# How to remove bot users from WordPress

(and the snippet I used)

A few days ago I faced a specific problem on a WordPress website I manage: a bloated database with over 200,000 registered users who were actually bots. I had seen automatic registrations before, but this volume was affecting performance, user metrics and overall security.

I'm not a fan of posts claiming a tool will change your life, but I developed a snippet that solved this problem directly. I'm sharing it in case someone wants to use it as it is or adapt it to their own criteria.

## The case: automated registrations with suspicious patterns

Most bot users shared a pattern: advertising in registration fields, meaningless names or unusual email domains. I created a script that checks field lengths and lets you define criteria to identify automated registrations.

It was effective: over 200,000 users removed in batches without affecting real users, directly from the WordPress backend, without external plugins or manual database changes.

## Auto Bot Cleaner: the snippet I used

I called it Auto Bot Cleaner. It is not an official plugin or universal solution, but it worked well for this case. I documented it so that anyone, including nontechnical users, can copy it into WordPress with the [Code Snippets](https://wordpress.org/plugins/code-snippets) plugin or turn it into their own plugin.

From the dashboard (Users > Auto Bot Cleaner), you can:

✔Set the minimum character count for bot detection.

✔Choose the roles to check (for example

✔Process users in batches.

✔Run a preliminary scan to count matching users.

✔Enable automatic deletion with real-time progress.

## How to integrate it

There are two simple ways to use it:

- **With Code Snippets**: copy the code, paste it as a new snippet and activate it.

- **As a ZIP plugin**: download the PHP file, package it as a ZIP and upload it through the WordPress dashboard.

Either way, the snippet adds an option to the Users menu, where you can run the cleanup process.

## What if your criteria are different?

The code is available on GitHub. Developers can edit it to suit their needs. If you're not technical but want different criteria, leave a comment or contact me. I'm open to collaborating and improving the snippet when useful ideas come up.

## Why share this?

It isn't a magic solution or a product I'm selling. It was part of my daily work as a web developer and seemed useful to share. If you're dealing with fake WordPress registrations, it may be a starting point.

Keeping a clean user database can also help you:

✔Improve WordPress website security.

✔Improve user metrics and reporting.

✔Avoid spam and unwanted content.

## Download and documentation

🔗

[GitHub: Auto Bot Cleaner](https://gist.github.com/TuWebMaster/2872229a486e73032a9d2487d4fde2e9)

If it helps you, great. If you adapt it, even better. Questions, suggestions and experiences are welcome in the comments. I hope it helps others as well as me.

Author label integrated into the border

Author's note

Content

    I'm **Sasha Herscovich**, and I design, develop and provide technical support for online stores built with WordPress and Odoo. I solve real problems every day and occasionally share what I encounter in case it helps someone else.
  

    This blog contains ideas, solutions and code snippets I use in real projects. Some are for people who manage their own websites; others are for developers and designers looking to improve their work, save time or understand how to solve a particular issue.
  

    I don't sell magic formulas or universal solutions. I share what works for me, what I test and what I learn along the way. If it helps you, welcome. And if you'd like to comment, improve or adapt something, I'd love you to.

Canonical page: https://tuwebmaster.com.ar/en/como-limpiar-usuarios-bots-en-wordpress/