Install The Email Sleuth Plugin

Installing Email Sleuth takes about two minutes. You'll download the plugin from your account, upload it to WordPress, and activate it — then connect it with your API key (covered in the next article).

> Before you start: you'll need an Email Sleuth account. If you don't have one yet, sign up free at account.emailsleuth.co — no credit card needed.

Step 1: Download the plugin

1. Sign in at account.emailsleuth.co.
2. In the left menu, click Downloads.
3. Click Download plugin. Your browser saves a file called emailsleuth.zip .

[Screenshot: the Downloads page with the Download plugin button]

> Using Safari on a Mac? Safari sometimes unzips downloads automatically, which leaves you with a folder instead of the .zip  file WordPress needs. If that happens, right-click the emailsleuth  folder and choose Compress to turn it back into a zip — or use another browser for the download.

Step 2: Upload it to WordPress

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin.
2. Click Upload Plugin at the top of the page.
3. Click Choose File, select the emailsleuth.zip  you just downloaded, and click Install Now.

[Screenshot: WordPress upload plugin screen with emailsleuth.zip selected]

Step 3: Activate

When the upload finishes, click Activate Plugin.

You'll see Email Sleuth appear in your WordPress admin menu. That's it — the plugin is installed.

[Screenshot: WordPress admin menu showing the Email Sleuth item]

What happens next

Installing the plugin doesn't protect your forms yet — it needs to be connected to your account first. That's one copy-paste:

→ Next: [Connect your website with an API key]

Once connected, all your forms are protected automatically. There's nothing to add to individual forms.

Good to know

• Updates are automatic. New versions arrive through the normal WordPress updates screen — you never need to download the plugin again.
• Requirements: WordPress 6.0 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer. Almost every host meets this; if you're unsure, your hosting dashboard will show both versions.
• Works with: Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, WPForms, Fluent Forms, and Forminator.

Having trouble?

If the upload or activation doesn't go smoothly, see [Plugin installation problems] in our Troubleshooting section — it covers the common hiccups. Still stuck? Contact us through the Support page in your dashboard and we'll get you sorted.