The fact that WordPress stores all the uploaded files in the wp-content/uploads folder on your server by default brings a lot of questions. One of them is how to secure WordPress file upload. You don’t want other people snooping around in your media library.
If your site visitors upload files with sensitive information, it has probably left you concerned about the security of your media library. While it can be convenient that WordPress stores all the uploaded files in the wp-content/uploads folder on your server by default, we want to make sure that you and your users have peace of mind about the safety of their personal information.
We have a quick solution for you! In this article, we’ll show you how you can protect your file uploads in WordPress using our File Uploads add-on. Let’s dig in!
Restrict file type in WordPress
WordPress already limits file types you can upload to your website. However, the list is still broad. The good news is our File Uploads add-on lets you limit file types even further, preventing your forms from malicious files.
Under the Allowed File Types field, you can list the file type you want to allow. For example, if you only list .jpg, the rest of the file types will be restricted. Users won’t be able to upload anything else other than .jpg.
If you leave the Allow File Types field empty, your form visitors can upload any file type.
Disable uploading files to your server and Media Library
The best way to keep intruders away from your uploaded files in WordPress is to disable storing files in your server and your Media library. Using our File Uploads add-on, you can change the file upload settings that will prevent saving your uploaded files to your server and your media library. You can also upload your files to your server and disable storing files in your Media Library.
Our file upload plugin lets your visitors upload their files directly to external storage services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Amazon S3.
If you are worried about the organization of your files, don’t be. With our File Uploads add-on, you can create custom directories, add different folders to different forms and save these files into separate folders.
One of the other perks of uploading files directly to cloud storage services is the ability to increase the maximum upload file size. Our File Uploads add-on lets you bypass your server upload settings and size limitations.
Other ways to protect uploaded files in WordPress Forms
File upload vulnerabilities are some of the most common security issues that WordPress sites face, but the good news is there are many ways to beef up the security of your uploaded files. One of them is using a powerful file upload plugin with file restriction capabilities that allow you to change the location of uploaded files. Our File Uploads add-on passed the check here.
The other way is keeping your website up to date, using the latest version of WordPress and plugins. On top of that, you can always add an extra layer of security to your website with security plugins. We also recommend you purchase WordPress themes and plugins from only trustworthy marketplaces.
In the end, it can be challenging to develop a secure file upload system. There is always a danger in allowing users to upload files in WordPress, but taking the proper security measures and choosing the reliable file upload plugin can help you secure WordPress file upload and mitigate the risk that comes with uploading files to your site.
You’ve just learned how to protect your file uploads in WordPress!
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of the article. We showed you how to use our File Uploads add-on to secure your file uploads. We also touched base on additional steps you can follow to keep your files safe.
Besides protecting your uploaded files, you can do many more things with the File Uploads add-on like:
- Add a file upload field to any WordPress form
- Adjust the number of files you want to accept
- Restrict by file type
- Set min and max file sizes
- Rename the file on upload
- Create custom file directories per upload
- Upload to the Media Library, Google Drive, & more!
- Attach uploads to notification emails
Did you know our File Uploads add-on is part of all our membership plans? If you are looking for more add-ons to level up your WordPress forms, explore our membership options and save in the long run! We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose!
