The advent of the JSON REST API in Wordpress has provided developers with more functionality to easily interact with website data through the API. This is certainly a powerful tool for developers, but for some website owners, it can pose unnecessary risks and burdens.

In this article, we'll dive into how to disable the JSON REST API in WordPress to ensure your site is secure and avoid potential performance issues. Whether you're disabling the JSON REST API through the WP Self-taught website builder beginners, or experienced developers, can easily master these techniques to improve your website's security and performance.

Why should I disable the JSON REST API?

The JSON REST API makes it easy for developers to access data on a WordPress site via API requests. This is useful for many development tasks, especially when building WordPress-based applications or front-end systems. However, for the average webmaster who doesn't rely on these features, enabling the JSON REST API maybring about the followingconcern::

1. security hole: With the JSON REST API enabled, your website may be vulnerable to unauthorized API requests. Such attacks can lead to data leaks, user information leaks, and possibly evencause DDoS attackThe
2. Performance issues: Since API requests may consume server resources.intense API CallsMay slow down your site, especially on servers with high traffic or limited resources.
3. Unnecessary functions: If your site doesn't require the use of REST API functionality, then enabling it will only add an extra burden.

Therefore, if you don't need the REST API functionality and want to disable it to improve the security and performance of your website, here are the detailed steps to do so.

Method 1: Use WPCode Plugin to disable JSON REST API (recommended)

utilization WPCode plugin to disable JSON REST APIs WPCode is a powerful code snippet management plugin that makes it easy to add and manage custom code without having to edit theme files directly. Here are the detailed steps to disable the JSON REST API using WPCode.

Step 1: Install and Activate WPCode Plugin

First, you need to install and activate the WPCode plugin in your WordPress dashboard. The steps are as follows:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to "Plugins" > "Installation of new plug-ins".
3. In the search bar type "WPCode".
4. Once you have found the plugin, click "Now installing"Button.
5. After the installation is complete, click "activate"Button.

Step 2: Add a code snippet that disables the JSON REST API

After activating the WPCode plugin, follow the steps below to add a code snippet that disables the JSON REST API:

1. In the WordPress admin backend, navigate to "code segment">"storehouse".

2. In the search bar type "Disable WordPress REST API".

3. After finding the relevant code snippet, click "Using code snippets"Button.

The WPCode plugin will automatically add the right code snippet for you and select the appropriate insertion method. All that needs to be done is to change the switch from "inactive"Switch to"maneuver", then click on "update"Button.

When the code is activated, the JSON REST API in WordPress will be disabled and unauthorized API requests will not be able to access your website data.

Method 2: Disable JSON REST API using a dedicated plugin

In addition to the WPCode plugin, you can also use theDedicated plug-in disable JSON REST API. this approach is simple and straightforward and is ideal for users who don't want to use code snippets.

Step 1: Install and activate "Disabling the REST API"Plug-ins

First, you need to install and activate the plugin called "Disable REST API".

Step 2: Test if the REST API is disabled

The plugin does not require any additional configuration and once activated, the plugin will automaticallyBlock all APIs for users who are not logged in request and returns an authentication error. You can test if the REST API is disabled by following these steps:

1. Make sure you have exited the WordPress dashboard, orSwitch to incognito mode in your browserThe
2. Access in browser http://361sale.com/wp-json (please replace "361sale.com" with your website domain name).
3. If the REST API has been successfully disabled, you will see something like "REST API disabled"Message.

Potential Impact of Disabling the REST API

While disabling the JSON REST API can improve the security and performance of your website, there are some potential implications, especially for plugins or features that rely on the REST API. For example, some plugins may require the REST API to work properly, theDisabling it may cause these plugins to not function properly.

Therefore, before disabling the REST API, it is recommended to check if any plugins or themes depend on the REST API, and if you do need to use the REST API, you might considerDisable only for non-logged-in usersor use other security measures to protect API requests.

summarize

The JSON REST API is one of the powerful features of WordPress, but for those who don't need to use it, disabling it can improve your site's security and performance. By using the WPCode plugin or the "Disable REST API" plugin, you can easily do this for yourself and ensure that your site is protected from unauthorized API requests.