How to Hide Password Protected Posts From WordPress Loop

Password-protected posts are meant to stay hidden, but WordPress still shows their titles in blog lists, archives, and search results. When someone clicks one and suddenly runs into a password screen, it can be confusing.

This doesn’t leave the best impression, especially if the content is only for clients, members, or internal use. 😓

The good news is that you can completely hide these posts from the WordPress loop (the list of posts displayed on your homepage, archives, and search results). From our testing, WPCode turned out to be the simplest and most reliable way to get this done.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a few easy ways to keep your private content truly private. We’ve tested different methods so you can remove password-protected posts without breaking your site or blocking access for the people who actually need it.

Why Hide Password-Protected Posts in WordPress?

WordPress still shows password-protected posts across your site with a “Protected” label, even though the content itself is locked. This is a problem if you want certain content to stay fully private.

Anyone without the password can still see the title, which may reveal more than you intend. It can also confuse visitors who click a post expecting content, only to see a password prompt.

On top of that, these posts can attract unwanted attention. Since the titles are visible, someone could repeatedly try different passwords to gain access – especially if the content looks valuable or sensitive.

That’s why many site owners choose to hide password-protected posts from the WordPress loop entirely. When you do this, private posts won’t appear anywhere on the front end unless someone already has access.

With that in mind, we’ll show you how to hide your password-protected posts from the WordPress loop so that other users cannot see them. Here’s a quick look at all the steps you’ll take:

• Step 1. Install a Code Snippet Plugin
• Step 2. Hide Password-Protected Posts in WordPress
• Bonus Tip: Allowing Access to Protected Posts for Specific Users
• FAQs About Hiding Password-Protected Posts in WordPress
• Other Helpful Guides for Managing a WordPress Membership Site

Let’s jump right in!

Step 1. Install a Code Snippet Plugin

To make specific changes to your site, some WordPress experts may tell you to add a custom code snippet to your theme’s functions.php file.

We don’t recommend this method because it’s not very beginner-friendly, and you risk breaking your website. Instead, you can use a code snippet plugin, like WPCode, to do the job.

WPCode is the best code snippet plugin on the market. Some of our partner brands use it to add and manage custom code snippets on their websites, and they’ve loved it.

You can find more information about the plugin in our complete WPCode review.

So, first, go ahead and install and activate the WPCode plugin.

From your WordPress dashboard, head over to Plugins » Add New Plugin.

On the next screen, you can use the search bar to look for WPCode.

Once it appears in the results, click the ‘Install Now’ button and then ‘Activate’ to start using the plugin on your site.

If you’re new to WordPress, you can check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 2. Hide Password-Protected Posts in WordPress

Once you’ve activated the plugin, navigate to Code Snippet » + Add Snippet from your WordPress admin area.

Then, simply click on the ‘Add Custom Snippet’ button within the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ section.

On the next screen, you’ll need to choose the code type for your custom snippet.

For this tutorial, we’ll need to use the ‘PHP Snippet’ option.

You’ll then be redirected to the custom code snippet editor.

From here, you’ll want to name the custom snippet first. We recommend using a clear name, like ‘Hide Password-Protected Posts.’ This will make organizing your custom code snippets easier down the line.

Next, simply add the following code to the ‘Code Preview’ box:

function wpb_password_post_filter( $where = '' ) {
    if (!is_single() && !is_admin()) {
        $where .= " AND post_password = ''";
    }
    return $where;
}
add_filter( 'posts_where', 'wpb_password_post_filter' );

This code tells WordPress to look for any posts that have a password and excludes them from the query. This ensures they don’t show up in lists like your homepage or archives, but they will still be accessible via direct links.

Here’s what it looks like in the editor:

At this point, you’ll need to toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active.’

Then, go ahead and click ‘Save Snippet.’

By default, WPCode will auto-apply the code snippet everywhere on your WordPress site.

Now, if you visit your website, you’ll see that password-protected posts are no longer visible on the homepage, archives, or in widgets like recent posts.

Keep in mind that you can still visit the post by accessing it through a direct URL.

Bonus Tip: Allowing Access to Protected Posts for Specific Users

The example above hides password-protected posts from all users. But what if you run a multi-author WordPress site and want protected posts to be viewable by users with the capability to edit private posts?

To do this, you need to edit the snippet you created in the previous step. Simply delete the code you added earlier and replace it with this new snippet:

function wpb_password_post_filter( $where = '' ) {
   if (!is_single() && !current_user_can('edit_private_posts') && !is_admin()) {
        $where .= " AND post_password = ''";
    }
    return $where;
}
add_filter( 'posts_where', 'wpb_password_post_filter' );

In this example, we check whether a user can’t edit private posts and only show the posts that don’t have passwords.

By doing so, all of the WordPress users with administrator and editor roles will see the password-protected posts on the front end of your site.

FAQs About Hiding Password-Protected Posts in WordPress

Wondering what happens when you hide password-protected posts? Here are some common questions we get from readers, along with clear answers to help you decide if this approach is right for your site.

Why would I want to hide password-protected posts in WordPress?

Hiding password-protected posts helps keep your site looking clean and professional. It also prevents unauthorized visitors from seeing that private content exists, reducing the risk of access attempts and keeping your site more secure.

Do I need to edit my theme files to hide password-protected posts?

No, you don’t need to edit theme files directly. You can use a custom code snippet, and a plugin like WPCode makes it safe and easy to add without breaking your site.

Will hiding these posts affect visibility for authorized users?

Not at all. Authorized users, such as logged-in members or users with specific roles, can still access the posts directly as long as they have the correct password or permissions.

Is WPCode the only plugin that can help with this?

WPCode is one of the easiest and most dependable options, which is why we recommend it. That said, there are other plugins available. Just be sure to choose one that’s well-maintained and compatible with your theme and other tools.

Will hiding password-protected posts affect my site’s SEO?

Hiding these posts from your homepage or archives won’t hurt your SEO. In fact, it can improve it by keeping your public-facing content more focused and relevant for search engines.

Other Helpful Guides for Managing a WordPress Membership Site

We hope this article helped you hide password-protected posts from the WordPress loop on your site.

You may also want to see our tutorials on:

• How to Show Different Menus to Logged-In Users in WordPress
• How to Change the Prefix of Private and Protected Posts in WordPress
• How to Show Excerpt of a Password-Protected Post in WordPress
• Full Post vs Summary (Excerpt) in WordPress Archive Pages
• Different Ways to Protect Content in WordPress

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