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Maintenance Mode Free WordPress.org

Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content

4.4 (139 reviews)
· 300K+ active installs · By Saad Iqbal
Active Installs
300K+
Rating
4.4 / 5
Version
v2.8.1
Last Updated
Jun 2026
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Plugin Review

AI-Researched

What is Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content?

Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content is a WordPress plugin that restricts access to your website content. Developed by Saad Iqbal, it has been available for 14 years and currently sees over 300,000 active installs. The plugin holds a 4.4 out of 5 rating from 139 reviews, with 78% of those being five-star ratings.

This tool allows you to lock your entire site with a single master password. You can also protect individual pages, posts, WooCommerce products, and WordPress categories. A notable feature is partial content protection, which lets you hide specific sections of a page using shortcodes while keeping the rest public. The plugin also includes a limit login feature to help defend against brute force attacks on the password screen.

Key Features of Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content

  • Complete Site Protection — Lock your entire WordPress site with one master password, available in the free version.
  • Passwordless Admin Access — Administrators can bypass the password screen, saving time and reducing login friction.
  • Google reCAPTCHA Integration — Add reCAPTCHA v2 or v3 to the password screen for extra security against bots.
  • Partial Content Protection — Use shortcodes to password protect only specific sections of a page or post.
  • User Role Whitelisting — Grant passwordless access to specific user roles, such as editors or subscribers.
  • WooCommerce Product & Category Protection — Secure individual products or entire product categories with passwords.
  • Search Engine Blocking — Prevent Google and other search engines from indexing your password protected content.
  • Elementor, Gutenberg, and Beaver Builder Compatibility — Partial content shortcodes work inside these popular page builders.

Who Should Use Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content?

This plugin suits beginners and experienced site owners alike. Its settings are straightforward, requiring no coding knowledge. With 300,000+ active installs, it appeals to bloggers, photographers, and small business owners who need to share private content with clients or team members. For example, a photographer can lock high-resolution image downloads behind a password while keeping portfolio teasers public.

Developers and site managers will find the user role whitelisting and WooCommerce category protection valuable. The 78% five-star rating indicates strong satisfaction among these users. If you run a membership site, an ecommerce store, or a private client portal, this plugin provides a direct way to control content access without a complex membership system.

Installation & Setup

You can install the plugin directly from your WordPress admin dashboard. After activation, navigate to the Password Protected settings page to configure your master password and protection options. The setup is beginner-friendly, with clear labels for each setting, including the passwordless admin access toggle and reCAPTCHA fields.

Support & Community

Support data from the last two months shows 1 open thread and 1 resolved thread, giving a 100% resolution rate. This suggests the developer is actively maintaining the plugin. The rating breakdown reveals that while 78% of users give five stars, 8% leave one-star reviews. Common one-star complaints often relate to conflicts with caching plugins or specific theme setups, though the developer typically addresses these in support threads. The plugin was last updated on June 4, 2026, confirming ongoing upkeep.

Pros & Cons

What's Good
  • Over 300,000 active installs and a 4.4/5 rating from 139 reviews indicate broad user trust and satisfaction.
  • 78% of ratings are 5-star, suggesting the plugin reliably handles core password protection tasks for most users.
  • Support threads show a 100% resolution rate (1 of 1 resolved), pointing to responsive developer assistance.
  • The plugin allows granular control by protecting entire sites, specific pages, posts, categories, WooCommerce products, and even partial content.
  • It includes a limit login feature to mitigate brute force attacks on the password-protected screen, adding a security layer.
Drawbacks
  • Only 139 total ratings for 300K+ installs may signal limited user engagement or that many installs are from inactive sites.
  • The single support thread resolved suggests very low community or developer activity, which could mean slow help for uncommon issues.
  • Partial content protection requires shortcodes or manual setup, which may be less intuitive for non-technical users.
  • Free version lacks advanced features like role-based access or time-limited passwords, which some users may need.

Technical Details

Requires WordPress
4.6+
Requires PHP
5.6+
First Released
2012 (14+ years)
Support (last 2 months)
1 threads  —  100% resolved

Feature Tags

maintenance-mode password-protect password-protect-page password-protection restrict-content

Frequently Asked Questions