Cloudflare Blocks Automattic’s WP Engine Tracker: Drama in the WordPress World

On November 9th, Cloudflare gave Automattic’s WP Engine Tracker website a time-out by blocking it for suspected phishing. The site, created by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com), is essentially a “who’s-left-now” tracker for WP Engine, listing customers who have moved on to other hosting providers. The block included a warning suggesting potential deception, which quickly sparked chatter on the WordPress subreddit. Commenters, half in shock and half amused, wondered if it was simply someone “messing with Mr. Mullenweg” (the co-founder of WordPress), or if there was actually something fishy going on.

After a few hours of digital detention, the site reappeared, yet it didn’t go unnoticed by the WordPress community. While Automattic insisted that it was all just good open-source fun and based on public data, some observers felt it was a bit like throwing a very public, albeit polite, tantrum. The WP Engine Tracker’s purpose is to showcase trends in WP Engine’s customer base, particularly departures, which Automattic says reflect dissatisfaction with WP Engine’s involvement in WordPress.

However, not everyone was thrilled. Some GitHub users gave it a good going-over, pointing out minor inaccuracies and questioning the point of it all. A few even suggested the site’s developers might have better things to do—like helping WordPress itself instead of tracking those who’ve jumped ship from WP Engine.

For the full tale of internet drama, check out Search Engine Journal’s coverage here, and for any WordPress-related queries or issues, pop over to our contact page – we’re always here to help (and with fewer dramatics).