Wordpress: Block Specific IP Addresses

Blocking specific IP addresses can be crucial for preventing spam, malicious access, or to enforce geographical content restrictions. This snippet allows you to block specific IPs from accessing your WordPress site.

The init hook is used to check the IP address of the visitor against a predefined list of blocked IPs. If the visitor's IP is in the list, they are redirected to a 403 Forbidden page.

This method is effective for quickly mitigating potential threats or unwanted traffic without requiring complex firewall rules or additional plugins.

The snippet provides a straightforward way to update the list of blocked IPs and includes recommendations for managing changes over time, such as adding or removing IPs based on site analytics.

Additional considerations are offered on how to handle false positives and ensuring that legitimate users are not accidentally blocked, along with tips for communicating these policies to users.