Description
This plugin protects images on your WordPress site from being copied, saved, or captured through screenshots. It achieves this by implementing various protective measures via JavaScript, ensuring that your visual content remains secure from unauthorized use.
It also includes optional EXIF privacy tools to scan and remove privacy-sensitive metadata (such as GPS location) from images in your media library.
Plugin developed by TWK media.
Important Disclaimer
While this plugin implements various protection measures, it cannot guarantee 100% protection against all possible methods of image capture or copying. EXIF privacy cleanup cannot guarantee removal of every metadata field in every image format. Due to the nature of web browsers and operating systems, determined users may find ways to circumvent these protections. This plugin should be considered as a deterrent rather than an absolute solution. We do not provide any warranty or guarantee regarding the effectiveness of the protection measures.
Features
- Prevents right-click saving of images
- Blocks keyboard shortcuts for screenshots
- Disables drag-and-drop of images
- Prevents browser-based image copying
- Optional video blur protection (Settings > Image Protection)
- Optional site-wide right-click disable (Settings > Image Protection)
- Optional EXIF privacy cleanup on upload (Settings > Image Protection)
- Media library EXIF privacy scan and batch cleanup (Media > EXIF Privacy)
- Compatible with all major browsers
Requirements
- WordPress 5.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- JavaScript enabled in the browser
- EXIF privacy features require the PHP EXIF extension; selective cleanup works best with the ImageMagick (
imagick) PHP extension
Installation
- Install the plugin either via the ww.wp.xz.cn plugin repository, or by uploading the files to your server:
- Method 1: Search for ‘Image Protection’ in WordPress > Plugins > Add New
- Method 2: Upload the plugin files to the
/wp-content/plugins/image-protectiondirectory
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
FAQ
-
How does the Image Protection plugin work?
-
The plugin uses JavaScript to implement various techniques that prevent users from copying, saving, or taking screenshots of images on your site.
-
Will this plugin affect my website’s performance?
-
The plugin is designed to be lightweight and should not significantly impact your website’s performance. EXIF scanning only runs when you start it from Media > EXIF Privacy.
-
Is this plugin compatible with all themes?
-
Yes, the Image Protection plugin is compatible with most WordPress themes. However, some themes may have custom scripts that could interfere.
-
What server requirements do the EXIF privacy features need?
-
Scanning for location and other privacy-sensitive image metadata requires the PHP EXIF extension (
exif_read_data). Removing that metadata on upload or via the EXIF Privacy tool also requires a PHP image library: ImageMagick (imagick) is recommended for selective privacy cleanup; GD can be used as a fallback but may remove all embedded metadata from JPEG files. These features are optional and disabled by default — the rest of the plugin works without them. -
Can I disable the protection for specific images?
-
Yes, you can disable protection for specific images in two ways:
-
Add the class
no-image-protectionto the image (or a parent wrapper such as<picture>):html
<img src="image.jpg" class="no-image-protection"> -
Add the data attribute
data-image-protection="false"to the image or a parent wrapper:html
<img src="image.jpg" data-image-protection="false">
-
-
Can I force protection on specific images or elements (like canvas)?
-
Yes, you can force protection on specific images or elements in two ways:
-
Add the class
force-image-protectionto the image:html
<img src="image.jpg" class="force-image-protection"> -
Add the data attribute
data-image-protection="true":html
<img src="image.jpg" data-image-protection="true">
This will ensure the image or element is protected even if it would normally be excluded (like SVG images).
-
-
Can I protect videos?
-
Yes. Go to Settings > Image Protection and enable “Apply blur protection to video elements”. This option is disabled by default so existing sites are unaffected after updating. You can also opt individual videos in or out using the same
no-image-protection,force-image-protection, anddata-image-protectionattributes used for images. -
How do I remove GPS or location data from images?
-
Go to Settings > Image Protection to enable automatic privacy metadata removal on upload, or use Media > EXIF Privacy to scan your existing library and clean flagged images in batches. Test on a staging site first.
-
How can I uninstall the plugin?
-
To uninstall, go to the Plugins page in your WordPress admin, find the Image Protection plugin, and click “Deactivate.” You can then delete it if desired.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Image Protection” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Image Protection” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.