How to Password Protect a WordPress Page Without Plugins

Password-protect a page in the block editor

1. In WP Admin, go to Pages → All Pages and edit the page you want to protect.
2. Open the Settings sidebar using the button in the upper-right corner if it is hidden, then select the Page tab.
3. Find Status in the page settings. In older editor layouts, this may appear as Visibility. Choose Password protected.
4. Enter the password you want to share with visitors.
5. Click Update for an existing page or Publish for a new page to save the change.

The same feature works for posts: open the post under Posts → All Posts and use its Post settings. A separate password can be set for each page or post.

Test the password prompt

1. Open the page's public URL in a private or incognito browser window where you are not signed in to WordPress.
2. Confirm that WordPress displays a password form instead of the page content.
3. Enter the password and confirm the content becomes visible.

Administrators and editors can inspect protected content in the WordPress editor, but being signed in does not automatically unlock it on the public page. WordPress remembers successful entries in a browser cookie; one entry can also unlock other protected pages using the same password. Use a fresh private window when testing again.

Change or remove the password

Edit the page, reopen its Status or Visibility setting, and enter a different password. Save the page with Update. To remove the password prompt, switch the setting back to Public and update the page.

Visibility	Who can view the page
Public	Anyone
Password protected	Anyone with the shared password
Private	Logged-in users with permission, normally administrators and editors

Understand the limitations

• It protects page content, not the entire website. Other public pages remain accessible.
• It does not necessarily hide the page's existence. The title or link may still appear in site navigation or listings, depending on the theme. Check your menus and page listings separately if you do not want visitors to find the link there.
• It does not secure uploaded files. Images, PDFs, and other files in the Media Library can still be accessible through their direct URLs, even when linked from a password-protected page.
• It is not individual user access control. Anyone with the shared password can use it, and you cannot revoke access for only one recipient without changing the password for everyone.

Use this built-in setting when you want to share ordinary page content with a small group. For confidential files, client portals, or member-specific access, use a system that protects the files and verifies individual users.

For details, see the official WordPress page and post settings and WordPress password-protection documentation.