WP Ghost is a powerful WordPress hack-prevention security plugin that protects your website from threats and attacks.
One of its key features is the ability to change the register path, adding an extra layer of security to prevent spam emails and unauthorized new user registrations.
What is the Registration Path in WordPress?
In WordPress, the register path refers to the URL or endpoint that users can access to register for an account on a website. When a new user wants to sign up and create an account on a WordPress site, they can do so by accessing the register path.
By default, the WordPress register path is a standard URL that follows a specific pattern: wp-login.php?action=register. This means that the register page can be accessed by appending wp-login.php?action=register it to the base URL of a WordPress website.
For example, if a WordPress site’s base URL is https://domain.com, the default register path would be https://domain.com/wp-login.php?action=register.
On the register page, users typically provide their desired username, email address, and password to create a new account on the website.
Website registration paths are often targeted by spam bots that attempt to create multiple accounts. This can lead to a number of issues, including a cluttered user database, potential security vulnerabilities, and server resource strain.
To improve security and protect against attacks, it’s advisable to customize and secure your WordPress registration and login paths using security plugins such as WP Ghost. This approach helps obscure these paths and adds an additional layer of protection to your website.
Why is it essential to secure registration path?
Securing the register path is crucial for several important reasons:
- Preventing user enumeration attacks: The default WordPress register path is predictable and follows a standard pattern (e.g., wp-login.php?action=register). This makes it susceptible to user enumeration attacks, where attackers can quickly discover valid usernames by attempting to register with various usernames and observing the server response.
Customizing the register path makes it more challenging for attackers to enumerate valid usernames, reducing the risk of potential account takeover. - Reducing Bot and Spam Registrations: Bots and spam registration attempts are a common nuisance for WordPress websites. By securing the register path, you can discourage automated and spam bots from registering fake accounts on your site, reducing unnecessary strain on your server and ensuring a cleaner user database.
- Enhancing website security: Customizing the register path is part of a broader security strategy to obscure and hide critical WordPress URLs. This practice makes it more challenging for attackers to identify potential entry points to your website’s backend, improving your overall security posture.
In conclusion, securing the register path is vital to fortifying your WordPress website against various cyber threats and spammer bots, protecting user accounts, and maintaining the overall integrity of your database.
By utilizing hack prevention plugins like WP Ghost to customize the register path, you take a significant step toward boosting your website’s security and safeguarding it from potential attacks.
How to Secure Register Path with WP Ghost
Activate Safe Mode or Ghost Mode
Before changing the register path, it is crucial to activate either Safe Mode or Ghost Mode.
- Access your WordPress dashboard after installing and activating the WP Ghost plugin.
- Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Level of Security.
- Select Safe Mode or Ghost Mode. Safe Mode provides basic protection, while Ghost Mode offers more advanced security features.
Change Register Path
Once you have activated Safe Mode or Ghost Mode, you can proceed to change the register path.
- Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Login Security.
- Next to the Custom Register Path, you’ll see the predefined custom name for the wp-login.php?action=register path.
- Enter a different name like “my-secure-registration” or keep the predefined custom name.
- Click the Save button to apply the changes.
Run a Security Check
After saving the new settings, it is essential to run a security check to ensure that the register path has been successfully changed.
Follow these steps to perform a security check:
- Go to WP Ghost > Security Check.
- The plugin will verify that the register path has been successfully changed.
Conclusion
Implementing this security measure ensures that your website remains protected against various cyber threats, spammers, and unauthorized access attempts.
This valuable feature actively combats spam emails and unapproved register attempts, effectively fortifying your site’s defenses against potential vulnerabilities and threats.
By following these steps, you can significantly increase the security of your WordPress website and safeguard it from potential attacks. Take advantage of WP Ghost’s powerful hack-prevention features to maintain a secure online presence.
Troubleshooting
Users Can't Register to the Website After Changing the Register Path
If you encounter any problems after customizing the register path, here are some troubleshooting steps to help resolve the issues:
Clear all cache
If you have a cache plugin or use server caching, clear all the cache, as the change of paths has significantly changed the website’s structure.
Run a Frontend Test
Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths, click the Frontend Test button, and follow the server configuration instructions, if any.
Permalink settings
Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Settings > Permalinks, and click Save Changes to refresh the permalinks. This action can sometimes help resolve issues related to URL structures.
Incorrect custom path
Double-check the custom register path you entered to ensure there are no typos, misspellings, or special characters that might be causing the problem.
Revert to Default Path
If the issues persist, consider restoring WordPress’s default register path. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Login Security, remove the custom path from the Custom Register Path, and save the settings.
Plugin/Theme conflicts
Temporarily deactivate other plugins related to registration functionality. If the problem disappears, a conflicting plugin or theme might be the culprit.
Certain Membership Plugins Not Functioning Correctly After Changing the Register Path
When you modify the register path, you may encounter problems with certain membership plugins that depend on its default structure. These plugins are typically designed to work with the original activation path, and changing it may cause them to malfunction.
Revert to default path
If you experience compatibility issues with specific membership plugins, consider reverting to the default register path ?action=register.
Contact plugin support
Contact the membership plugin author to explain your plan for changing the registration path. Often, plugin authors will provide an update with a fix, allowing you to secure the path and your website.
Explore alternatives
If the membership plugin continues to pose problems, consider looking for alternative membership plugins that offer similar functionality and are compatible with your modified registration path.
It’s important to balance the security benefits of the changed registration path with your website’s functionality. While enhancing security is crucial, maintaining essential functionality is also a priority. Exploring these solutions can help you find the right balance between security and usability.