Configurable firewall protection for WordPress
BBQ Pro is the advanced edition of BBQ Firewall, a lightweight firewall plugin for WordPress. It is intended for sites that need more control than the default firewall behavior provides while retaining protection against a wide range of unwanted or malicious requests.
The firewall checks incoming traffic and blocks bad requests containing patterns associated with threats such as SQL injection, executable file uploads, directory traversal, unsafe character requests, excessively long request strings, PHP remote or file execution, XSS, and XXE. It scans GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and other request types, and can protect against bad bots, bad referrers, and bad POST content.
Customize firewall rules
BBQ Pro provides settings for adjusting how the firewall operates. You can quickly enable or disable individual firewall rules, add or remove firewall patterns, and add Jeff Starr’s AI Block List. One-click pattern testing helps review patterns before relying on them in the firewall.
- Customize firewall behavior through plugin settings.
- Add or remove firewall patterns.
- Import and export firewall patterns.
- Test patterns with a one-click testing tool.
- Reset options and patterns with dedicated tools.
- Whitelist IP addresses when required.
These controls are useful when a site needs to adapt its request filtering to particular plugins, themes, traffic patterns, or operational requirements. The included inline documentation provides guidance within the plugin interface.
Manage blocked traffic
BBQ Pro can send email alerts for blocked requests and record statistics about blocked activity. It can block an individual IP address or an entire IP range, protect against XML-RPC exploits, and protect against user-ID phishing.
The plugin also offers controls for excessively long URI requests, including a specific protection option, and can disable the firewall for logged-in users. These settings let administrators adjust protection according to how the site is managed and how authenticated access is handled.
Choose the response behavior
When a request is blocked, BBQ Pro can redirect it, display a custom blocked message, or use a response status code selected by the site administrator. These options support different approaches to communicating with visitors and handling requests that match firewall rules.
BBQ Pro works with the protection provided by the free BBQ Firewall edition and is described as compatible with other security plugins. The base firewall is designed to work with WordPress plugins and themes, operate quietly behind the scenes, and focus on security and performance. It is also described as lightweight, fast, and flexible.
Installation and setup
Install and activate BBQ Pro on the WordPress site where BBQ Firewall is used. Review the plugin settings, then customize patterns, IP controls, alerts, response behavior, and other rules according to the site’s needs. Use pattern testing and the inline documentation while refining the configuration.
BBQ Pro is suited to administrators who want configurable request filtering, visibility into blocked activity, and more precise control over firewall behavior. Its tools bring rule management, notifications, IP handling, response customization, and testing into one WordPress firewall workflow.
