{"id":3561,"date":"2010-10-20T13:26:48","date_gmt":"2010-10-20T17:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/?p=3561"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:58:21","slug":"how-to-password-protect-directories-detailed-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-password-protect-directories-detailed-tutorial\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Password Protect a Folder in cPanel (Directory Privacy)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"uh-blog-hero\" style=\"margin:0 0 40px;text-align:center;padding:48px 24px;border-radius:20px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.28);position:relative;overflow:hidden;\">\n<div style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:7px 14px;margin-bottom:16px;border:1px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.32);border-radius:999px;color:#DFF8FF;font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;background:rgba(0,212,255,0.10);\"><i class=\"fas fa-sliders-h\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Control Panels<\/div>\n<h1 style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:clamp(32px,5vw,46px);line-height:1.12;margin:0 0 14px;font-weight:800;\">How to Password Protect a Folder in cPanel (Directory Privacy)<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size:18px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:800px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.7;\">Secure sensitive directories on your website by enabling password protection in cPanel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-excerpt\" style=\"border-left:4px solid #00D4FF;padding:18px 20px;margin:0 0 34px;background:#F8FAFC;color:#1F2937;border-radius:0 14px 14px 0;box-shadow:0 8px 28px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);line-height:1.75;\"><strong style=\"color:#0D1F3C;\">Short answer:<\/strong> In cPanel, open <strong>Files &gt; Directory Privacy<\/strong>, click the folder you want to protect, tick <strong>Password protect this directory<\/strong>, give it a name and save. Then create a user name and password in the same screen. Visitors to that folder must log in. Use it only over HTTPS, protect a subfolder rather than all of <code>public_html<\/code>, and on WordPress leave <code>admin-ajax.php<\/code> reachable if you protect <code>wp-admin<\/code>.<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Table of contents\" class=\"uh-toc\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:16px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 34px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);\">\n<div style=\"font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#176EA5;margin-bottom:10px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-list\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> In this guide<\/div>\n<ol style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;columns:2 260px;column-gap:28px;line-height:1.9;\">\n<li><a href=\"#what-directory-privacy-does\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">What Directory Privacy does<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-1-choose-the-folder\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Step 1: choose the folder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-2-turn-on-protection\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Step 2: turn on protection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-3-create-users\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Step 3: create users<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-it-works-behind-the-scenes\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">How it works behind the scenes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#use-https\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Use HTTPS<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#protecting-the-wordpress-admin-area\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Protecting the WordPress admin area<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#directory-privacy-or-another-option\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Directory Privacy or another option?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#remove-protection\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Remove protection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#troubleshooting\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Troubleshooting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"uh-post-content\" style=\"color:#1F2937;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75;\">\n<h2 id=\"what-directory-privacy-does\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-info-circle\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> What Directory Privacy does<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Directory Privacy, called Password Protect Directories in older cPanel versions, adds HTTP basic authentication to a folder. The browser shows a login box before any file in the folder, or its subfolders, is served. It is useful for:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">A staging or development copy of a site that should not be public or indexed.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">A folder of private downloads for clients.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">An extra login in front of an admin area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"step-1-choose-the-folder\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-terminal\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Step 1: choose the folder<\/h2>\n<ol style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Log in to cPanel and open <strong>Files &gt; Directory Privacy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Browse to the folder. Click a folder name to open it, or click <strong>Edit<\/strong> next to it to protect it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Create the folder first in File Manager if it does not exist yet.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"step-2-turn-on-protection\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Step 2: turn on protection<\/h2>\n<ol style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Tick <strong>Password protect this directory<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Enter a name for the protected area, for example <em>Staging<\/em>. Browsers show it in the login box.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Click <strong>Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"step-3-create-users\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-terminal\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Step 3: create users<\/h2>\n<ol style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">In the <strong>Create User<\/strong> section, enter a user name.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Enter a strong password, or use the password generator.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Click <strong>Save<\/strong>. Add more users the same way.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">These users are separate from your cPanel login and email accounts. They only open this folder.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-it-works-behind-the-scenes\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-info-circle\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> How it works behind the scenes<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">cPanel adds lines like these to the folder&#8217;s <code>.htaccess<\/code> file, and stores the users and encrypted passwords in a file under <code>\/home\/USERNAME\/.htpasswds\/<\/code>, outside the public web folder:<\/p>\n<pre style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#EAF6FF;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;overflow-x:auto;line-height:1.7;font-size:15px;\"><code>AuthType Basic\nAuthName \"Staging\"\nAuthUserFile \"\/home\/USERNAME\/.htpasswds\/public_html\/staging\/passwd\"\nrequire valid-user<\/code><\/pre>\n<h2 id=\"use-https\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Use HTTPS<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Basic authentication sends the user name and password with every request. Over plain HTTP they can be read on the network. Make sure the site has a valid SSL certificate and redirects to HTTPS before you rely on Directory Privacy.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"protecting-the-wordpress-admin-area\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Protecting the WordPress admin area<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">An extra password on <code>wp-admin<\/code> blocks many automated login attacks. WordPress uses <code>wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php<\/code> for features on the public site, so allow that one file. Add this to <code>wp-admin\/.htaccess<\/code> after cPanel&#8217;s lines:<\/p>\n<pre style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#EAF6FF;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;overflow-x:auto;line-height:1.7;font-size:15px;\"><code>&lt;Files \"admin-ajax.php\"&gt;\n    Require all granted\n&lt;\/Files&gt;<\/code><\/pre>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">For other ways to protect the login page, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/change-the-default-wordpress-login-url-for-enhanced-security\/\">changing the WordPress login URL<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"directory-privacy-or-another-option\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Directory Privacy or another option?<\/h2>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:26px 0;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:14px;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;background:#ffffff;color:#1F2937;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;margin:0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Need<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Best tool<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Keep a staging site private<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Directory Privacy, plus a noindex setting in the CMS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Block one troublesome visitor<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/cpanel-tutorial-security-ip-deny-manager\/\">IP Blocker<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Allow only your office<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">An IP allow rule in .htaccess, or IP Blocker for everyone else<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Members-only content on a live site<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">A membership plugin in your CMS, with its own user accounts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Basic authentication is simple and reliable, but it has no password reset, no logout button and no per-page control, so it is best for small groups of trusted users.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"remove-protection\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Remove protection<\/h2>\n<ol style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Open <strong>Directory Privacy<\/strong> and click <strong>Edit<\/strong> next to the folder.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Untick <strong>Password protect this directory<\/strong> and save.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">Delete users you no longer need in the <strong>Authorized Users<\/strong> list.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"troubleshooting\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-exclamation-triangle\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:26px 0;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:14px;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;background:#ffffff;color:#1F2937;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;margin:0;min-width:600px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Problem<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Likely cause<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Fix<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">The login box keeps coming back<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Wrong password, or the user was not saved<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Reset the user&#8217;s password in Directory Privacy.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">WordPress shows 404 instead of the login box<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">WordPress rewrite rules catch the 401 response<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Add <code>ErrorDocument 401 default<\/code> to the folder&#8217;s .htaccess.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">The whole site asks for a password<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">public_html itself was protected<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Protect the subfolder only, and remove protection from public_html.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">500 Internal Server Error<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">A mistake in a hand-edited .htaccess<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Remove the extra lines, or turn protection off and on again in cPanel.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"uh-section-divider\" style=\"width:min(100% - 32px, 1080px);margin:44px auto;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 32px 1fr;align-items:center;gap:18px;pointer-events:none;\"><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(0,212,255,0.40),rgba(23,110,165,0.24),transparent);\"><\/span><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.underhost.com\/android-chrome-192x192.webp\" style=\"width:32px;height:32px;display:block;border-radius:8px;filter:drop-shadow(0 0 14px rgba(0,212,255,0.30));\" width=\"32\"\/><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(23,110,165,0.24),rgba(0,212,255,0.40),transparent);\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-cta\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;padding:36px 24px;border-radius:20px;text-align:center;margin:44px 0;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.32);\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;color:#ffffff;\">Need help with this?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;margin:0 auto 22px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:720px;line-height:1.7;\">Need a private staging site? Create one on our hosting and protect it in a few clicks.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/shared-hosting.php\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg,#00D4FF,#0077FF);color:#ffffff;padding:13px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;\">See web hosting plans<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/customerpanel.ca\/client\/\" style=\"background:transparent;color:#ffffff;padding:12px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.32);\">Contact @CustomerPanel<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-faq-section\" id=\"faq\" style=\"margin:34px 0;scroll-margin-top:90px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:0 0 18px;border-bottom:2px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.22);padding-bottom:10px;\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Where is Password Protect Directories in the new cPanel?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">It is called Directory Privacy, under Files.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Does Directory Privacy protect subfolders?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Yes. Protection applies to the folder and everything inside it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Is basic authentication secure?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">It is secure enough for staging sites and private folders when used over HTTPS with strong passwords.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Can I password protect my whole website?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">You can, for example while building it, but visitors and search engines will not see the site until you remove it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Are Directory Privacy users the same as my cPanel login?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">No. They are separate users that only open the protected folder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-start --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#F4F8FC;border:1px solid #DCE7F3;border-radius:14px;padding:18px 22px;margin:32px 0 8px;\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:22px;\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-reset-wordpress-admin-password-via-ssh\/\">How to Reset a WordPress Admin Password (Email, WP-CLI or Database)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-cpanel-redis-manager-brings-faster-application-performance-to-your-server\/\">How cPanel Redis Manager Brings Faster Application Performance to Your Server<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-use-redis-manager-in-cpanel-to-boost-website-speed\/\">How to Use Redis Manager in cPanel to Boost Website Speed<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-use-cpanels-file-manager-to-manage-your-website\/\">How to Use cPanel\u2019s File Manager to Manage Your Website<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/top-cpanel-security-tips-to-keep-your-hosting-environment-safe\/\">Top cPanel Security Tips to Keep Your Hosting Environment Safe<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-end --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Where is Password Protect Directories in the new cPanel?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It is called Directory Privacy, under Files.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does Directory Privacy protect subfolders?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. Protection applies to the folder and everything inside it.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is basic authentication secure?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It is secure enough for staging sites and private folders when used over HTTPS with strong passwords.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can I password protect my whole website?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"You can, for example while building it, but visitors and search engines will not see the site until you remove it.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Are Directory Privacy users the same as my cPanel login?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. They are separate users that only open the protected folder.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sources\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Sources<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.cpanel.net\/cpanel\/files\/directory-privacy\/\">cPanel documentation: Directory Privacy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secure sensitive directories on your website by enabling password protection in cPanel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,202],"tags":[108,185,116],"class_list":["post-3561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-control-panels","category-cpanel-whm","tag-tag-cpanel","tag-php","tag-tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3561"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6967,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561\/revisions\/6967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}