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/ Email Address Encoder

Email Address Encoder

By Till KrÃ¼ss

Security & Privacy / Spam & Bot Protection

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Email Address Encoder Review - In-Depth Analysis

Protects email addresses from email-harvesting robots by encoding them into decimal and hexadecimal entities.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.83/10

User Rating

4.2/5 (based on 160+ reviews)

Active Installations

100,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5.77 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This lightweight plugin safeguards plain email addresses and mailto links from email-harvesting robots by encoding them into decimal and hexadecimal entities. It affects posts, pages, comments, excerpts, text widgets, and other filtered content. The plugin operates without JavaScript, providing simple spam protection.

To verify that all your email addresses are properly protected, you can use the free page scanner tool. Additionally, other content such as phone numbers can be protected using a shortcode.

The premium version offers features like full-page protection, hardened protection using JavaScript and CSS techniques, improved phone number protection, and built-in support for plugins like ACF, Jetpack, and WooCommerce.

Comparing to Alternatives

Email Address Encoder is a plugin designed to protect email addresses from spam bots by encoding them. It has several alternatives that offer similar functionality with varying features and support.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Effectively encodes email addresses to reduce spam.
Supports both free and pro versions with additional features in pro.
High user rating with majority 5-star reviews.
Regular updates addressing security vulnerabilities.
Compatible with simple websites and common WordPress setups.

Weaknesses

History of security vulnerabilities including XSS and CSRF issues.
Pro version support is reportedly poor or non-responsive.
License management issues reported by users.
Potential conflicts with other plugins like analytics tools.

User Sentiment Analysis

With an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 from 160 reviews, most users appreciate the plugin's core functionality. However, about 20% of ratings are 1 or 2 stars, highlighting significant concerns mainly around support and licensing.

Positive highlights

"Important plugin in times of spam" - Wasilij
"Works correctly with simple websites" - Patrice Grometto (despite other issues)
"Useful plugin for email protection" - general positive sentiment from majority reviews

Common complaints

Lack of support and no response from the author.
Pro version users report no feedback or assistance.
Plugin sometimes does not work as expected for some buyers.
No refunds provided despite issues with the plugin.
License conflicts causing pro version to revert to free version.

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities have been present and fixed only in recent updates.
Support is largely unresponsive, especially for paid users.
License management and activation issues cause frustration.
Potential plugin conflicts affecting site functionality.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a straightforward email encoding solution to protect addresses from spam bots, especially those with simple websites who do not require extensive support.

Not ideal for

Users who need reliable customer support, timely updates, or have complex website setups that might conflict with this plugin. Also, those concerned about past security vulnerabilities or license management issues should consider alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic email address encoding functionality sufficient for many users to reduce spam.

Pro version (19 - 49 USD / year)

Premium features typically include enhanced encoding options, priority updates, and additional customization. However, support for the pro version has been reported as lacking.

Final Verdict

Email Address Encoder provides effective email protection with a strong user rating and a free version that meets basic needs. It has addressed several security issues in recent updates, improving its safety profile.

However, significant concerns about poor support, license management problems, and past vulnerabilities suggest that users requiring dependable assistance or advanced features might want to consider other alternatives. Overall, it is a solid choice for those prioritizing functionality over support.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Email Address Encoder plugin.

email protection

spam protection

email encoding

Screenshots

FAQ

This plugin searches for email addresses using WordPress filters like the_content, widget_text and others. Found email addresses are encoded using decimal and hexadecimal HTML entities, which obfuscates the email addresses to protect it from being read by most email-harvesting robots.

Alternatively, you can use the [encode] shortcode: [encode]+1 (555) 123-4567[/encode]