372/day today
Reviews
what people actually sayProtect Uploads is a simple, well-regarded plugin for restricting directory browsing of the WordPress uploads folder, though at least one user reports that the core file-protection feature fails to actually block direct file access in some configurations.
What people like
- +Does what it advertises: blocks directory browsing of the wp-content/uploads folder and subfolders×4
- +Easy to set up with straightforward activation and settings×2
- +Installs without conflicts or changes to other plugins or server software
- +Confirmed working on WordPress 5.8
Common complaints
- −Both protection methods (index.php and .htaccess) reported as failing to block direct file access — files remain publicly accessible to unauthenticated users
- −Lacks features beyond basic directory protection
- −At least one review raises concerns about malware associations, though another user disputes this as a false claim
Review trustMostly organic
- 4.83★Verified rating — holds steady vs the raw 4.80★
- 8%One-shot reviewers — most reviewers are active community members
- past spikeReview timing — up to 100% of all reviews landed in a single month
Reviews per month · 5★ vs lower
2024-06-142025-06-092026-06-04
5★ reviews1–4★ reviews
All-time ratings · 12 total
Latest reviews · 13 analyzed
- 2024-05-25★★★★★Thanks!marinstratulat1-shot
- 2023-05-15★★★★★Doesn't work at allkmp2
- 2023-04-18★★★★★Don't be fooled by fake reviews.kyle1313
- 2022-08-13★★★★★Simple and basic but perfect!gianfri
- 2022-02-16★★★★★Still works great on wp 5.8anders23b
- 2020-10-20★★★★★Thank you for a great pluginthirty6
- 2020-05-30★★★★★Considered oklin482
- 2020-05-19★★★★★Works as intendedInjabie3
- 2019-08-22★★★★★Worked like a charm!antlergraphics
- 2017-08-30★★★★★Good jobgonzaedlp
Releases
recent versions from WordPress.org SVNFor developers & the curious
the raw signals behind the grade — none of this is on the friendly summary aboveDownload signals
Baselines are computed on organic days only — release spikes and their tails are excluded, so they're not inflated by the auto-update wave.
381
Baseline · median of last 7 organic days
352
Prior 7-day baseline
292
Floor · 25th percentile over 14 days
467
Latest day · 2026-06-03(organic)
+8.2%
Week-over-week organic trend
Review signals
Concentration and drive-by metrics drive the review-burst and fake-review flags. 30–40% solo reviewers is normal; we only flag the extremes.
100%
Max month share · biggest single 30-day window
4.90
Distribution CV · <0.6 even, >1.5 bursty
92%
5★ share in analyzed sample
8%
Solo reviewers · only this one wp.org activity
—
Volume velocity · last 6mo vs prior 6mo
4.85 → 4.83★
Sample avg · raw → solo-filtered