=== Privex Password Protect – Lock Pages, Posts & Categories ===
Contributors: shoiswp, freemius
Tags: password protect, password, content protection, page lock, access control
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.1
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Password protect your entire WordPress site, specific pages, posts, WooCommerce products, and categories using single or multiple passwords.

== Description ==

**Privex Password Protect – Secure Pages, Posts, WooCommerce & Categories**

Privex Password Protect is the most versatile security solution for WordPress. Easily lock your entire website, specific pages, posts, WooCommerce products, or categories with single or multiple passwords. Whether you want to protect premium content or restrict access by user roles, Privex offers a high-end, AJAX-powered experience with stunning Glassmorphism aesthetics.

= ⚡ Why Privex is the #1 Choice for Content Protection? =

Don't settle for the basic, outdated WordPress password system. Privex gives you granular control, allowing you to create multiple passwords for the same page or restrict access based on specific user roles—all while maintaining a lightning-fast, SEO-friendly site.

= 🛡️ Core Protection Controls – Lock Anything, Anywhere =

Privex offers ultimate flexibility. From a single blog post to your entire e-commerce store, you are in full control.

- **Complete Website Lock (PRO):** Secure your entire WordPress site with one global password. Perfect for staging, under-construction, or private sites.
- **Per-Page & Per-Post Protection:** Set unique passwords for specific pages or blog posts to keep your content exclusive. (Free for up to 5 passwords, Unlimited in PRO)
- **WooCommerce Product Protection:** Fully compatible with WooCommerce! Lock specific products or your entire shop from unauthorized visitors.
- **Category & Archive Protection (PRO):** Restrict access to entire categories (including product categories) or groups of content at once.
- **Multiple Password Support:** Generate multiple unique passwords for a single page or post—ideal for sharing different keys with different clients.
- **User Role-Based Access (PRO):** Protect your content by user roles (e.g., Editor, Subscriber). Only the roles you permit can view the locked sections.
- **Admin Auto-Bypass:** Logged-in administrators bypass locks automatically, allowing you to edit and preview seamlessly.
- **Smart Cookie-Based Access:** Strict session management ensures visitors don't have to re-enter passwords repeatedly during their visit.

= ✨ Premium Aesthetics & UI/UX – Protection with Style =

Move away from boring default fields. Privex makes your protected pages look professional and modern.

- **Glassmorphism Styling:** Modern, trendy, and beautiful transparent UI aesthetics that look great on any theme.
- **Seamless AJAX Unlock:** Visitors enter the password and the content fades in instantly without a tedious page reload.
- **100% Fully Responsive:** Pixel-perfect display on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
- **Custom Template Builder (PRO):** Design unlimited beautiful password templates using our drag-and-drop block editor (2 preset templates included for free).
- **Modern Admin Dashboard:** A sleek, intuitive settings panel to manage all your locks and security settings in one place, complete with Advanced Analytics (PRO).

= 🔐 Advanced Security & Anti-Spam =

We combine ease of use with hardened security to keep the bots away.

- **Brute-Force Protection:** Built-in measures to prevent malicious bots from guessing your passwords.
- **Multi-CAPTCHA Integration (PRO):** Support for Google reCAPTCHA (v2 & v3), Cloudflare Turnstile, and hCaptcha to stop automated attacks.
- **Concurrent Session Limits (PRO):** Control how many devices can use the same password at the same time to prevent password sharing.
- **IP Whitelisting & Blacklisting (PRO):** Strict control over who can bypass or is always blocked from accessing protected content.
- **Strict Privacy Compliance:** Scripts only load when enabled, ensuring your site remains lightweight and privacy-focused.

= 🤫 True Privacy & SEO Control =

Privex is designed to ensure your protected data doesn't "leak" through other WordPress channels.

- **Site Search & RSS Exclusion:** Protected pages, posts, and products are automatically hidden from internal search and RSS feeds.
- **Excerpt & Snippet Hiding:** Prevents WordPress from displaying snippets of your locked content in archives or grids.
- **Custom Post Type Support:** Works perfectly with any custom post types you have installed.

= ⚡ Performance Optimized =

- **Transient Caching:** Lightning-fast access checks using the WordPress transient system.
- **Zero Bloat:** Lightweight architecture that follows strict WordPress coding standards—no performance lag, ever.

= 🔌 Seamless Compatibility – Works with Your Favorite Tools =

Privex is engineered to be lightweight and highly compatible. It works out of the box with the most popular page builders, themes, and plugins in the WordPress ecosystem.

- **Popular Page Builders:** Fully compatible with Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, Oxygen, Bricks, and Visual Composer.
- **Gutenberg Ready:** Works flawlessly with the native WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg).
- **WooCommerce Integration:** Secure your Shop page, specific Product pages, or entire Product Categories with ease.
- **Caching Plugin Friendly:** Optimized for WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, and W3 Total Cache—ensuring security doesn't break your site's speed.
- **Translation Ready:** Fully compatible with WPML, Polylang, and Loco Translate for multilingual websites.
- **Standard Themes:** Works with all standard-compliant themes like Astra, Hello Elementor, OceanWP, and GeneratePress.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the `privex-password-protect` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`.
2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress.
3. Navigate to **Pass Protect → Settings** to configure protection.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How can I password protect my entire WordPress website? =

You can secure your entire WordPress site using Privex Password Protect by enabling the "Global Site Lock" feature in the settings. This allows you to set a single password that restricts access to every page, post, and file on your website, making it ideal for staging sites or private membership portals.

= Can I set multiple passwords for a single WordPress page? =

Yes, Privex allows you to generate multiple unique passwords for a single page or post. This feature is perfect for sharing different access keys with different clients or groups while maintaining control over which passwords stay active.

= Does Privex Password Protect work with WooCommerce products? =

Absolutely. Privex is fully compatible with WooCommerce, enabling you to password protect specific products, shop pages, or entire product categories. This ensures only authorized customers can view or purchase exclusive items.

= How do I restrict WordPress content based on user roles? =

Privex provides a built-in "User Role Protection" feature. Instead of a password, you can configure the plugin to allow access only to specific roles such as Editors, Authors, or Subscribers, while automatically locking the content for everyone else.

= Will password protecting my pages hurt my site's SEO? =

No. Privex is designed with SEO best practices in mind. It automatically excludes protected content from internal search results and RSS feeds to prevent leaks, while ensuring that search engine bots do not index private sensitive data, keeping your overall SEO health intact.

= What is AJAX-powered unlocking in Privex? =

AJAX-powered unlocking allows visitors to enter a password and access the content instantly without a full page reload. This provides a seamless user experience (UX) and prevents potential issues with server-side caching plugins.

= Can I protect Custom Post Types (CPT) with this plugin? =

Yes, Privex Password Protect supports all Custom Post Types. Whether you are using portfolios, events, or directory listings, you can apply individual or category-wide password locks to any custom content on your site.

= How does Privex prevent brute-force password attacks? =

Privex includes hardened security measures to block automated bots from guessing passwords. Additionally, it features native integration with Google reCAPTCHA (v2/v3), Cloudflare Turnstile, and hCaptcha to distinguish between real users and malicious scripts.

= Does the plugin slow down my WordPress site performance? =

Not at all. Privex is built on a "Zero Bloat" architecture and utilizes WordPress transient caching for lightning-fast access checks. It only loads necessary scripts when a protection lock is active, ensuring your site speed remains optimal.

= Can I customize the design of the password protection form? =

Yes. Privex offers modern Glassmorphism-style UI designs that look professional right out of the box. You can easily customize the form's appearance to match your brand's aesthetics without needing any coding knowledge.

📂 **Explore Our Other Plugins**

If you love Privex Password Protect, check out our other tools designed to enhance your WordPress experience:
*   **[Uply](https://wordpress.org/plugins/uply-scroll-to-top-and-progress-bar/):** Animated Scroll to Top Button, Progress Bar, and Read Time indicator.
*   **[Login Page Customizer and Designer](https://wordpress.org/plugins/login-page-customizer-and-designer/):** Transform your boring WordPress login page into a branded experience.
*   **[SmartWait Animated Preloader](https://wordpress.org/plugins/smartwait-animated-preloader/):** Beautiful, high-performance preloaders to keep visitors engaged while your site loads.

== Screenshots ==

1. Dashboard View - Overview of protection status, active passwords, and recent activity.
2. Settings View - Configure your bypass roles, IP whitelists, and security controls.
3. Password View - Manage your dedicated passwords and bulk generate access keys.
4. Template View - Custom Template Builder to visually design the password protection form.

== External Services ==

This plugin optionally connects to third-party CAPTCHA services to protect password forms from automated bot attacks. These services are only used when the site administrator explicitly enables and configures them in the plugin settings (Pass Protect → Security → CAPTCHA Integration). No data is sent to any external service unless the administrator actively chooses a CAPTCHA provider and enters valid API keys.

= Google reCAPTCHA (v2 and v3) =

When Google reCAPTCHA is selected as the CAPTCHA provider, this plugin loads the reCAPTCHA JavaScript library from Google's servers on frontend password-protected pages. Upon form submission, the CAPTCHA response token is sent to Google's verification API along with your site's secret key and the visitor's IP address for validation.

- **Service provider:** Google LLC
- **What data is sent:** CAPTCHA response token, site secret key, visitor IP address
- **When data is sent:** Each time a visitor submits a password form on a protected page (only when reCAPTCHA is enabled)
- **Service terms of use:** [https://policies.google.com/terms](https://policies.google.com/terms)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://policies.google.com/privacy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)

= hCaptcha =

When hCaptcha is selected as the CAPTCHA provider, this plugin loads the hCaptcha JavaScript library from hCaptcha's servers on frontend password-protected pages. Upon form submission, the CAPTCHA response token is sent to hCaptcha's verification API along with your site's secret key for validation.

- **Service provider:** Intuition Machines, Inc.
- **What data is sent:** CAPTCHA response token, site secret key
- **When data is sent:** Each time a visitor submits a password form on a protected page (only when hCaptcha is enabled)
- **Service terms of use:** [https://www.hcaptcha.com/terms](https://www.hcaptcha.com/terms)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy](https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy)

= Cloudflare Turnstile =

When Cloudflare Turnstile is selected as the CAPTCHA provider, this plugin loads the Turnstile JavaScript library from Cloudflare's servers on frontend password-protected pages. Upon form submission, the CAPTCHA response token is sent to Cloudflare's verification API along with your site's secret key and the visitor's IP address for validation.

- **Service provider:** Cloudflare, Inc.
- **What data is sent:** CAPTCHA response token, site secret key, visitor IP address
- **When data is sent:** Each time a visitor submits a password form on a protected page (only when Turnstile is enabled)
- **Service terms of use:** [https://www.cloudflare.com/terms/](https://www.cloudflare.com/terms/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/](https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/)

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.1 =
- Full Freemium integration and feature locks
- Bug fixes and UX improvements

= 1.0.0 =
- Initial release
- Site-wide protection
- Per-page and per-post protection
- Default password form template
- Cookie-based access control
- Modern admin dashboard

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release.

=== Developer Instructions ===

This plugin does not use any build tools. All source code is provided as-is. No compilation or bundling is required.
