Plugiva ClientGuard – Safe WordPress for Clients
Plugiva ClientGuard simplifies and protects the WordPress admin by reducing risky operations and helping prevent unintended changes.
It adds practical guardrails to sensitive areas by reducing access to risky operations and settings that are rarely needed in day-to-day site management.
With one-click Client Mode, you can protect plugins, themes, and critical settings while keeping the admin area clean and usable.
You can also lock Client Mode via configuration to prevent it from being disabled from the admin interface:
define( 'PCGD_LOCK_CLIENT_MODE', true );
This can be added in wp-config.php or defined programmatically in custom code.
When enabled, Client Mode is forced on and cannot be turned off from the dashboard, ensuring consistent protection.
Client Mode also governs WordPress AI and Connector administration areas when available.
Lock Appearance Management restricts Appearance-related administration, including Menus, Widgets, Customizer, and Site Editor access.
Instead of blocking access aggressively, ClientGuard applies smart guardrails, allowing users to work freely without breaking important parts of your site.
ClientGuard is ideal for:
- Site owners managing their own WordPress site
- Developers handing off sites to clients
- Teams that want a simplified and safer admin experience
Client Mode
Enable Client Mode to instantly apply safe defaults:
- Restricts plugin installation, deletion, and editing
- Prevents theme switching and theme management changes
- Restricts Appearance management (Menus, Widgets, Customizer, and Site Editor)
- Protects critical site settings and homepage assignments
- Governs WordPress AI and Connector administration areas when available
- Hides selected administrative areas to simplify the dashboard
- Protects important content from unintended edits
- Hides the ACF admin area automatically when ACF is active
Individual Protections
If Client Mode is not enabled, each protection can be managed independently.
- Lock Theme Switching – Prevents switching, installing, deleting, and editing themes.
- Lock Appearance Management – Restricts Appearance management capabilities, including Menus, Widgets, Customizer, and Site Editor access.
- Lock Plugin Installation – Prevents installing, deleting, and editing plugins.
- Allow Plugin Activation – Allows administrators to activate or deactivate installed plugins while installation protections remain in place.
- Protect Site URLs – Protects selected site configuration areas such as permalink management.
- Content Protection – Prevents editing of selected pages.
- Menu Hiding – Removes selected administrative menus from the dashboard interface.
Key Features
- One-click Client Mode for instant admin protection
- Optional configuration lock for Client Mode
- WordPress AI and Connector governance support
- Compatible with modern WordPress operational workflows
- ACF-aware administration controls
- Safe defaults with no changes on activation
- Clean uninstall with no leftover settings
What This Plugin Is NOT
- Not a security or firewall plugin
- Not a role or permission editor
- Not designed to block administrators entirely
Plugiva ClientGuard focuses on preventing mistakes, not enforcing restrictions.
Developer Hooks
Plugiva ClientGuard includes developer-friendly hooks for customizing certain behaviors, such as modifying admin notice messages. Additional hooks may be introduced in future versions.