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Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP

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Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP

by Andrea Ferro

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Description

Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP is Best all-in-one a free plug-in for all WordPress users. Deactivating this plugin will return your site configuration exactly to the state it was in before.

The Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP project implements HTTP response headers that your site can use to increase the security of your website. The plug-in will automatically set up all Best Practices (you don’t have to think about anything), these HTTP response headers can prevent modern browsers from running into easily predictable vulnerabilities. The Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP project wants to popularize and increase awareness and usage of these headers for all wordpress users.

This plugin is developed by OpenHeaders by irn3, we care about WordPress security and best practices.

Check out the best features of Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP:

  • X-XSS-Protection (Deprecated)
  • Pragma (Deprecated)
  • Public-Key-Pins (Deprecated)
  • Expect-CT (Deprecated)
  • Access-Control-Allow-Origin
  • Access-Control-Allow-Methods
  • Access-Control-Allow-Headers
  • X-Content-Security-Policy
  • X-Content-Type-Options
  • X-Frame-Options
  • X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies
  • X-Powered-By
  • Content-Security-Policy
  • Referrer-Policy
  • HTTP Strict Transport Security / HSTS
  • Content-Security-Policy
  • Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only
  • Clear-Site-Data
  • Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy-Report-Only
  • Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy-Report-Only
  • Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy
  • Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy
  • Cross-Origin-Resource-Policy
  • Permissions-Policy
  • Strict-dynamic
  • Strict-Transport-Security
  • FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts)

Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP is based on OWASP CSRF to protect your wordpress site. Using OWASP CSRF, once the plugin is installed, it will provide full CSRF mitigation without having to call a method to use nonce on the output. The site will be secure despite having other vulnerable plugins (CSRF).

HTTP security headers are a critical part of your website’s security. After automatic implementation with Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP, they protect you from the most notorious types of attacks your site might encounter. These headers protect against XSS, code injection, clickjacking, etc.

We have put a lot of effort into making the most important services operational with Content Security Policy (CSP), below are some examples that we have tested and used with Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP:

  • CSP usage for Google Tag Manager
    world’s most popular tag manager
  • Using CSP for Gravatar
    Avatar service for WordPress and Social sites
  • Using CSP for WordPress Internal Media
    support WordPress media
  • Using CSP for Youtube Embedded Video SDK
    support Youtube embedded frames and JS SDK
  • CSP usage for CookieLaw
    privacy technology to meet regulatory requirements
  • CSP usage for Mailchimp
    support for Mailchimp automation, SDK and modules
  • CSP usage for Google Analytics
    support for basic conversion domains such as: stats.g.doubleclick.net and www.google.com
  • CSP usage for Google Fonts
    you’re not loading it on the page, chances are one of your SDKs is using it
  • Using CSP for Facebook
    support Facebook SDK functionality
  • Using CSP for Stripe
    highly secure online payment system
  • Using CSP for New Relic
    it’s a registration and monitoring utility
  • Using CSP for Linkedin Tags + SDKs
    support Linkedin Insight, Linkedin Ads and SDK
  • Using CSP for OneTrust
    OneTrust support helps companies manage privacy requirements
  • CSP usage for Moat
    Moat support to measurement suite such as: ad verification, brand safety, advertising and coverage
  • CSP usage for jQuery
    support of jQuery – JS library
  • CSP usage for Twitter Widgets & SDKs
    support Connect, Widgets and the Twitter client-side SDK
  • Using CSP for Google Maps
    support Google Maps as The ggpht used by streetview
  • Using CSP for Quantcast Choice
    Quantcast support for privacy such as GDPR and CCPA
  • CSP usage for Twitter Ads & Analytics
    Twitter support for advertising and Analytics
  • Using CSP for Paypal
    PayPal support for online payment system
  • Using CSP for Drift
    Drift and Driftt support
  • CSP usage for Cookiebot
    cookie and tracker support, GDPR/ePrivacy and CCPA compliance
  • CSP usage for Vimeo Embedded Videos SDK
    support frames, JS SDK, Froogaloop integration
  • Using CSP for AppNexus (now Xandr)
    AppNexus support for custom retargeting
  • Using CSP for Mixpanel
    support analytics tool with SDK/JS to collect client-side data
  • Using CSP for Font Awesome
    toolkit support for fonts and icons over CSS and Less
  • Using CSP for Google reCAPTCHA
    reCAPTCHA support for fraud and bot protection
  • CSP usage for Bootstrap CDN
    Bootstrap support for CSS frameworks
  • Using CSP for HubSpot
    Hubspot support with many features, used for monitoring and mkt functionality
  • Using CSP for Hotjar
    Hotjar tracker support for analytics and metrics
  • Using CSP for WP.com
    support for wp.com hosting
  • Using CSP for Akamai mPulse
    support for Akamai mPulse, for origin and perimeter integrations
  • CSP usage for Cloudflare – Rocket-Loader & Mirage
    support for Mirage libraries for performance acceleration
  • Using CSP for Cloudflare – CDN.js
    Cloudflare’s open CDN support with multiple libraries
  • Using CSP for jsDelivr
    support jsDelivr free CDN for Open Source

Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP is based on the OWASP CSRF standard to protect your wordpress site. Using the OWASP CSRF standard, once the plugin is installed, you can customize CSP rules for full CSRF mitigation. The site will be secure despite having other vulnerable plugins (CSRF).

Integration with Sentry, Report URI, URIports and Datadog
Sentry is a well-known platform for monitoring and tracking errors in applications. By integrating Sentry with our plugin, users can:
* Receive detailed reports on content security policy (CSP) violations.
* Monitor and analyze JavaScript exceptions occurring on their site.
* Benefit from advanced tools for proactive troubleshooting.

Monitoring and Integration with Sentry, Datadog and URI Reports for optimal security.

All Free Features
The Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP version includes all the free features.

We have implemented FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts), using best practices. First, using Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP prevents the browser from including your site in the “cohort calculation” on FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts). This means that nothing can call document.interestCohort() to get the FLoC ID of the currently used client. Obviously, this does nothing outside of your currently visited site and does not “disable” FLoC on the client beyond that scope.

Even though FLoC is still fairly new and not yet widely supported, as programmers we think that privacy protection elements are important, so we choose to give you the feature of being opt out of FLoC! We’ve created a special “automatic blocking of FLoC” feature, trying to always offer the best tool with privacy protection and cyber security as main targets and focus.

Analyze your site before and after using Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP security headers are self-configured according to HTTP Security Headers and HTTP Strict Transport Security / HSTS best practices.

This plugin is updated periodically, our limited support is free, we are available for your feedback (bugs, compatibility issues or recommendations for next updates). We are usually fast :-D.

ITALIAN

  1. Vai in Plugin ‘Aggiungi nuovo’.
  2. Cerca Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Cerca questo plugin, scaricalo e attivalo.
  4. Vai in ‘impostazioni’ > ‘Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP’. Per personalizzare le intestazioni.
  5. Puoi cambiare questa opzione quando vuoi, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP viene impostato in automatico.

ENGLISH

  1. Go to Plugins ‘Add New’.
  2. Search for Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Search for this plugin, download and activate it.
  4. Go to ‘settings’ > ‘Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP’. To customize headers.
  5. You can change this option whenever you want, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP is set automatically.

FRANÇAIS

  1. Allez dans Plugins ‘Add new’.
  2. Recherchez Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Recherchez ce plugin, téléchargez-le et activez-le.
  4. Allez dans ‘settings’ > ‘Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP’. Pour personnaliser les en-têtes
  5. Vous pouvez modifier cette option quand vous le souhaitez, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP est réglé automatiquement.

SPANISH

  1. Ve a Plugins > Añadir nuevo.
  2. Busca Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Busca este plugin, descárgalo y actívalo.
  4. Ve a Ajustes > Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP para personalizar los encabezados.
  5. Puedes cambiar esta opción cuando desees, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP se configura automáticamente.

DEUTSCH

  1. Gehen Sie zu Plugins ‘Neu hinzufügen’.
  2. Suchen Sie nach Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Suchen Sie nach diesem Plugin, laden Sie es herunter und aktivieren Sie es.
  4. Gehen Sie zu “Einstellungen” > “Kopfzeilen Sicherheit Erweitert & HSTS WP”. So passen Sie die Kopfzeilen an
  5. Sie können diese Option jederzeit ändern, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP wird automatisch eingestellt.

PORTUGUESE

  1. Vá para Plugins > Adicionar novo.
  2. Procure por Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Procure por este plugin, baixe-o e ative-o.
  4. Vá para Configurações > Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP para personalizar os cabeçalhos.
  5. Você pode alterar esta opção sempre que desejar, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP é configurado automaticamente.

SWEDISH

  1. Gå till Plugins > Lägg till nytt.
  2. Sök efter Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP.
  3. Sök efter denna plugin, ladda ner och aktivera den.
  4. Gå till Inställningar > Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP för att anpassa rubrikerna.
  5. Du kan ändra detta alternativ när du vill, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP är inställt automatiskt.
  1. Check HTTP Security Headers (AFTER)

    Check HTTP Security Headers (AFTER)

  2. Check HTTP Security Headers (BEFORE)

    Check HTTP Security Headers (BEFORE)

  3. Check HTTP Strict Transport Security / HSTS (list)

    Check HTTP Strict Transport Security / HSTS (list)

  4. Check WebPageTest (AFTER)

    Check WebPageTest (AFTER)

  5. Check WebPageTest (BEFORE)

    Check WebPageTest (BEFORE)

  6. Setting on single site installation

    Setting on single site installation

  7. Check HTTP Security Headers - Serpworx (AFTER)

    Check HTTP Security Headers - Serpworx (AFTER)

  8. Check HTTP Security Headers - Serpworx (BEFORE)

    Check HTTP Security Headers - Serpworx (BEFORE)

  9. Site-wide security setting

    Site-wide security setting

What will Report URI monitor for me?

Report URI will monitor content security policy (CSP) violations and provide detailed reports on detected violations.

What will Datadog monitor for me?

Datadog will monitor content security policy (CSP) violations and other security and performance metrics of your site.

Where can I find my Datadog API Key?

You can find your Datadog API Key in the “API Keys” section under “Integrations” in the Datadog control panel. Once the plug-in is activated it performs a test (before and after): Manage CSP reporting with Datadog

What will Sentry monitor for me?

Sentry will monitor and log content security policy (CSP) violations and other JavaScript exceptions that occur on your site.

How can I configure Sentry integration with the plugin?

  1. Log in to your Sentry dashboard.
  2. Click on the “Projects” menu item.
  3. Select the project you have created.
  4. Click on the gear icon to open project settings.
  5. In the project settings, go to the “SDK SETUP” section.
  6. Click on “Security Headers”.
  7. Copy the automatically generated “REPORT URI” URL and paste it into the “CSP Report URI” field in the plugin settings. Example Sentry Report URI (e.g., https://<your_org>.sentry.io/api/<project_id>/security/?sentry_key=<key>).
  8. The plugin will initialize Sentry and send CSP reports to Sentry.

Manage CSP reporting with Sentry

How can I configure URIports integration with the plugin?

  1. Log in to your Sentry dashboard.
  2. Click on the “User Icon” at the top right of your screen.
  3. Click “Settings”.
  4. Add the domains you want to monitor to the “Monitored Domains” section on the settings page.
  5. Click on “Security Headers”.
  6. Copy the automatically generated “URIports” URL and paste it into the “CSP Report URI” field in the plugin settings. Example URIports Report URI (e.g., https://account-subdomain.uriports.com/reports).
  7. The plugin will initialize URIports and send CSP reports to URIports.

Manage CSP reporting with URIports

Why did you choose to integrate with Sentry, URIports, Datadog, and Report URI?

I chose Sentry, URIports, Datadog, and Report URI for integration with this plugin because they are highly reputable and functional platforms in the field of security monitoring. Here’s a brief overview of each:

Sentry

Sentry is a well-known platform for monitoring and tracking errors and exceptions in applications. It provides comprehensive tools for logging and analyzing JavaScript errors, making it an excellent choice for monitoring Content Security Policy (CSP) violations. By integrating with Sentry, users can benefit from detailed error reports and proactive issue resolution.

Datadog

Datadog is a powerful platform for monitoring infrastructure, applications, and logs. It offers extensive capabilities for tracking security and performance metrics, including CSP violations. The integration with Datadog allows users to gain insights into the health and security of their websites, providing real-time monitoring and alerting features that are essential for maintaining a secure and performant environment.

Report URI

Report URI is a dedicated service for collecting and analyzing security violation reports, including CSP, HPKP, and other security headers. It is designed specifically to handle large volumes of security reports and provide detailed analytics and visualizations. By using Report URI, users can easily monitor and analyze CSP violations, helping them to quickly identify and mitigate potential security threats.

Each of these platforms offers unique strengths and capabilities, making them ideal choices for comprehensive security monitoring and reporting. By integrating with these well-established services, we aim to provide users with reliable and effective tools to enhance the security of their WordPress websites.

URIports

URIports is a well-known platform for monitoring and tracking errors and exceptions in applications. It provides comprehensive tools for logging and analyzing JavaScript errors, making it an excellent choice for monitoring Content Security Policy (CSP) violations. By integrating with URIports, users can benefit from detailed error reports and proactive issue resolution.

Can I view CSP reports directly in Sentry?

Yes, all CSP reports will be sent to Sentry, where you can view and analyze them in the Sentry control panel.

How do you get an A+ grade?

To earn an A+ grade, your site must issue all HTTP response headers that we check. This indicates a high level of commitment to improving the security of your visitors.

What headers are recommended?

Over an HTTP connection we get Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options and X-XSS-Protection. Via an HTTPS connection, 2 additional headers are checked for presence which are Strict-Transport-Security and Public-Key-Pins.

Can the plugin create slowdowns?

No, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP is Fast, Secure and does not affect the SEO and speed of your website.

Content Security Policy (CSP) – Best Practices

When writing your CSP directives in the plugin settings, please follow these rules to avoid invalid configurations:

1. Always use single quotes ' for CSP keywords

CSP keywords must always use straight ASCII single quotes:

  • ‘self’
  • ‘none’
  • ‘unsafe-inline’
  • ‘unsafe-eval’
  • ‘strict-dynamic’

These are required by the CSP specification.

2. Never use double quotes " inside the CSP

Double quotes are used only outside the policy (for example by Apache when setting headers), not inside the CSP syntax.
Using double quotes inside the policy may break the .htaccess configuration.

3. Do not use “smart quotes” or curly quotes (‘ ’ “ ”)

Smart quotes often appear when copying text from Word, Google Docs, PDFs, email clients, or mobile keyboards. These characters are invalid in CSP and may cause the browser to reject the policy or Apache to return HTTP 500 errors.

The plugin automatically converts smart quotes to standard quotes, but it is recommended to avoid them when writing your policy.

5. What happens if a user enters an invalid CSP?

Starting from version 5.2.4, the plugin automatically:
– Normalizes curly quotes to ASCII quotes
– Replaces invalid double quotes inside the CSP
– Prevents malformed CSP syntax from breaking .htaccess
– Falls back to the built-in default CSP if the input is clearly invalid

This ensures that even incorrect CSP input will not cause the site to crash.

What is HSTS (Strict Transport Security)?

It was created as a solution to force the browser to use secure connections when a site is running on HTTPS. It is a security header that is added to the web server and reflected in the response header as Strict-Transport-Security. HSTS is important because it addresses the following anomalies:

Check before and after using Preload HSTS

This step is important to submit your website and/or domain to an approved HSTS list. Google officially compiles this list and it is used by Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, IE11 and Edge. You can forward your site to the official HSTS preload directory. (‘https://hstspreload.org/’)

how to use HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

If you want to use Preload HSTS for your site, there are a few requirements before you can activate it.

  • Have a valid SSL certificate. You can’t do any of this anyway without it.
  • You must redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS (recommended via permanent 301 redirects). This means that your site should be HTTPS only.
  • You need to serve all subdomains in HTTPS as well. If you have subdomains, you will need an SSL certificate.

The HSTS header on your base domain (for example: example.com) is already configured you just need to activate the plug-in.

If you want to check the HSTS status of your site, you can do so here: https://hstspreload.org/

Can I report a bug or request a feature?

You can report bugs or request new features right support@openheaders[dot]org

Disable FLoC, Google’s advertising technology

FLoC is a mega tracker that monitors user activity on all sites, stores the information in the browser, and then uses machine learning to place users into cohorts with similar interests. This way, advertisers can target groups of people with similar interests. Plus, according to Google’s own testing, FLoC achieves at least 95% more conversions than cookies.

Who is disabling FLoC by Google?

Scott Helme reported that as of May 3, already 967 of the first 1 million domains had disabled FLoC’s interest-cohort in their Permissions-Policy header. That list included some big sites like The Guardian and IKEA.

Do you use CloudFlare and the Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP plugin?

Are you experiencing any anomalies after a plugin update? If yes, please follow these instructions: clear the cache directly to the CloudFlare Client Area

  • Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard, and select your account and domain.
  • Select Caching > Configuration.
  • Under Cache Purge, select Custom Purge. The custom purge window will be displayed.
  • Under Purge by, select URL.
  • Enter the appropriate values in the text field using the format shown in the example.
  • Run through the additional instructions to complete the form.
  • Review the data entered.
  • Click Delete.

This will cause the cloudFlare

Great plugin, a must have

By pikapower on November 19, 2025

I was tired of changing htaccess every time and still didn't get a good score for my security header. At last I found this plugin and it works great! Also the support from Andrea is phenomenal!

Thanks for your help and this plugin!

A must for all WP sites

By e_guardia on November 6, 2025

An essential plugin for all of our sites, just install it and it works. Big thanks to the developer for improving everyone's security.

Awesome!

By openitmvergara on September 20, 2025

This saved my day. After trying with .htaccess, nginx, etc. I found this and Voala!

Perfect

By Pirenko on August 27, 2025

Works just fine and it's easy to customize!

Excellent Plugin

By Aussiesj on August 24, 2025

Works straight out the box, no skill required. Highly recommended!

Nicely configurable - excellent performance

By sgasson on May 13, 2025

I was using Really Simple Security, but the free version kept reporting header errors. This plugin fixed them all. It's really simple to set up.

PLUS, when I check the headers (on the Security Headers by snyk website) this plugin allows me to configure all the parameters I need to fix things. Really impressed!

just works. beautiful

By amirse on May 6, 2025

Just installed it, activated, went to securityheaders.com, and voila - A+

fantastic.

Simple and efficient

By Tibow (Pyho) on February 12, 2025

Amazingly simple and efficient. WordPress should include it natively in his core version !

Excelente plugin y sorprendente soporte 💖

By asianshopperu on December 2, 2024

El plugin es realmente sencillo de instalar y usar, se configura realmente muy poco y tu sitio queda seguro. Lo sorprendente fue que reporté un bug y en menos de 4 horas lo solucionaron con mucha amabilidad, y pude probarlo y funcionó al 100%. Lo increíble es que nadie había reportado este error, que aunque menor y no afectaba al funcionamiento, si era molesto si usas Query Monitor como yo.

Easy to use!

By nealumphred on November 30, 2024

Easy to use and every site should probably have this plugin.

Keep on keepin' on ...

5.2.4

I don’t want to tell you what to do, but here’s the thing: When you update the Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP plugin, you don’t just click a button, you enter a world of enhanced security and performance.

With version 5.2.4, I have gone above and beyond to ensure that your experience is nothing short of exceptional. I have eliminated numerous bugs, improved annoying pixels, and updated the graphics in a sleek and modern way. The result? A plugin that not only looks great, but works even better.

But that’s not all. This update brings seamless integration with the industry’s leading security monitoring platforms-Sentry, Datadog, and Report URI. These integrations offer enhanced reporting capabilities, providing detailed information on content security policy (CSP) violations and improving site security.

  • Added: Link for external support in the plugin’s action list (under the Plugin section).
  • Added: Support for multiple languages in the configuration process.
  • Fixed: When the plugin is deactivated, custom settings are retained and not lost.
  • Fixed: Fixed an issue with the display of the donation link in some WordPress environments.
  • Fixed: Added protection against malformed CSP values containing double quotes (“”) which could break the .htaccess configuration and cause HTTP 500 errors.
  • Fixed: Corrected quote handling in the Permissions-Policy directive to prevent 500 errors in Apache.
  • Improved: Code optimization for better compatibility with WordPress version 6.0.
  • Improved: Improved overall robustness of CSP parsing to avoid site downtime caused by incorrect user input.
  • New: We are adding a new external support system to improve the speed and effectiveness of responses.

By updating to 5.2.4, you’re not just improving your site’s security – you’re optimizing it with the best tools available. Our goal is to provide you with the most beautiful, fastest, and most impressive plugin experience around. So, shall we get started? Hit “update” and step into a new era of security and performance with Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP. Enjoy the upgrade!

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