Fuerte-WP | WordPress Security, Auto-Updates and Admin Control
🛡️ WordPress Security and Maintenance That Prevents Problems Before They Happen Every day, WordPress sites are compromised through supply chain attacks. A trustworthy plugin developer has their account hacked, malicious code ships as an “update”, and thousands of sites auto-install it within hours. Fuerte-WP protects your site when developers cannot protect their own update systems. Fuerte-WP combines four defenses in one lightweight plugin: update management, admin oversight, login security, and two-factor authentication. It is built for agencies, e-commerce stores, and anyone who manages WordPress sites and needs to sleep at night. 🚨 CRITICAL: SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACK AND MALICIOUS UPDATE PROTECTION A supply chain attack happens when an attacker compromises a developer account and pushes a malicious update that thousands of sites auto-install before anyone notices. When you learn an attack is in progress, you need to act in minutes, not days. Fuerte-WP gives you three update modes so you can react correctly: Scheduled Updates: choose how often WordPress checks for and applies updates. Options are 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Slower cycles give you a review window. Faster cycles keep client sites current. Deferred Updates: keep a plugin out of auto-updates while still letting you update it manually. Useful when you want to test a release on staging before it reaches production. Blocked Updates: completely freeze a plugin or theme. Neither WordPress nor manual clicks can update it. This is the supply chain defense. When a developer account is compromised, you block the plugin at its last known safe version and wait until the all-clear. This is not a generic “disable updates” toggle. Deferred and Blocked are separate, intentional controls, so you can hold one compromised plugin back while the rest of the site keeps updating normally. ⚡ AUTO-UPDATE MANAGEMENT FOR CORE, PLUGINS, THEMES, AND TRANSLATIONS Granular control over every update channel: WordPress core auto-updates (on or off) Plugin auto-updates (on or off, with per-plugin defer and block) Theme auto-updates (on or off, with per-theme defer and block) Translation auto-updates (on or off) Update check frequency: 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours Zero performance impact: all checks run in the background through a dedicated cron event. Page load times are unaffected. You can configure this once on your main site and reuse the same file-based configuration across every site you manage. 👑 ADMINISTRATOR OVERSIGHT AND ACCESS CONTROL Most WordPress security plugins assume the administrator is the threat. Fuerte-WP assumes the administrator is trusted but busy, and that you want to protect them from themselves and from each other. Super User Access: designate one or more super users by email. Super users bypass every restriction and are the only accounts that can change Fuerte-WP settings or disable the plugin. Restrict Other Administrators: prevent non-super administrators from installing unstable plugins, editing theme and plugin code, changing permalinks, or touching sensitive WordPress settings. Hide and Block Admin Menus: a searchable, discovery-driven interface lists every registered admin menu, submenu, and admin-bar node on your site. You select what to hide. Hide and block are unified: hiding a page also blocks direct URL access to it. A manual textarea stays available as a precision escape hatch for slugs the discovery scan does not surface. Smart Block Targeting: the block engine avoids over-blocking. Shared scripts like edit.php (Posts, Pages, and custom post types) and index.php are hide-only so you never strand a non-super user on a blank screen. Single-purpose core scripts (themes.php, tools.php, plugins.php) block by $pagenow. Plugin pages block by their ?page= query argument. Account Protection: protect your own admin account from being modified or deleted by another administrator. 🔒 LOGIN SECURITY (OPTIONAL, ON BY DEFAULT) Brute force attacks against wp-login.php and XML-RPC are the most common way WordPress sites are compromised. Fuerte-WP ships with a full login hardening suite: Rate Limiting and Brute Force Protection: block an IP address after too many failed login attempts. Progressive penalties apply to repeat offenders. Lockout Protection: escalating lockout windows for repeated security violations. Hide Login URL / Custom Login URL: move your login page away from the default wp-login.php and wp-admin paths so automated bots that scan for those endpoints find nothing. Your real login URL is whatever you choose. Real-Time Monitoring: a live dashboard shows login attempts, lockouts, and security events. Registration Protection: control who can register and from which IP ranges. 🔐 TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (2FA) FOR ADMINS Since version 1.10.0, Fuerte-WP bundles the official WordPress Two-Factor library and enforces a safe provider policy: Email codes (default for enforced admins) Authenticator app / TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password, Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, etc.) Recovery / backup codes The insecure Dummy Method is stripped site-wide, even under WP_DEBUG. Enforce 2FA for Administrators is on by default. Administrators and Super Admins are challenged with an emailed code at login even before they set up an authenticator app. Each admin can switch to TOTP from their own profile page. Enforcement is read-only: it never writes to user meta, so unchecking the box releases admins immediately. Fuerte super users always bypass enforcement. Crash-safe coexistence: if you already run the standalone Two-Factor plugin, Fuerte-WP detects it and steps aside. No class-redeclare fatal, no duplicate provider screens. Operator escape hatch: define FUERTEWP_DISABLE_2FA in wp-config.php to skip the bundled library entirely. 🛠 REST API, XML-RPC, AND APP PASSWORD HARDENING Modern WordPress exposes several attack surfaces beyond the login form: Disable Application Passwords site-wide (on by default) Disable the XML-RPC API (on by default), removing the pingback vector and brute force amplification Disable weak passwords during user creation and password reset REST API and authentication filters centralized so you can lock down application access without editing code 📧 EMAIL CONTROLS AND RECOVERY WordPress sends a lot of email. Fuerte-WP lets you redirect and silence it: Rewrite the sender address and name on every outgoing wp_mail() (falls back to no-reply@ when left empty) Redirect Recovery Mode and fatal-error emails to a monitored address Toggle individual notifications: fatal errors, automatic updates, comment moderation, comment publication, password resets, personal-data export requests, new-user creation 🌐 MULTISITE, PERFORMANCE, AND DEVELOPER FRIENDLINESS Multisite compatible: network-activate for centralized management across every site on the network Self-protecting: non-super users cannot disable Fuerte-WP or change its settings Performance optimized: background cron processing, no per-request overhead File-based configuration: define $fuertewp in wp-config-fuerte.php for mass deployment. File config wins over the database, so the same settings ship to every site without touching the admin UI Translation ready: ships with Spanish (es_CL / es_ES); contribute more via translate.wordpress.org 🔧 HOW FUERTE-WP WORKS Fuerte-WP follows a single-source-of-truth model. Configuration lives in one normalized array and is read the same way everywhere: Load: a transient-cached config loader checks a wp-config-fuerte.php file first, then falls back to the database option saved by the admin UI. File always wins. Enforce: a singleton enforcer applies every restriction, login rule, and update policy from that normalized array. Recover: super users (matched by email, case-insensitive) bypass restrictions. Define FUERTEWP_FORCE to enforce even on super users, or FUERTEWP_DISABLE to switch the whole plugin off without uninstalling. Because the enforcer reads one normalized array, there is no drift between what the admin UI shows and what the site enforces. After editing config logic in code, bust the transient with delete_transient('fuertewp_config') so the new rules take effect. 📁 FILE-BASED CONFIGURATION FOR MASS DEPLOYMENT For agencies and platform teams, Fuerte-WP can be configured entirely from a file, with no admin UI clicks. Drop a wp-config-fuerte.php file in your ABSPATH directory defining a $fuertewp array: ` array( ‘sender_email_enable’ => true ), ‘super_users’ => array( ‘you@agency.com’ ), ‘auto_updates’ => array( ‘core’ => true, ‘plugins’ => true, ‘themes’ => true, ‘translations’ => true, ‘frequency’ => ’12h’, ), ‘restrictions’ => array( ‘disable_theme_editor’ => true, ‘disable_plugin_editor’ => true, ‘restapi_disable_app_passwords’ => true, ‘disable_xmlrpc’ => true, ), ‘login_security’ => array( ‘login_security_enable’ => true, ‘two_factor_enable’ => true ), ); ` Commit this file to your deployment pipeline and every site in your fleet ships the same security baseline. The admin UI still renders for inspection, but saved values never override the file. This is the recommended path for WordPress multisite networks and managed-hosting platforms. 📋 SECURITY HARDENING CHECKLIST Fuerte-WP ships with safe defaults so a fresh install is already hardened. The following are on by default and can be toggled on the Restrictions and Login Security tabs: Disable the Theme Editor and Plugin Editor (prevents code injection from the admin) Disable Theme Install and Plugin Install (prevents untrusted uploads) Disable the Customizer CSS Editor Restrict access to Permalinks and Advanced Custom Fields Disable Application Passwords and the XML-RPC API Disable weak passwords Enable login security, brute force protection, and registration protection Enforce two-factor authentication for administrators Send fatal-error and recovery-mode emails to a monitored address Review the Restrictions tab after your first install and adjust to your workflow. 🎯 PERFECT FOR: Agencies managing many client WordPress websites E-commerce and WooCommerce stores that require maximum uptime Educational institutions and universities running WordPress multisite networks Enterprise and government deployments needing strict maintenance and change-control policies Developers who want a reproducible, file-driven security baseline Anyone serious about WordPress security, login protection, and update reliability ⚡ INSTALL IN SECONDS, PROTECT FOR YEARS Install and activate Fuerte-WP Add yourself as a super user (by email) Configure your auto-update preferences and login security Your site is now protected from supply chain attacks, brute force login attempts, and accidental admin changes
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More
WordPress Contact Form Builder Plugin WPForms is an AI drag & drop WordPress form builder that’s EASY and POWERFUL. Create contact forms, feedback forms, subscription forms, payment forms (including Stripe, Square & PayPal), and other types of forms for your site in minutes with just a few clicks! At WPForms, user experience is our #1 priority. Our pre-built form templates and workflows make WPForms the most beginner-friendly contact form plugin on the market. You don’t have to hire a developer. Create a form in less than 5 minutes with our drag & drop form builder, using a template or just asking AI to get a head start. WPForms Pro This plugin is the Lite version of WPForms Pro, which comes with email subscription forms, multi-page contact forms, file uploads, conditional logic, and extra payment integrations. Click here to purchase the best premium WordPress contact form plugin now! AI-Powered Drag & Drop Contact Form Builder Create custom contact forms in minutes with our easy-to-use drag and drop online form builder or just ask AI to build it for you. But don’t just take our word for it. See what WordPress experts are saying: WPForms is by far the easiest form plugin to use. My clients love WPForms and it’s one of the few plugins they can use without any training. As a developer I appreciate how fast, modern, clean and extensible it is. Bill Erickson – Expert WordPress Consultant Pre-built Form Templates WPForms comes with 2100+ pre-built form templates. Whether you’re looking to create a simple contact form, marketing form, request a quote form, donation form, payment order form, registration form, survey form, quiz form, Stripe payment form, or a subscription form, we have a form template already prepared and ready to use. Mobile Ready, SEO Friendly, and Optimized for Speed WPForms contact forms are 100% responsive and mobile-friendly. We optimized every query on the frontend and the backend to ensure that it’s one of the fastest WordPress contact form plugins. You can embed your contact form on any page with an optimized title and description, so WPForms is one of the most SEO friendly contact form plugins too. Fields & Features You Need to Succeed With star ratings, file uploads, repeater fields, survey fields, and multi-page contact forms, you can easily build the right custom form for your site’s needs. Plus, integrate your contact forms with an email marketing service in just a few steps and collect payments with Stripe, PayPal, and Square for bookings and orders without the need for a dedicated eCommerce plugin. See what one business owner has to say about their WPForms contact form: As a business owner, time is my most valuable asset. WPForms allows me to create smart contact forms with just a few clicks. With their pre-built form templates and the drag & drop builder, I can create a new form that works in less than 2 minutes without writing a single line of code. Well worth the investment. David Henzel – Co-founder of MaxCDN Surveys & Polls Create custom survey forms like Survey Monkey. Our WordPress survey plugin addon comes with smart survey fields including Likert scale, star ratings, and NPS. Embed your surveys and polls anywhere in WordPress. Use our survey reporting tools to customize graphs, export them for presentations, and display aggregate results. You can also share poll results instantly when collecting votes. Default WordPress Forms Aside from building simple contact forms, WPForms also helps you create better default WordPress forms, like custom WordPress login forms and custom WordPress user registration forms. Create a password-protected contact form or even a members-only contact form. Bloggers and publishers can use our WordPress post submission forms to accept guest posts, testimonials, and more. Payment Forms, Donation Forms, Booking Forms, and More While WPForms started out as a contact form plugin, it has evolved into a powerful custom forms solution for any type of payment or booking form. WPForms integrates with PayPal, Stripe, Square Payments, Authorize.Net, and Mercado Pago so you can easily accept credit card payments or take payments via PayPal. Bonus: you can also take signatures. We’re proud to be a Stripe Verified Partner. This partnership allows us to build the best Stripe integration with early access to features. You can use our Stripe integration to accept both one-time payments as well as recurring payments while syncing all form data to your Stripe account. Custom Calculator Forms Using the WPForms Calculations addon, you can build custom formulas and display results on the frontend. Create simple arithmetic calculations or build complex conditional calculations with rounded values, averages, time ranges, and more! It’s the best calculator plugin for WordPress. Forms Optimized for Conversions With our Form Pages addon, you can create distraction-free custom form landing pages to increase conversions. To improve form completion rates, we created Conversational Forms which helps you make your feedback forms feel more human by adding an interactive layout. (See Conversational Forms Demo). Easy to Customize and Extend You can easily customize your contact forms with our section dividers, HTML blocks, and CSS. Embedding forms in Elementor and Divi has never been easier thanks to our native integrations. We also know that our developer friends may want more control, so we added tons of hooks and filters. Full WPForms Feature List Online form builder – powerful drag & drop contact form builder. Create WordPress contact forms, payment forms, and other online forms without writing any code. 100% mobile responsive. GDPR friendly. Payment Forms – Take payments, donations, down payments, recurring payments, service payments with our Stripe (FREE) integration. Form templates pre-built and ready to import. Form styling for fields, labels, and buttons. Spam protection built in, plus integrations with hCaptcha, Google reCAPTCHA, and Cloudflare Turnstile. AI Forms to automatically create and refine forms through natural conversation. Instant form notifications via email. Custom form confirmations with success messages or thank you pages. Smart phone field that adapts to your visitor’s location. AI Choices to automatically populate Multiple Choice, Checkboxes, and Dropdown field options. Coupons for free shipping and sale discounts. Calculator forms for payment, shipping, billing, and more. File upload fields for user submissions. Multi-page forms with progress bars. Smart conditional logic to show or hide fields. Repeater field that enables the person filling out the form to easily add another field or group of fields to fill out. Perfect for group registration forms, custom order forms, and more. Signatures for agreements or payment forms. User registration forms and custom login forms. Post submission forms to collect user-generated content. Geolocation to collect location data along with submissions. Surveys and Polls with interactive reports. Quizzes with graded tests, personality quizzes, and scored assessments, plus AI-generated questions. Form abandonment detection to collect partial form submissions. Form locker to control access using passwords, dates, and more. Offline forms to collect submissions without an internet connection. Form landing pages to boost conversions. Conversational forms to boost overall completion rates. Lead forms to get more submissions with multi-step layouts. Webhooks to send data without third party connectors. User Journey reports so you know which content is driving form conversions. Save and Resume to let visitors save and come back later. Entry Automation to export and delete form entries on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Integrations Google Sheets Zapier PayPal Commerce Stripe – We’re a Stripe Verified Partner for Payments. Square Authorize.Net Mercado Pago Mailchimp AWeber Campaign Monitor GetResponse Constant Contact Airtable Notion Drip ActiveCampaign HubSpot Brevo MailerLite MailPoet ConvertKit Klaviyo SendGrid Salesforce Slack Dropbox Google Calendar Google Drive Twilio Pipedrive Make Zoho CRM You can see why WPForms is the best WordPress contact form plugin on the market! Want to unlock these features? Upgrade to our Pro version. Credits This plugin is created by Syed Balkhi. Branding Guidelines WPForms® is a registered trademark of WPForms LLC. When writing about the contact form plugin by WPForms, please make sure to uppercase the initial 3 letters. WPForms (correct) WP Forms (incorrect) wpforms (incorrect) wpform (incorrect) Notes WPForms is absolutely, positively the most beginner-friendly WordPress contact form plugin on the market. It is both easy and powerful. We took the pain out of creating online forms and made it easy. Check out all WPForms features. Also, I’m the founder of WPBeginner, the largest WordPress resource site for beginners. It was a huge priority for me to make a WordPress contact form plugin that beginners can use without any training. I feel that we have done that here. I hope you enjoy using WPForms. Thank you, Syed Balkhi