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Blackhole for Bad Bots

By Jeff Starr

Security & Privacy / Security Scanning & Malware Protection

Blackhole for Bad Bots Review - In-Depth Analysis

Blackhole is a WordPress security plugin that traps bad bots in a virtual black hole, denying them access to your site.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.11/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 148+ reviews)

Active Installations

30,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

7.2 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Blackhole for Bad Bots is a security plugin designed to detect and trap bad bots that can harm your website. It works by adding a hidden trigger link to your pages, which bots that ignore your robots.txt rules will follow, leading them into a trap.

This plugin is easy to set up and does not interfere with legitimate users or major search engines. It is lightweight and built with the WordPress API, ensuring it runs efficiently without using .htaccess rules.

Key features include customizable settings, email alerts for blocked bots, and the ability to whitelist certain IP addresses. The plugin is regularly updated to remain effective against new threats.

Comparing to Alternatives

Blackhole for Bad Bots is a specialized plugin aimed at blocking malicious bots, standing out among various WordPress security tools.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Effectively blocks bad bots to reduce unwanted traffic.
Lightweight and easy to configure with minimal setup.
Works well in conjunction with other security plugins like BBQ Firewall.

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with caching plugins and Cloudflare can cause problems.
May inadvertently block legitimate crawlers like Googlebot, affecting SEO.
Limited advanced features compared to some competitors.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights both the effectiveness and some critical issues experienced with the plugin.

Positive highlights

"Very Well done!" – cole1969
"Together with BBQ Firewall the best plugin for WordPress security!" – nmrockswp
"Hi. It seems to be doing its job. I am happy with it." – Krzysztof

Common complaints

Plugin causes issues with Google Search Console by generating unwanted pages.
Blocks legitimate crawlers such as Googlebot, leading to SEO ranking drops.
Problems arise when used alongside caching plugins or Cloudflare.
Some users report the plugin continuing to affect their site even after deletion.

Weaknesses

Incompatibility with certain hosting environments and caching setups.
Lack of clear guidance to prevent blocking important bots like Googlebot.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a straightforward and effective solution to block malicious bots and reduce spam traffic on their WordPress sites.

Not ideal for

Site owners heavily reliant on SEO who use caching plugins or Cloudflare without advanced configuration, as the plugin may block legitimate crawlers and affect site ranking.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic bot blocking capabilities that are sufficient for many users to reduce unwanted bot traffic and enhance site security.

Pro version

The premium version typically includes advanced features such as detailed bot management, whitelist and blacklist controls, and enhanced compatibility options.

Final Verdict

Blackhole for Bad Bots is a solid choice for users needing a simple and effective way to block malicious bots, especially when combined with other security plugins.

However, users should be cautious about potential SEO impacts and compatibility issues with caching and CDN services, and consider their specific hosting environment before deploying.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Blackhole for Bad Bots plugin.

bad bots

security plugin

anti-spam

Screenshots

FAQ

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.

Yes, you can add the following code anywhere in your theme template:

<?php if (function_exists('blackhole_trigger')) blackhole_trigger(); ?>

By default, the plugin uses PHP’s gethostbyaddr() function to lookup the host name for blocked requests. This is fine on most servers but some may experience slight reduced performance. So for those who may need it, the following code snippet can be added to disable the host lookup:

function blackhole_enable_host_check() { return false; } add_filter('blackhole_enable_host_check', 'blackhole_enable_host_check');

That code can be added via your theme (or child theme) functions.php, or add via custom plugin.

By default the plugin adds an entry in the site error log for any invalid IP address. To disable this feature, add the following code snippet to your (child) theme’s functions file, or add via custom plugin:

function blackhole_validate_ip_log_custom($log, $ip) { return ''; } add_filter('blackhole_validate_ip_log', 'blackhole_validate_ip_log_custom', 10, 2);

By default, Blackhole never blocks anything on the WP Login Page. This is to prevent new users from accidentally getting locked out of their site.

To change the default behavior, and add Blackhole protection to the Login Page, add the following code to theme or child theme’s functions.php, or add via custom plugin:

function blackhole_ignore_login($ignore) { return false; } add_filter('blackhole_ignore_login', 'blackhole_ignore_login');

If you get locked out inadvertently, simply remove the code and the Login Page will be accessible once again.

Contributors and developers

“Blackhole for Bad Bots” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Jeff Starr

Pro version Free Version

WPS

7.11

Very Good

Pro version

Ratings

4.7 out of 5 | 148

Version

3.8.2

Last updated

1 month ago

Active installations

30,000+

WordPress version

7.0 or higher

PHP version

5.6.20 or higher

Languages

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Blackhole for Bad Bots Review - In-Depth Analysis

Performance Overview

What It Does

Comparing to Alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

Who Should Use This?

Pricing & Value

Final Verdict

Other Notable Features

Screenshots

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (148)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (2)

WPS

7.11

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Loginizer

Limit Attempts by BestWebSoft – WordPress Anti-Bot and Security Plugin for Login and Forms