Professional firewall for
WordPress
Lightweight plugin that loads before WordPress and blocks bots, scanners and attacks without touching your CMS. Free. Zero dependencies. No performance impact.
GPL-2.0+ · 32 KB · PHP 7.4+ · WordPress 5.6+
- sqli_detected (23)
- url_suspicious (18)
- bot_detected (12)
What makes the plugin different
Guardian Web is different. The heavy lifting happens outside WordPress, in an external dashboard. The plugin just queries and blocks — in under 1 ms per request.
Runs as a mu-plugin
The shield installs in wp-content/mu-plugins/, which means it runs before every other plugin — even before WordPress itself. Blocks attacks before the CMS boots.
Collaborative Karma network
Every attack detected on one protected site automatically protects all the others. IP reputation is dynamic and shared.
Less than 1 ms latency
The heavy analysis lives outside WordPress. The plugin just queries a local cache of banned IPs that refreshes every 5 minutes. Your PageSpeed won't notice.
Fail-open by design
If the Guardian Web dashboard is down, the shield lets traffic through normally. Your site never goes down because of the firewall.
Dashboard widget
Last-24h visits, attacks and blocked requests directly in the WordPress dashboard. Plus top countries and attack types.
Setup in 1 minute
Free sign up, copy the API key, paste it in the plugin, activate. Done. No rule configuration, no false positives, no headaches.
Install in 3 steps
Less than 2 minutes from sign-up to active protection.
Free sign up
Create your account at guardianweb.es. No credit card required.
Install the plugin
Upload it like any other WordPress plugin and activate it.
Paste your API key
Find it in your dashboard. Save and protection is active instantly.
Comparison with other plugins
Honest comparison. Every plugin has its place; here is ours.
We're not better than Wordfence at everything — they've had 10 years and a big team. But if you want protection before WordPress boots, a collaborative network across all your sites, and zero performance impact, the approach is different. Try it for free.
Plugin FAQ
Is it free?
Yes. The Free plan includes firewall + Karma network + external dashboard + desktop widget. There are paid plans with more sites and advanced integrations, but the plugin works 100 % on the free plan.
Does it affect WordPress performance?
No. The shield queries a local cache of banned IPs and only contacts the dashboard when it expires (every 5 minutes by default). Added latency is under 1 ms in most cases. It even improves performance on sites under attack, because bots are blocked before WordPress boots.
What happens if guardianweb.es is down?
The shield is "fail-open": if it can't contact the dashboard, it lets traffic through normally using the last available cache. Your site never goes down because of the firewall.
Does it work with WooCommerce, Elementor, Multisite…?
Yes. The shield operates at the server level, before WordPress boots. It doesn't interfere with any theme, plugin, builder or multisite setup.
Why mu-plugins?
mu-plugins (must-use) load before regular plugins. This allows blocking traffic before WordPress boots, saving CPU and protecting even against other plugins' vulnerabilities.
Can I uninstall cleanly?
Yes. Deactivating the plugin removes the mu-plugin immediately. Deleting it from WordPress wipes everything, including saved options.
Ready to protect your WordPress?
Download the plugin and create your free account. Under 2 minutes.
No credit card. No commitment. GPL-2.0+.