README

A simple password protection plugin for WordPress—no usernames, no accounts, just one shared password. Share the password with those who need access and they're in. Perfect for situations where you need quick, hassle-free access control without user management.

When to Use This Plugin

PassWP Posts is ideal when you need simple shared access without the overhead of user accounts:

• Staging Sites — Share a password with clients to preview their site before launch
• Client Portals — Protect project documentation or deliverables with a single password
• Pre-launch Sites — Keep your "Coming Soon" site private while you finish development
• Private Blogs — Share personal content with family or friends using one easy password
• Internal Resources — Protect company wikis or documentation from public access
• Event Websites — Limit access to event details, schedules, or member areas
• Photography Galleries — Share client proofs with a simple password (no login required)
• Educational Content — Protect course materials for a class or workshop

Note: This is NOT a membership or user management plugin. If you need individual user accounts, different access levels, or tracking who accessed what, use a membership plugin instead.

Features

• One Password, No Username — Visitors just enter the password—no account creation, no login forms
• Front Page Always Public — Your homepage remains accessible to everyone
• Logged-in User Bypass — WordPress users (editors, admins) skip the password prompt
• Flexible Protection — Protect all content (with exclusions) or only selected pages/posts
• Customizable Form — Match your brand with colors, typography, logo, and preset themes
• Remember Me — Visitors stay authenticated for a configurable duration
• Secure — Uses WordPress-native password hashing and secure cookies

Installation

• Download passwp-posts.zip
• Upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
• Activate the plugin.

Plugin updates are handled automatically via GitHub. No need to manually download and install updates.

Configuration

Go to Settings → PassWP Posts to configure the plugin.

General Settings

Customize Settings

How It Works

1. When a visitor tries to access a protected page or post, they are shown a password form
2. If they enter the correct password, a secure cookie is set
3. The cookie allows them to browse freely for the configured duration
4. Logged-in users are never prompted for a password (use incognito or private browsing mode to test protection).
5. The front page is always public regardless of protection mode

Security

• Passwords are stored using wp_hash_password() (same as WordPress user passwords)
• Cookies contain a SHA256 hash of the password hash combined with wp_salt('auth')
• All form submissions are protected with WordPress nonces
• Admin actions require manage_options capability

Development

Requirements

• PHP 8.3+
• WordPress 6.8+

Running Tests

PHP Tests (PHPUnit with Brain\Monkey):

composer install
composer test

JavaScript Tests (Vitest):

npm install
npm test

Building Translations

# Generate POT file
wp i18n make-pot . languages/passwp-posts.pot

# Generate MO file from PO
wp i18n make-mo languages/passwp-posts-nb_NO.po

# Generate PHP translation file (WordPress 6.5+)
wp i18n make-php languages

Directory Structure

passwp-posts/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   ├── admin.css
│   │   ├── customize-admin.css
│   │   └── password-form.css
│   ├── js/
│   │   ├── admin.js
│   │   └── customize.js
│   └── vendor/
│       └── select2/
├── includes/
│   ├── class-admin-settings.php
│   ├── class-cookie-handler.php
│   └── class-protection.php
├── languages/
│   ├── passwp-posts.pot
│   ├── passwp-posts-nb_NO.po
│   ├── passwp-posts-nb_NO.mo
│   └── passwp-posts-nb_NO.l10n.php
├── templates/
│   └── password-form.php
├── tests/
│   ├── js/
│   └── php/
├── passwp-posts.php
├── composer.json
├── package.json
└── README.md

Hooks

Filters

// Modify the password form template path
add_filter( 'passwp_posts_form_template', function( $template ) {
    return get_stylesheet_directory() . '/passwp-posts-form.php';
});

Translations

The plugin is translation-ready with the text domain passwp-posts. Available translations:

• English (default)
• Norwegian Bokmål (nb_NO)

License

GPL v2 or later

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a detailed list of changes.