Guardian Web › Documentation
DocumentationInstallation Guide
Install Guardian Web in any PHP or WordPress project in less than 5 minutes. No dependencies, no complex configuration.
- PHP 8.0 or higher
- cURL extension enabled (recommended)
- WordPress 5.0+ (WP install only)
- FTP or SSH access to the server
Step 1 — Create your account and add a site
Register on Guardian Web and add your domain from the panel. You will receive a unique API key for that site.
Step 2 — Download the shield
From the panel, go to My Sites → View site → Download shield. You will get the gw-shield.php file pre-configured with your API key.
Step 3a — Generic PHP installation
Upload gw-shield.php to your project root. Then add this line at the top of each PHP entry file (usually index.php):
<?php
require_once __DIR__ . '/gw-shield.php';
// Your PHP code continues here...Step 3b — WordPress installation
Upload gw-shield.php to the WordPress root (next to wp-config.php). Then add this line at the very top of wp-config.php, before any other code:
<?php
require_once ABSPATH . 'gw-shield.php';
// Your WordPress configuration continues here...define( 'DB_NAME', '...' );
define( 'DB_USER', '...' );
Verify the installation
Once installed, visit your panel on Guardian Web. You will see the site appear as active and it will start recording traffic in real time.
Frequently asked questions
Does the shield slow down my site?
Not noticeably. The gw-shield.php file is optimised to run in microseconds. The most expensive check (API call) is done asynchronously and cached.
What happens if the panel is unavailable?
The shield downloads and stores the block list in local cache. If the panel does not respond, the shield keeps working with the cached list.
Can I install the shield in multiple PHP files?
Yes. You can include it in as many entry files as needed. The shield is stateless and adds no significant overhead.