Automattic has launched a new website called WP Engine Tracker to draw attention to the number of customers that have left WP Engine for another web host. The site includes a searchable database of websites hosted on WP Engine that can also be downloaded as a CSV spreadsheet.
The name of the website is WP Engine Tracker (but the domain is WordPress Engine Tracker) and it features a prominent Automattic logo and a link to an associated GitHub repository that shows an Automattic employee is the developer of the website.
Screenshot Of WP Engine Tracker Website
Statement By Automattic
An Automattic spokesperson commented to Search Engine Journal:
“The beauty of open source software is that everyone is able to access data on a granular level, because it’s all publicly available information. That public data has shown that ever since WP Engine filed its lawsuit – making it clear that they do not have an official association with WordPress and attracting greater attention to the company’s poor service, modifications to the WordPress core software, increasing and convoluted pricing structure, and repeated down times – their customers have left their platform for other hosting providers. WP Engine can and always has been able to access the WordPress software and plugins available on WordPress.org, as can anyone.”
Ongoing Dispute Between Automattic And WP Engine
The website is the latest escalation in a dispute initiated by Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and CEO of Automattic, who argues that WP Engine’s contributions to WordPress development fall short. WordPress relies on contributions and sponsorships from volunteers, businesses, and individuals who benefit from the platform. The underlying principle is that the more everyone contributes the more the entire community benefits, strengthening WordPress’s position as the world’s most popular content management system.
The text of the website features a number representing the websites that have left WP Engine and an explanation:
“This is the number of websites that have left WP Engine and found a new home since Sep 21, 2024.
Search below to see if a site is still hosted by WP Engine”
Comments Left On WP Engine Tracker GitHub Repository
The website links to a GitHub repository that lists the author of the WP Engine Tracker website as being someone who works for Automattic.
Screenshot Of Author Listed On GitHub Repository
The Issues tab of the official GitHub repository contains critiques of the project and some criticism.
The first comment notes that the counter is incorrect because it claims to count websites that have left WP Engine but that it should be saying how many domains have left. The reason is because of the “websites” listed redirect to one domain, which means that the count is inflated.
Another person commented:
“It’s possible some folks have left WordPress as well, so saying sites have left WP Engine doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve gone to another web host that supports WordPress. This is a really tacky endeavor. I am not impressed at all.”
A subsequent comment calls the website “amateurish”:
“Also the check, if a domain is hosted by WPE, is quite amateurish.
missing dot at beginning for some
only checks subdomains
I’m not sure what the goal of this website is and what Matt tries to achieve. But the community is getting increasingly annoyed of such unprofessional behavior of Matt and in the security community some also think about dropping 0days for WordPress and related plugins / themes due to this whole situation.The feedback under the tweet from the official WordPress account and in the reddit community shows, what most of us think.
The whole situation hurts everyone more than needed.”
The comments section seems to be used by people to express their opinions about the website, framing their questions like a suggestion about the site but eventually becoming a critique.
This comment is an example of using the comments to critique the WordPress Engine Tracker website:
“Right now, this product is named “WordPress Engine Tracker.” But “WordPress Engine” isn’t a thing and therefore not trackable. There’s no company or product called “WordPress Engine,” so from the name alone, potential users can’t deduce what the function of the website is.
Since the function of this website seems to be tracking domains that move off of WP Engine hosting, the name should probably be updated to reflect that – something like “WP Engine Tracker.” That name would clearly communicate the intent of the website.”
They then followed up with:
“If you’re an Automattic employee reading this, maybe consider how none of this is a good use of anybody’s time and effort. This is all time you’ll never get back that could have been spent contributing to WordPress, which is the supposed reason Matt got upset in the first place, isn’t it?
And if you’re Matt – just stop. It’s never too late to just stop.”
Screenshot Of GitHub Repository For WP Engine Tracker
What Is The Point Of The Website?
It’s unclear what the purpose of the WP Engine Tracker website is other than the stated purpose of tracking sites that have left WP Engine.
The website draws attention to the specific domains of websites that have moved away from WP Engine but what purpose does that serve? Is the purpose is to draw attention to sites that could be solicited to move away from WP Engine? If so, there’s nothing on the website that encourages that use of the information. The WP Engine Tracker website is silent about what site visitors should do with the data.
Visit the WP Engine Tracker site here
Visit the WP Engine Tracker GitHub Repository here.
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Wirestock Creators
