by Jeff Starr
4.8 (36 reviews)
Disable WP REST API
Disables the WP REST API for visitors not logged into WordPress.
Compatible with WP 7.0.1
v2.6.8
Current Version v2.6.8
Updated 2 months ago
Last Update on 22 Apr, 2026
Refreshed 12 hours ago
Last Refreshed on
Rank
#1,096
+1 this week
Active Installs
30K+
—
No change
KW Avg Position
11.8
—
No change
Downloads
398.1K
+106 today
Support Resolved
0%
—
No change
Rating
96%
Review 4.8 out of 5
4.8
(36 reviews)
Next Milestone 40K
30K+
40K+
171
Ranks to Climb
-
Growth Needed
8,000,000
Active Installs
Pro
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Rank Changes
Current
#1,096
Change
Best
#
Downloads Growth
Downloads
Growth
Peak
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4.8
36 reviews
Overall
96%
5
34
(94%)
4
0
(0%)
3
1
(3%)
2
0
(0%)
1
1
(3%)
Tracked Keywords
Showing 5 of 5| Keyword | Position | Change | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rest-api | 1 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| rest | 2 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| api | 5 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| disable | 19 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
| JSON | 32 | — | Tag | 23 hours ago |
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- Version
- 2.6.8
- Last Updated
- Apr 22, 2026
- Requires WP
- 4.7+
- Tested Up To
- 7.0.1
- PHP Version
- 5.6.20 or higher
- Author
- Jeff Starr
Support & Rating
- Rating
- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.8
- Reviews
- 36
- Support Threads
- 0
- Resolved
- 0%
Keywords
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Disable WP REST API
Technically this plugin disables REST API only for visitors who are not logged into WordPress. With that in mind, here are some good reasons why someone would want to disable REST API for non-logged users: The REST API may not be needed for non-logged users Disabling the REST API conserves server resources Disabling the REST API minimizes potential attack vectors Disabling the REST API prevents content scraping and plagiarism I'm sure there are other valid reasons, but you get the idea :)
{"code":"rest_login_required","message":"REST API restricted to authenticated users.","data":{"status":401}}
Testing is easy: Log out of WordPress Using a browser, request https://example.com/wp-json/ If you see the following message, REST is disabled: "rest_login_required: REST API restricted to authenticated users." Then if you log back in and make a new request for https://example.com/wp-json/, you will see that REST is working normally.
Yes. If the user is NOT logged in, this plugin disables ALL endpoints that are registered with the WP REST API. Otherwise, if the user IS logged in, then this plugin does not block anything.
Yes. It works the same regardless of which editor (Classic or Block) you are using.
By default the plugin displays a message for unauthenticated users: "REST API restricted to authenticated users." To customize that message to whatever you want, add the following code via functions.php or simple custom plugin: function disable_wp_rest_api_error_custom($message) { return 'Customize your message here.'; // change this to whatever you want } add_filter('disable_wp_rest_api_error', 'disable_wp_rest_api_error_custom');
As explained in this thread, the plugin Contact Form 7 requires REST API access in order for the contact form to work. To allow for this, follow this guide.
Send any questions or feedback via my contact form