API Bearer Auth vs HookAnywhere – Trigger Any Action, Send Anywhere

The API Bearer Auth plugin enables authentication for the REST API by using JWT access an refresh tokens. After the user logs in, the access and refresh tokens are returned and can be used for the next requests. Issued tokens can be revoked from within the users admin screen. See below for the endpoints. Note that after activating this plugin, all REST API endpoints will need to be authenticated, unless the endpoint is whitelisted in the api_bearer_auth_unauthenticated_urls filter (see FAQ for how to use this filter). JWT Access tokens can be formatted as JWT tokens. For this to work, you first have to create a secret and add it to the wp-config.php file. If you don’t do this, access tokens will work also, but are just random strings. To create a random secret key, you can do for example: base64_encode(openssl_random_pseudo_bytes(64)); And then add the result to wp-config: define('API_BEARER_JWT_SECRET', 'mysecretkey'); If you have problems, you can verify your JWT tokens at: https://jwt.io/ Revoke tokens This plugin adds a column to the users table in de admin where you can see when a token expires. You can also revoke tokens by selection the “Revoke API tokens” from the bulk actions select box. API endpoints Note that all endpoints expect JSON in the POST body. Login Endpoint: POST /api-bearer-auth/v1/login Request body: Note: client_name is optional. But if you use it, make sure to use it as well for the refresh call! {"username": "my_username", "password": "my_password", "client_name": "my_app"} Response: { "wp_user": { "data": { "ID": 1, "user_login": "your_user_login", // other default WordPress user fields } }, "access_token": "your_access_token", "expires_in": 86400, // number of seconds "refresh_token": "your_refresh_token" } Make sure to save the access and refresh token! Refresh access token Endpoint: POST /api-bearer-auth/v1/tokens/refresh Request body: Note: client_name is optional. But if you did use it for the login call, make sure to use it here as well! {"token": "your_refresh_token", "client_name": "my_app"} Response success: { "access_token": "your_new_access_token", "expires_in": 86400 } Response when sending a wrong refresh token is a 401: { "code": "api_api_bearer_auth_error_invalid_token", "message": "Invalid token.", "data": { "status": 401 } } Do a request After you have the access token, you can make requests to authenticated endpoints with an Authorization header like this: Authorization: Bearer Note that Apache sometimes strips out the Authorization header. If this is the case, make sure to add this to the .htaccess file: RewriteCond %{HTTP:Authorization} ^(.*) # Don't know why, but some need the line below instead of the RewriteRule line # SetEnvIf Authorization .+ HTTP_AUTHORIZATION=$0 RewriteRule ^(.*) - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%1] If you are not logged in or you send an invalid access token, you get a 401 response: { "code": "api_bearer_auth_not_logged_in", "message": "You are not logged in.", "data": { "status": 401 } } Important update Update immediately if you’re using a version below 20200807. Before this version all access tokens were updated when calling the refresh callback. If you are affected by this the fastest solution is to execute this query: update wp_user_tokens set access_token_valid = NOW(); This will invalidate all access tokens. This means that all users need to refresh their access token and will get a new access token and a unique one this time. A big thank to @harchvertelol for reporting this and suggesting the fix as well!

HookAnywhere is a powerful and flexible WordPress webhook plugin that lets you trigger outgoing webhooks from any WordPress action hook — including hooks from other plugins installed on your site. Unlike basic webhook plugins that only support limited core events, HookAnywhere allows you to select a specific WordPress plugin and dynamically access all available action hooks defined inside it. Simply choose the hook you want to listen to and instantly send structured data to any external API or webhook endpoint. Whether you’re integrating with Zapier, n8n, custom CRMs, marketing tools, or internal automation systems, this plugin gives you full control over how your WordPress site communicates with the outside world. Why HookAnywhere? Most free webhook plugins only support predefined WordPress core events. HookAnywhere goes further by allowing you to trigger webhooks from ANY action hook available on your site — including third-party plugins. This makes it a true universal WordPress integration tool. Core Features Trigger Any Action Hook – Select a specific WordPress plugin and access all registered action hooks inside it. Send Data to Any API or Webhook Endpoint – Works with REST APIs, automation platforms, and custom servers. Custom Headers & Authentication – Add custom HTTP headers, pass authorization tokens, or configure authentication for secure API communication. Flexible Body Parameters – Send structured JSON, form data, or custom request bodies. Advanced Logging System – View complete request and response logs including headers, payload, response body, status codes, and execution time. Log Retention Control – Automatically delete logs after a user-defined number of days to keep your database optimized. Role-Based Access Control – Restrict webhook and log access based on user roles. Log Export – Export webhook logs for reporting or migration. Perfect For WordPress developers Automation engineers No-code / low-code builders Agencies managing integrations Site owners connecting WordPress to external systems HookAnywhere removes limitations and gives you complete transparency and control over your WordPress API integrations. External services HookAnywhere includes an optional newsletter subscription feature during the onboarding process. If a user explicitly opts in, their Name and Email Address are transmitted to a self-hosted instance of n8n (an open-source workflow automation platform) operated by the plugin author, for the purpose of sending plugin-related and promotional email updates. n8n is open-source: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n n8n Privacy Policy: https://n8n.io/legal/privacy/ No data is sent without the user’s explicit consent.