How to Set Up Hotlink Protection in cPanel

Hotlink protection is a crucial security feature that prevents other websites from directly linking to your images, videos, or files—essentially stealing your bandwidth. When another site hotlinks your content, it loads your files from your server, which can slow down your site and increase hosting costs. This guide will walk you through how to set up hotlink protection in Bluehost’s cPanel, helping you safeguard your digital assets and maintain optimal website performance.

• Understanding Hotlink Protection
• Set up Hotlink Protection in cPanel
  • Customize Fields
• Summary

Understanding Hotlink Protection

Hotlinking occurs when another website embeds your media (like images or videos) by linking directly to your server. This uses your bandwidth without permission and makes it appear your content is hosted on their site. Enabling hotlink protection ensures that only authorized domains can access your files, effectively stopping this type of bandwidth theft.

Set up Hotlink Protection in cPanel

Follow these steps to enable hotlink protection in your Bluehost-hosted cPanel account:

1. Log in to your Bluehost cPanel.
2. Navigate to the Security section and click on the Hotlink Protection icon.
   
3. Click Enable to activate hotlink protection.
   
4. Hotlink Protection is now enabled.

Customize Fields

1. URLs to Allow Access - Add the domains you want to permit access to your files (e.g., yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com). This ensures your site can still display your media.
2. Block direct access for these extensions - Specify the file types you want to protect (e.g., .jpg, .png, .gif, .mp4, .pdf).
3. Allow direct requests - Check this box if you want users to access files by typing the URL directly into their browser.
4. Redirect request to this URL - If direct requests are not allowed, you can redirect unauthorized attempts to a custom URL (e.g., a 403 error page or your homepage).
   
5. Click Submit.

Summary

Setting up hotlink protection in cPanel is a simple yet powerful way to prevent bandwidth theft and protect your website’s media files from unauthorized use. By configuring the right settings, you ensure that only approved domains can access your content, keeping your resources secure and your site running smoothly.