If you have lost access to your site due to Wordfence’s blocking features, this guide will help you regain access and reactivate Wordfence. We will explore two methods to deactivate Wordfence and one method to reactivate it.

Method 1: Deactivate Wordfence via File System (Recommended)

1. Connect to your server using FTPS or SFTP.
2. Use your hosting control panel file manager to rename the “wp-content/plugins/wordfence” directory.
3. This will immediately deactivate Wordfence, so if Wordfence is the blocking agent, you should now be unblocked.

Method 2: Deactivate Wordfence via Hosting Control Panel (Less Preferred)

1. Log a support call with your web hosting company or whoever manages your server.
2. Ask them to rename the “wp-content/plugins/wordfence” directory.

How to Reactivate Wordfence:

1. Install the “Wordfence Assistant” plugin by going to “Plugins” > “Add New” and searching for “wordfence assistant.”
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Go to the “WF Assistant” menu.
4. Click the button to disable the Wordfence firewall.
5. Rename the “wp-content/plugins/wordfence” directory back to its original name.
6. Reactivate the Wordfence firewall by going to the Wordfence “Firewall” > “Firewall Options” page and changing the “Web Application Firewall Status” to “Enabled and Protecting.”
7. Turn on “Enable Rate Limiting and Advanced Blocking” in the “Rate Limiting” section, and then hit the “Save Changes” button.
8. Optionally, you can uninstall the Wordfence Assistant plugin.

Important Notes:

• If you are still seeing a message from Wordfence that you are locked out, make sure you disable any caching plugins like W3 Total Cache and clear their cache.
• If you cannot access the site to disable the caching plugin, you may have to temporarily rename the caching plugin directory to disable it.
• You may also have to clear any caches on a front-end caching proxy if you have an advanced configuration.

Conclusion:

Losing access to your site due to Wordfence’s blocking features can be frustrating, but with these steps, you should be able to regain access and reactivate Wordfence. Remember that these methods should only be used in rare cases where none of the previous solutions work. If you have any further questions or concerns, you can contact the Wordfence team – www.wordfence.com