How to Password Protect a WordPress Page or Post: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on March 8, 2023 by Simon Wright

Today, we will show you how to password-protect your WordPress pages and posts.

Unfortunately, we live in a digital age where many nasty people look to hack into websites to create havoc or commit fraud. As such, website security is paramount to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other potential security threats.

As a website owner, it’s crucial to take proactive measures to safeguard your website and ensure that only authorized individuals can access it. One such measure is password-protecting specific pages or posts on your WordPress site. Password protection can be an effective way to restrict access to sensitive information or private content, and with the built-in WordPress password protect function, it’s easy to implement.

In this article, we guide you step-by-step through using the built-in WordPress password protect function to password-protect pages and posts on your site. We will also provide eleven additional measures to help fully secure your website and content, including strong passwords, two-factor authentication, HTTPS encryption, WordPress security plugins, and more.

After reading this article, you will understand how to add password protection to your WordPress content and ensure your site is fully safeguarded against security threats. Ready to learn? Great, let’s get started!

Why Password-Protect WordPress Posts and Pages?

WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system (CMS). In fact, according to statistics published by HubSpot, over 43% of all websites are based on it. However, such popularity makes it a prime target for hackers, meaning password-protecting your content is necessary to keep it secure.

Moreover, you might want to password-protect your WordPress posts and pages for other reasons. For instance, you may have content intended only for a specific user group, such as members, subscribers, or staff. By password-protecting that content, you can ensure that only authorized users can view it.

Password protection can also be helpful for posts and pages that are still in development or undergoing changes. With password protection, you can keep content hidden from the public until it is ready to be shared.

How to Password-Protect WordPress Pages and Posts

Password-protecting your WordPress pages and posts is a straightforward process. You can use the password protection function integrated into WordPress or a password plugin to do it. The built-in function is the easiest option and avoids loading your site with another plugin, so that is what we will focus on in this article. Moreover, as it is integral to the WordPress core, the developer constantly (and automatically) updates it.

When you use the built-in WordPress password protect function, you will add a password to your posts and pages to restrict access to them. Moreover, it is possible to set up multiple passwords for different pages and posts, giving you extra security and greater access control. Here’s how to do it:

  • For New Posts and Pages:

  1. First, log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Once logged in, create your page or post in the usual way. Once it is ready to publish, from the editor screen, look for the “Visibility” box under the “Post” tab on the right-hand side of the screen.
  3. You will note the default visibility is set to “Public” – click on that to reveal more options
  4. Click on the “Password protected” radio button from the options that appear. WordPress will then prompt you to enter a password of your choice. Be sure to choose a strong, unique password that hackers and unauthorized users cannot guess.
  5. After entering your chosen password into the “Use a secure password” field, click the “X” to save it and close the visibility dialog box. Then, go ahead and publish the page as normal.
  6. The page (or post) will now be password-protected, and only users with the correct password can access it.
  • For Existing Posts and Pages:

To password-protect existing WordPress posts and pages, the process is virtually identical to adding it to new ones. First, just navigate to the page or post you wish to password-protect. Then, from the page/post editor screen, look for the “Visibility” box under the “Post” tab on the right-hand side and follow steps 3 to 5 above. Finally, hit “Update” to publish the changes and apply the password protection.

Congratulations – you have password-protected your WordPress page or post! Now, only authorized users with the password you set can access the content on that page or post.

It’s important to note that this method of password protection is not foolproof and may not be suitable for more sensitive information. If you need more robust security, consider using additional measures, which we will now look at.

11 Additional Security Measures for WordPress

The built-in WordPress password protect function is a great way to keep secure your WordPress content. However, it is not the only security measure you should take. Here are eleven additional security measures you can take to ensure your site is secure:

1.  Use Strong Passwords

When creating passwords for your WordPress site, use a mixture of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special characters. Avoid using information that is easily guessable, such as your name, birth date, or common dictionary words. Instead, use a combination of random characters that are difficult to guess.

Using a password manager to generate and securely store strong passwords for your site is also possible. However, remember never to reuse passwords across different websites, which can expose you to credential-stuffing attacks.

2.  Install a Plugin to Password Protect Your WordPress Pages and Posts

If you need to password-protect WordPress posts and pages on a frequent or bulk basis, an easier alternative than the built-in method may be a password-protection plugin such as Passster. Many such plugins also offer added security features to enhance your site’s protection.

3.  Use Two-Factor Authentication Where Possible

Two-factor authentication adds another security layer to your WordPress login by requiring a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password. This makes it harder for hackers to break into your site, even if they manage to crack your password. You can use plugins such as Two Factor to add this additional level of security.

4.  Use HTTPS Encryption to Protect Your WordPress Website

Adding SSL certificates to your website encrypts the data sent between your website and its visitors, making it more difficult for anyone to intercept and read that data. This is especially important if your site processes sensitive information like payment details.

Adding SSL cheaply – or even for free – to your website is possible. It can be added by your domain hosting company (usually the easiest albeit more expensive option) or via a third-party company. After adding SSL, your website address will change from, for example, http://www.mysite.com to https://www.mysite.com

5.  Install a WordPress Security Plugin

WordPress security plugins such as Jetpack add an extra layer of protection to your site by actively monitoring for suspicious activity, blocking known malicious IP addresses, and providing other security features such as firewall protection.

6.  Keep Your WordPress Core, Theme, and Plugins Updated

Developers update WordPress core, themes, and plugins regularly to iron out bugs, add new features, and fix security vulnerabilities and other issues. Therefore, it is essential to keep them all up-to-date, installing new versions as soon as they become available. Failure to do so can leave your site vulnerable to attacks, so stay on top of these updates.

7.  Regularly Scan Your WordPress Installation for Malware

Regular scans of your WordPress site for malware help catch any infections early and prevent them from spreading further. Many security plugins offer malware-scanning features, or you can use external web-based tools like Sucuri SiteCheck.

8.  Monitor Your WordPress Site for Suspicious Activity

Monitoring your site for unusual activity can help you catch hacking attempts or other security breaches early. This can be done through a security plugin or a web application firewall (WAF) like Cloudflare.

9.  Use CAPTCHA to Protect Your WordPress Forms

Forms tend to be easy targets for spammers on WordPress websites. Such intruders may be human, but usually, they are robots attempting to hack their way into your site. Using CAPTCHA is one of the most common methods of presenting such attacks. You can learn more about them in our article “How to Add CAPTCHA to WordPress: Stop Automated Spam and Hacking Attempts.”

10. Regularly Backup Your WordPress Website

Regularly backing up your site ensures you can recover quickly following a security breach or other disaster. Most hosting companies offer automatic backups, but it is often better to use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to create your own backups on a schedule that suits you.

11. Use a Reliable Host for Your WordPress Installation

Choosing a reliable hosting provider that takes security seriously to house your website is essential. This means selecting one that offers robust measures to protect your data and ensure your site remains online and accessible to visitors.

Some features to look for in a reliable hosting provider include regular backups, automatic security updates, and robust security measures, including firewalls, malware scanning, and intrusion detection/prevention. You should also look for a hosting provider that offers 24/7 technical support, as this can be crucial in the event of an issue or security incident.

WP Bolt is one hosting provider offering all these features and more. They provide fast, secure, and reliable virtual private server (VPS) hosting. With WP Bolt, you get automatic updates, daily backups, and a security-first approach that includes SSL certificates, firewalls, malware scanning, and intrusion prevention. Plus, their team of WordPress experts is available 24/7 to provide technical support and help you in the unlikely event issues arise. By choosing a reliable hosting provider like WP Bolt, you are assured that your WordPress site is in good hands and will remain secure and online for your visitors.

Following these additional security measures will ensure your WordPress site always remains as secure as possible.

Conclusion

This article has illustrated the simple steps to add password protection to your WordPress posts and pages, whether you are safeguarding them from hacking attempts or limiting access to only subscribers. Moreover, we have shown you several other security measures you can implement to keep your WordPress site as secure as possible. With this knowledge, you can efficiently secure your content and restrict access to authorized individuals.

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