Under attack mode

When bots flood a site with requests, it can slow down for everyone, or stop answering. Under attack mode puts a quick check in front of it: visitors’ browsers pass it automatically, usually in a second or two and once every few hours, before they reach the site. Bots that don’t run JavaScript never get as far as WordPress.

When to use it

• The site is slow or down, and Help me fix this says it’s getting far more traffic than usual.
• You’re getting an alert that the site is too busy to serve every visitor.

Turn it on

On the site’s Settings tab, find Under attack mode and click Turn on under attack mode. It takes effect in about half a minute. Help me fix this can also turn it on for you when it finds a flood.

Addresses that keep failing the check are blocked for a while, and you can add exempt addresses (your office, a service that checks the site) that skip it.

Turn it off when it’s over

While it’s on, search engines can’t read the site, so it isn’t meant to stay on. We email a reminder while it’s on. When the traffic is back to normal, click Turn off under attack mode.