Welcome to the Rooster’s Guide to hiding WordPress folders from Inspect Element!

As a website owner, it’s important to take security seriously and do everything in your power to protect your website from potential threats. One way to do this is by hiding your WordPress folders from prying eyes. In this guide, we’ll explore the steps you can take to hide these folders and keep your website safe.

First and foremost, it’s important to note that hiding your WordPress folders won’t make your website completely invulnerable to attacks. However, it can be an effective way to deter some attackers who might be looking for easy targets. With that said, let’s dive into the ways you can hide your WordPress folders.

Option 1: Modify the .htaccess file One way to hide your WordPress folders is by modifying the .htaccess file. This file is responsible for handling various aspects of your website, including URL rewriting and server-side caching. By adding a few lines of code to this file, you can prevent users from accessing certain folders on your server.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open your website’s root folder using an FTP client or cPanel’s file manager.
2. Locate the .htaccess file and download it to your computer.
3. Open the .htaccess file using a text editor.
4. Add the following lines of code to the file:

Block access to WordPress core files

RewriteRule ^wp-admin/includes/ – [F,L] RewriteRule !^wp-includes/ – [S=3] RewriteRule ^wp-includes/[^/]+.php$ – [F,L] RewriteRule ^wp-includes/js/tinymce/langs/.+.php – [F,L] RewriteRule ^wp-includes/theme-compat/ – [F,L]

5. Save the file and upload it back to your server.

These lines of code will prevent users from accessing the wp-admin/includes folder and any PHP files in the wp-includes folder, except for those that end in .js or .css. You can modify these rules to fit your specific needs, but be careful not to break your website in the process.

Option 2: Use a security plugin If you’re not comfortable modifying your website’s files manually, you can use a security plugin to hide your WordPress folders for you. There are several plugins available that offer this feature, including iThemes Security and All In One WP Security & Firewall.

Here’s how to use iThemes Security to hide your WordPress folders:

1. Install and activate the iThemes Security plugin on your website.
2. Go to the Security > Settings page and click on the “Hide Backend” tab.
3. Check the box next to “Enable Hide Backend feature”.
4. Choose a slug to use for your login URL.
5. Click on the “Save Settings” button.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your WordPress folders will be hidden from view. Users who try to access them directly will be redirected to your website’s homepage.

Option 3: Move your wp-admin folder Another way to hide your WordPress folders is by moving your wp-admin folder to a different location on your server. This can make it harder for attackers to find your login page and gain access to your website.

Here’s how to move your wp-admin folder:

1. Create a new folder outside of your website’s root directory.
2. Copy the contents of your wp-admin folder to the new folder.
3. Delete the original wp-admin folder from your server.
4. Open the wp-config.php file in your website’s root directory.
5. Add the following line of code to the file, replacing “new-folder-name” with the name of your new folder:

define( ‘WP_ADMIN

Another method to hide your WP folders is to change their names. By renaming your folders, you can make it difficult for attackers to locate your WP directories, even if they use Inspect Element. You can use an FTP client or cPanel file manager to rename the folders.

Here are the steps to rename WP folders via cPanel file manager:

1. Login to your cPanel account and navigate to the File Manager.
2. Go to the root directory of your website.
3. Locate the WP folders you want to rename (wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes).
4. Right-click on the folder and select “Rename”.
5. Enter a new name for the folder and click “Rename File”.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 for all the WP folders you want to rename.

Remember to update any links or references to these folders in your website’s code or plugins after renaming them.

Lastly, you can use security plugins to hide your WP folders. There are several plugins available that can help you hide WP folders and improve your website’s security. Here are some popular options:

1. Hide My WP: This plugin helps you to change and hide WP common paths to increase security, making your site more difficult to hack.
2. iThemes Security: This plugin offers several security features, including the option to change WP login and admin URLs, hide WP common paths, and detect and block malicious bots.
3. All In One WP Security & Firewall: This plugin provides an easy way to hide WP folders and secure your site with firewall protection, brute force login prevention, and more.

In conclusion, hiding your WP folders from Inspect Element is an important step to protect your website from attackers. You can use manual methods like editing your .htaccess file or changing folder names, or install a security plugin to make the process easier. Whichever method you choose, remember to keep your website updated and maintain strong security practices to keep your website safe.