How to Secure WordPress Login Page Using Cloudflare Zero Trust

WordPress powers over 40% of websites, making the login page a frequent target for cyberattacks, especially brute-force attempts and bot traffic. Traditional methods—strong passwords and two-factor authentication—are helpful, but adding Cloudflare Zero Trust offers a far more robust, identity-aware access control that shields wp-login.php before threats hit your server.

Cloudflare Zero Trust blocks brute-force attacks on wp-login.php by putting a security gate in front of your login page, requiring user authentication before the actual login screen loads.

Prerequisites

• Your WordPress site must be live and use Cloudflare DNS with proxy enabled.
• You need a Cloudflare Zero Trust account (the free tier allows up to 50 users).
• It’s best to have a list of email addresses approved to access WordPress, or decide on authentication methods (OTP, Google, etc.).

Step-by-Step Integration Guide

1. Create Cloudflare Zero Trust Account

• Log in to your Cloudflare account and sign up for a Zero Trust account.
• Follow the initial setup guidance provided by Cloudflare.

2. Access Cloudflare Zero Trust Dashboard

• Log into Cloudflare, navigate to the Zero Trust dashboard.
• Under “Access”, click on “Applications”.
• Click “Add an application” and choose “Self-hosted” since WordPress is self-hosted.

3. Configure Application Protection

• Name your application (e.g. “WordPress Login”).
• Set your domain (and subdomain if needed).
• Set what you want to protect: use /wp-login.php and /wp-admin paths.

Decide who can access:

• Create an Access Policy for approved emails.

4. Choose Login Methods

Cloudflare Zero Trust supports:

• One-Time Pin (OTP) via email.
• Identity providers (Google, Azure AD, etc.).
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.

Set up these options under the authentication settings, as preferred for your users.

Note: Free users cannot modify this section – One-Time Pin is enabled by default.

5. Deploy and Test

• Save and deploy the application.
• Open an incognito window or log out and visit /wp-login.php; Cloudflare should intercept and require authentication.
• Test using approved credentials to ensure access, and verify unauthorized access is blocked.

Conclusion

In essence, Cloudflare Zero Trust is a “front door” for your login page—if attackers don’t have the right keys (authenticated credentials), they simply cannot even attempt a password, stopping brute-force attacks cold.

If you maintain a WordPress site, this is one of the most reliable steps you can take to safeguard it for the long term.