Hi @martje65,
That is a great suggestion for consistency. Since we added it to the Whitelist tab, it makes total sense to have it on the Blocked IPs tab too.
Why it’s not there yet (Complexity):
Importing a massive Blocklist is technically more complex than a Whitelist because it triggers many background processes:
- We have to validate every IP.
- We have to sync them to Cloudflare (if enabled).
- We have to write them to .htaccess (if enabled).
Doing this for 5,000 IPs at once via a simple text paste could timeout the server or hit API limits.
Current Solution:
As you know, you can use the main Import/Export tab (Security > Settings > Import / Export) and select “Export Full Backup”. This JSON file includes your entire Blocked IPs list, current configuration, and API keys (Important: Some API keys are unique to each site.). You can import this file on another site to transfer everything perfectly.
Future Plan:
We are working on a safe “Bulk Import” for Blocked IPs that handles these synchronizations in small batches to avoid crashing the server. Expect to see it in a future update (v8.9+)!
Best regards,
Advanced IP Blocker Team
Hi @martje65,
Great news! We loved your suggestion so much that our development team prioritized it and we managed to deliver it much faster than we originally anticipated.
We have just released Version 8.8.7, which now fully includes the Bulk Import & Export Blocked IPs feature! 🎉
You can now go to the Blocked IPs tab and click the new “Bulk Import” button. We’ve designed it to be as robust and safe as possible:
- Dual Input Methods: You can upload a
.csv (plugin generated) file or simply paste a list of IPs/CIDR ranges directly into the text box.
- Smart & Safe Defaults: By default, imported blocks are set to expire in 24 hours (though you can change this to 1 Hour, 7 Days, 30 Days, or Permanent). This prevents your database from growing infinitely with permanent bans that you might forget about.
- Perfect Synchronization: The new engine safely handles the backend synchronization with your Server-Level Firewall (
.htaccess) and Cloud Edge Defense (Cloudflare) without crashing your server.
- New Filter Type: All imported IPs are tagged as
Bulk Import so you can easily filter them in the list.
Thank you again for the excellent feedback. It’s suggestions like yours that help us make Advanced IP Blocker better for everyone.
Please update to v8.8.7 and let us know what you think!
Best regards,
Advanced IP Blocker Team
Thanks for the update @inilerm it looks very good.
Dear @inilerm
I have tested the bulk import but if you use the bulk import buton the IP’s are not going to the .htaccess File.
If you use the Manually Block IP buton the ip’s are going to the .htaccess File.
== Upgrade Notice ==
= 8.8.8 =
CRITICAL UPDATE: Fixes a .htaccess synchronization bug with the Bulk Import tool. Update immediately to ensure imported IPs are actively blocking threats at the server level.
Thanks for the update @inilerm now it works.
