How Do I Stop Image Hotlinking in WordPress?

Introduction

Hotlinking is a process of using another website’s image without their permission, in order to use it on your own website. Image hotlinking is a widespread problem on the web, and can be a major annoyance for website owners.

There are a few ways to stop image hotlinking in WordPress. The most effective approach depends on the type of hotlinking being used.

1. Image Hotlinking with Image Links

One common method of image hotlinking is to use image links. This is where you include an image link in your website’s content, without specifying the source.

When a visitor clicks on the image link, they are taken to the original website, where the image is loaded without the website owner’s permission.

To stop image hotlinking with image links, you need to take several steps. First, you need to ensure that your images are properly hosted.

Second, you need to ensure that your images are served from the correct location on your website. Finally, you need to ensure that your image links are properly formatted.

2. Image Hotlinking with Image Files

Another common method of image hotlinking is to include image files in your website’s content. This is where you include a file with an image extension, like .

jpg or .png, and the visitor loads the file directly from your website.

To stop image hotlinking with image files, you need to take several steps. Finally, you need to ensure that your image files are properly formatted.

3. Image Hotlinking with External Links

The final method of image hotlinking is to include external links in your website’s content. This is where you include a link to an image file, without specifying the source.

When a visitor clicks on the link, they are taken to the original website, where the image is loaded without the website owner’s permission.

To stop image hotlinking with external links, you need to take several steps. First, you need to ensure that your links are properly formatted.

Second, you need to ensure that your links are properly hosted. Finally, you need to ensure that your links are properly categorized.

Overall, the most effective way to stop image hotlinking in WordPress is to take a combination of approaches. For example, you can use image links, image files, and external links, to stop image hotlinking with image links.