How to password protect a page in WordPress [2 Methods]

If you run a WordPress site, there might be times when you need to control who sees specific content. To hide such sensitive information or create exclusive protected content on your WordPress site, password protection helps.

In this guide, we’ll talk about how to password protect a page in WordPress. There are two simple methods to password protect any content. To learn the methods, keep reading…

Why should you password protect a page in WordPress?

There are some specific reasons why you may want to protect any content from the public or specific people. Let’s know the reasons first –

• To protect sensitive information: Information, like financial documents, client details, internal company plans, etc. are confidential and sensitive. You can use password protection to add an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access to the information.
• Limit content visibility: You can restrict access to content not meant for the public, such as drafts, unfinished work, or content under development. This helps prevent visitors from seeing incomplete information. Yet, you can share in-progress work or drafted content with your specific team members and get feedback.
• Exclusive content for members: If you have a membership site with premium content, password protection can help you control access. You can ensure that only paying members can view it.

• Coming soon page: To build anticipation for a new product or service launch, you can use password protect a “coming soon” page.
• Prevent search engine indexing: Password-protected pages won’t be indexed by search engines so they won’t show up in search results.

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How to password protect a page in WordPress

You can find a password protection feature in WordPress’s default system and also use a plugin. Let’s learn the methods one by one! 

The default way in WordPress

From the WordPress dashboard, go to posts/pages. You can create new content or open any existing content where you want to apply password protection.

In the editor, find Visibility. Here you’ll see three options, Public, Private and Password protected. So you have to select Password protected from the choices.

Write a password in the field and update the page.

That’s it! It may look like this 👇

Create password protected Content using a plugin

Here we’ve used the ElementsKit plugin that offers a widget named ‘Protected Content’.

The plugin is a popular add-on for the Elementor. It provides special widgets, modules, various customization and control options, an expansive design library and more. Moreover, ElementsKit is trusted by 1+ million users.

Installing ElementsKit

Start by downloading ElementsKit from here. 

Remember, to use the ElementsKit Protected Content widget you need ElementsKit Pro. It’s easy to pick a suitable plan for you from here.

Don’t forget to activate the plugins after installing. 👇

To apply the password protection technique, you can create new content or open any existing content where you want to protect content. Afterward, you have to click on Edit with Elementor.

Search the ElementsKit Protected Content widget and drag it to customize.

The widget offers various customization options. You can utilize the options from the Content and Style section to design the widget.

You are done! ✌️

Here is the output example we’ve made with the ElementsKit Protected Content widget.

✔️ Check this tutorial to design WordPress toggle content in Elementor.

How to remove the password protection on a WordPress page or post

If you’ve created a password-protected WordPress page or post and want to remove it, no worries! Removing password protection is a breeze. Let’s walk through the quick steps to make your content public again.

Removing the default password protection in WordPress

Go to the page or post where you’ve protected content with a password. Find visibility and unselect ‘Password protected’. Now you can select from Public and Private options, according to your preferences. Then, press the “Save”  button to make it live.

Removing the password protection in WordPress using a plugin

Removing password protection from the WordPress content that you’ve created with a plugin is simple.

• Just head to that page/post
• Click edit with Elementor
• Press the right button on the password protection widget
• Delete the widget
• Update the post/page

This instantly removes the password restrictions. However, double-check this aligns with your security goals.

FAQs

Why consider a password protection plugin for WordPress?

You can use WordPress built-in password protection, but to enjoy extra features, you must try a standard plugin. For example, the ElementsKit protected content widget offers features like user role restrictions, selecting content type, setting warning messages for wrong passwords, etc.

How can I identify password protected pages in WordPress?

If you’ve used WordPress’s built-in password protection option to protect your content, then you have to visit the pages/posts from the dashboard. Now, you can easily identify that page/post written ‘Password protected’ with the title name.

Do I need to renew my license?

Does restricting access impact search engine visibility (SEO visibility)?
Password-protecting content hides from search engines, impacting SEO. You have to use it for private content, not public content you want indexed. Or, after achieving your goal you should immediately remove the password protection from the content so that it can be crawled by search engine bots again.

Conclusion

In conclude the content, while the built-in system is a simple solution, a plugin like ElementsKit gives additional features and finer control for sure. Consider your specific needs and technical comfort level when choosing your method. Ultimately, password protection empowers you to create a secure space within your WordPress site. This way you can easily ensure sensitive information reaches the intended audience.