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Free Plugin by Jimmy K. v1.3.1

Disable Site

A WordPress plugin to disable your website front-end and display a message to your visitors while still allowing back-end access.

Disable Site

The facts

Rating
5★ from 24
Active installs
4k+
Price
Free
Last updated
28 Nov 2017
Added
Jan 2014
Requires WP
3.0.1
Tested up to
WP 4.1.42
Downloads
108,321

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Disable Site is a WordPress plugin that allows you to temporarily disable the front-end of your website while still providing back-end access. You can display a custom message or splash page to your visitors, which can be configured with your own HTML/CSS. This is particularly useful for maintenance, bug fixes, or when you want to show a 'coming soon' page while developing a new site.

The plugin can be easily enabled or disabled with one click. It also allows admin users to view the front-end while the splash page is active, and you can configure it to permit authenticated users or specific IP addresses to bypass the splash page. This flexibility makes it suitable for various scenarios where you need to restrict access to your site temporarily.

Best for: This plugin is suitable for website developers and administrators needing to temporarily restrict site access for maintenance or development purposes.

What it does well

  • Temporarily disables front-end access while allowing back-end access
  • Supports custom HTML/CSS for splash pages
  • Easy one-click enable/disable functionality
  • Allows admin users to view the site during maintenance
  • Can permit authenticated users or specific IPs to bypass the splash page

Where it falls short

  • No information on support or updates since November 2017
  • Limited to WordPress version 4.1.42 compatibility

Verdict

Disable Site is a straightforward solution for temporarily disabling your website front-end. Its customisation options and ease of use make it a practical choice for site maintenance.

From the developer

Jimmy K.'s own description of Disable Site, lightly tidied.

A plugin to temporarily disable your website front-end and display a message
to your visitors while still allowing back-end access. This plugin can be
enabled or disabled with one click and also supports using your own custom
HTML/CSS output for the splash page so you can make it as simple or as custom
as you need it to be.

This plugin is especially useful if you need to temporarily make your site
unavailable to your visitors. For example, you’re working on a new blog or
website and you want to show a temporary “coming soon” page to your visitors
while you’re working on it; or you’re fixing major bugs that would disrupt the
user experience and need to make the front-end temporarily unavailable; or any
other reason that you would need to make your website temporarily unavailable.

This plugin can be configured to allow admin users (you) to still be able to
view the front-end while the splash page is enabled. If other users need to be
able to review the site, you can enable authenticated users and/or specific IP
addresses to be able to bypass the splash page as well.

Common uses for this plugin:

  • Displaying a splash page while you develop your blog or website
  • Temporarily making your site unavailable to visitors while you fix bugs, etc
  • Disabling a site if a client refuses to pay (we’ve all been there)

Read the full description on the official page →

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