How to hide the WordPress directory in browsers

WordPress is a widely used Content Management System (CMS) for blogs and websites on the internet. Many websites are built using WordPress due to its user-friendly interface and simplicity in managing content. The initial design process is straightforward, and once set up, adding new pages can be done easily by entering the page content and title without the need for coding. WordPress also provides easy maintenance of URLs, media files, and pages. In simple terms, WordPress is an easy-to-use maintenance tool. While basic coding knowledge is beneficial for maintaining a WordPress website, it is not a requirement.

One important security consideration is how to hide the WordPress directory from being visible in the browser. By default, the WordPress directory can be accessed through the browser by appending the directory name to the website URL. For example, if you upload media files to WordPress, they are stored in the "upload" folder. This folder can be directly accessed by typing the URL in the format of "yourdomainname.com/wp-content/uploads". This poses a security risk to your WordPress website.

To address this security issue, you can hide the WordPress directory using a simple modification in the .htaccess file. Follow these steps to hide the WordPress directory:

• Login to your WordPress hosting account and navigate to the root directory (public_html).
• Locate and open the .htaccess file using a text editor (e.g., Notepad).
• Add the following line at the end of the file:

Options -Indexes

• Save the changes and upload the modified .htaccess file back to the root directory.
• By adding this line to the .htaccess file, you are disabling the directory listing feature, which prevents direct access to the WordPress directory via the browser.

Taking this step helps enhance the security of your WordPress website by making the underlying directory structure less accessible to potential attackers.

Normaly .htaccess file like this:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Add the Options –Indexes like below code.

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Options –Indexes