How to Add HTTP Security Headers in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide)

Do you want to add HTTP security headers in WordPress?

HTTP security headers allow you to add an extra layer of security to your WordPress website. They can help block common malicious activity from affecting your website performance.

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll show you how to easily add HTTP security headers in WordPress.

What are HTTP Security Headers?

HTTP security headers are a security measure that allows your website’s server to prevent some common security threats before it affects your website.

Basically, when a user visits your website, your web server sends an HTTP header response back to their browser. This response tells browsers about error codes, cache control, and other statuses.

The normal header response issues a status called HTTP 200. After which your website loads in the user’s browser. However, if your website is having difficulty then your web server may send a different HTTP header.

For example, it may send a 500 internal server error, or a not found 404 error code.

HTTP security headers are a subset of these headers and are used to prevent websites from common threats like click-jacking, cross-site scripting, brute force attacks, and more.

Let’s have a quick glance at what HTTP security headers look like and what they do to protect your website.

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) header tells web browsers that your website uses HTTPs and should not be loaded using insecure protocol like HTTP.

If you have moved your WordPress website from HTTP to HTTPs, then this security header allows you to stop browsers from loading your website on HTTP.

X-XSS Protection

X-XSS Protection header allows you to block cross-site scripting from loading on your WordPress website.

X-Frame-Options

X-Frame-Options security header prevents cross-domain iframes or click-jacking.

X-Content-Type-Options

X-Content-Type-Options blocks content mime-type sniffing.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily add HTTP security headers in WordPress.

Adding HTTP Security Headers in WordPress

HTTP security headers work best when they are set at the web server level (i.e your WordPress hosting account). This allows them to be triggered early on during a typical HTTP request and provides maximum benefit.

They work even better if you are using a DNS-level website application firewall like Sucuri or Cloudflare. We’ll show you each method, and you can choose one that works best for you.

Here are quick links to different methods, you can jump to the one that suits you.

• Adding HTTP security headers using Sucuri
• Adding HTTP security headers using Cloudflare
• Adding HTTP security headers using .htaccess
• Adding HTTP security headers using WordPress Plugin
• Testing HTTP security headers

1. Adding HTTP Security Headers in WordPress using Sucuri

Sucuri is the best WordPress security plugin on the market. If you are using their website firewall service too, then you can set HTTP security headers without writing any code.

First, you will need to sign up for a Sucuri account. It is a paid service that comes with a sever level website firewall, security plugin, CDN, and malware removal guarantee.

During sign up, you will answer simple questions, and Sucuri documentation will help you set up the website application firewall on your website.

After signing up, you need to install and activate the free Sucuri plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to Sucuri Security » Firewall (WAF) page and enter your Firewall API key. You can find this information under your account on Sucuri website.

Click on the Save button to store your changes.

Next, you need to switch to your Sucuri account dashboard. From here, click on the Settings menu on top and then switch to the Security tab.

From here you can choose three sets of rules. The default protection, HSTS, and HSTS Full. You will see which HTTP security headers will be applied for each set of rules.

Click on the ‘Save Changes in The Additional Headers’ button to apply your changes.

That’s all, Sucuri will now add your selected HTTP security headers in WordPress. Since it is a DNS level WAF, your website traffic is protected from hackers even before they reach your website.

2. Adding HTTP Security Headers in WordPress using Cloudflare

Cloudflare offers a basic free website firewall and CDN service. It lacks advanced security features in their free plan, so you will need to upgrade to their Pro plan which are more expensive.

To add Cloudflare on your site, see our tutorial on how to add Cloudflare free CDN in WordPress.

Once Cloudflare is active on your website, go to the SSL/TLS page under your Cloudflare account dashboard and then switch to the Edge Certificates tab.

Now, scroll down to the HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) section and click on the ‘Enable HSTS’ button.

This will bring up a popup with instructions telling you that you must have HTTPS enabled on your WordPress blog before using this feature. Click on the Next button to continue, and you will see the options to add HTTP security headers.

From here, you can enable HSTS, no-sniff header, apply HSTS to subdomains (if they are using HTTPS), and preload HSTS.

This method provides basic protection using HTTP security headers. However, it does not let you add X-Frame-Options and Cloudflare doesn’t have a user interface to do that.

You can still do that by creating a script using the Workers feature. However, creating an HTTPS security header script may cause unexpected issues for beginners which is why we wouldn’t recommend it.

3. Adding HTTP Security Headers in WordPress using .htaccess

This method allows you to set the HTTP security headers in WordPress at the server level.

It requires you to edit the .htaccess file on your website. It is a server configuration file used by the most commonly used Apache webserver software.

Simply connect to your website using an FTP client, or the file manager app in your hosting control panel. In the root folder of your website, you need to locate the .htaccess file and edit it.

This will open the file in a plain text editor. At the bottom of the file, you can add the code to add HTTPS security headers to your WordPress website.

You can use the following sample code as a starting point, it sets the most commonly used HTTPs security headers with optimal settings:

<ifModule mod_headers.c>
Header set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" env=HTTPS
Header set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
Header set X-Content-Type-Options nosniff
Header set X-Frame-Options DENY
Header set Referrer-Policy: no-referrer-when-downgrade
</ifModule>

Don’t forget to save your changes and visit your website to make sure that everything is working as expected.

Note: Incorrect headers or conflicts in .htaccess file may trigger 500 Internal server error on most web hosts.

4. Adding HTTP Security Headers in WordPress using Plugin

This method is a little less effective as it relies on a WordPress plugin to modify the headers. However, it is also the easiest way to add HTTP security headers to your WordPress website.

First, you need to install and activate the Redirection plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the plugin will show a set up wizard that you can just follow along to set up the plugin. After that, go to Tools » Redirection page and switch to the ‘Site’ tab.

Next, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page to the HTTP Headers section and click on the ‘Add Header’ button. From the drop-down menu, you need to select ‘Add Security Presets’ option.

After that, you will need to click on it again to add those options. Now, you will see a preset list of HTTP security headers appear in the table.

These headers are optimized for security, you can review them and change them if needed. Once you are done, don’t forget to click on the Update button to save your changes.

You can now visit your website to make sure that everything is working fine.

How to Check HTTP Security Headers for a Website

Now that, you have added HTTP Security headers to your website. You can test your configuration using the free Security Headers tool. Simply enter your website URL and click on the Scan button.

It will then check HTTP security headers for your website and will show you a report. The tool would generate a so-called grade label which you can ignore as most websites would get a B or C score at best without affecting user experience.

It will show you which HTTP security headers are sent by your website and which security headers are not included. If the security headers that you wanted to set are listed there, then you are done.

That’s all, we hope this article helped you learn how to add HTTP security headers in WordPress. You may also want to see our complete WordPress security guide, and our expert pick of the best WordPress plugins for business websites.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add HTTP Security Headers in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide) appeared first on WPBeginner.

March 30, 2021 at 04:00PM

How to Add Subscriptions to WooCommerce (Free Alternative)

Do you want to add subscriptions to WooCommerce in WordPress?

Adding subscriptions lets you offer memberships, create premium content, and generate consistent revenue for your business.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add recurring subscriptions to WooCommerce using multiple methods.

Why Add Subscriptions to WooCommerce?

There are many benefits to adding WooCommerce subscriptions to your WordPress site.

First, it helps to automate the billing process and saves you a lot of time. You don’t have to manually invoice your customers every single month.

By adding subscription payments to your ecommerce business, you’ll have more consistent cash flow, fewer payment errors, and less payment delays.

It also gives you more flexibility in the type of ecommerce site you can create.

• A recurring physical product subscription like Dollar Shave Club
• A members only online store, like a virtual version of Costco
• A curated membership box like Stitch Fix

That being said, let’s take a look at how to add subscriptions to WooCommerce.

We’ll cover multiple ways to add subscriptions to WooCommerce, and you can choose the one that works best for your business.

• Add WooCommerce Subscriptions (Paid Option)
• Add WooCommerce Subscriptions (with a Free Plugin)
• Add WooCommserce Subscriptions for Memberships and Courses

Method 1. Add WooCommerce Subscriptions (Paid Option)

This method is easier and recommended for most WooCommerce store owners.

For this, we’ll be using the official WooCommerce Subscriptions extension.

This extension is built by the team behind WooCommerce. It allows you to create and manage subscription products and create recurring payments.

You’ll be able to do things like create subscriptions for digital and physical products, create monthly subscription boxes, yearly software packages, and more.

The easiest way to get started with WooCommerce Subscriptions is to sign up for Bluehost WooCommerce hosting.

Bluehost has agreed to offer an exclusive discount for our readers that also includes the $199 WooCommerce subscription extension for free.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Aside from free WooCommerce subscriptions, this Bluehost plan also comes with close to $1000 worth of premium extensions for free including Online Bookings & Appointments, Jetpack Premium, and more.

This is why they’re among the top WooCommerce hosting providers in our list.

Once you sign up for hosting, both WooCommerce and the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension will be automatically installed.

After that, you can easily add subscriptions to any WooCommerce products in to your online store.

You’ll have an option in your WooCommerce product editing page where you can set your subscription settings.

For more help with WooCommerce, see our ultimate WooCommerce tutorial.

Method 2. Add WooCommerce Subscriptions (with a Free Plugin)

This method is for store owners on a budget who want to add subscriptions to WooCommerce for free.

To do this, we’ll use the YITH WooCommerce Subscription plugin. This free plugin lets you simply add subscriptions for simple, digital, or downloadable products.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After the plugin is installed and activated, you’ll have a new menu item called ‘YITH’ in your WordPress dashboard.

Navigate to YITH » Subscriptions and select ‘Settings’ and make sure the ‘Enable Subscription’ box is set to ‘Yes.’

Next, open a product you want to turn into a subscription by navigating to Products » All Products.

Then, select your subscription product.

After that, go to the ‘Product data’ box and check the ‘Subscription’ check box.

This will add a new option where you can set the subscription price and maximum length of the subscription.

Once you’ve added your subscription settings, make sure you save your product by clicking the ‘Update’ button.

Now, when your visitors purchase a product, they’ll have the subscription payment option.

Method 3. Add WooCommerce Subscriptions for Memberships and Courses

Are you creating a membership site or selling online courses and want to set up subscription payments for your visitors?

This is where MemberPress comes in. It’s the best WordPress membership plugin in the market.

You can sell subscriptions, online courses, premium content, and digital downloads with this plugin.

To add membership subscriptions, first, you’ll need to create your membership website. To get started, see our step by step guide on creating a WordPress membership site.

After that, you can add recurring subscription memberships with MemberPress.

To do this, see our step by step guide on how to accept recurring payments in WordPress.

Once you’ve set up subscription memberships, you can assign your WooCommerce products to your memberships.

This allows you to hide specific products and make users sign up for a membership to view your products or make a purchase.

To do this, navigate to MemberPress » Rules and click ‘Add New’.

Next, under the ‘Rule Options’ setting, select ‘All Products’ from the drop down list.

Then, select the membership level you want to give access to the products. In this case, we’re only giving our ‘Monthly Subscription’ members access to the products in our store.

Once you’ve made these changes make sure to save your changes by clicking ‘Save Rule’.

You can also use MemberPress as full LMS plugin to create courses. Aside from membership, MemberPress is also the best WordPress LMS plugin in the market.

It lets you simply create online courses with an immersive learning experience. With their course addon, you can drip feed content, add engagement triggers to keep your students active, all with an easy to use drag and drop builder.

The courses feature work seamlessly with any WordPress theme, and their class room mode feature is our favorite because it offers a distraction free learning experience.

Once your customers sign up for a membership level in MemberPress, they’ll be automatically enrolled in your courses. You can even bundle your courses together for a discount and sell course access as a recurring subscription.

We hoped this article helped you add subscriptions to WooCommerce. You may also want to see our list of the best WooCommerce plugins for your store and our ultimate guide on WooCommerce SEO.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Subscriptions to WooCommerce (Free Alternative) appeared first on WPBeginner.

March 29, 2021 at 03:30PM

6 Best Video Editing Software of 2021 Compared (Easy & Powerful)

Are you looking for the best video editing software?

Video editing software lets you create professional videos for your WordPress site, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media channels.

In this article, we’ve hand-picked some of the best video editing software that you can use to easily create videos. We have used these tools to create YouTube videos that have gotten over 500 million views.

Why is Choosing the Best Video Editing Software Important?

It’s no secret that video content is taking over the world.

We all use streaming services like Netflix, video-focused social media networks like TikTok, IGTV, and Snapchat. Plus, there’s YouTube, the second largest search engine in the world.

The right video editing software can help you in a lot of ways:

• Start a YouTube channel and make money online
• Embed videos into WordPress and improve your reader engagement
• Create stunning social media videos to grow your social followings
• Create engaging video social media ads

Picking the right video editing software and learning the tool’s ins and outs can transform your WordPress website and online presence.

You can use it to create professional quality videos for your YouTube channel, Facebook ads, Instagram profile, and more.

Over the last 10 years, we have tried all the popular video software in our quest to grow our YouTube channels. The WPBeginner channel has over 233,000 subscribers on YouTube.

We had another channel that we grew to 2.5 million subscribers and 500 million subscribers before selling it in 2018.

While we’re not video pros, we have learnt a few things over the years.

Here are the most important things you’ll need to consider when choosing the best video editing software:

• The type of videos you’re going to create
• The kind of computer you’re using (Apple or Windows)
• The video file types you’re going to be editing
• The transitions and effects you want to apply
• Your existing skillset with video editing

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the best video editing software in the market today.

1. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is the best all-around video editing software. It’s the industry standard for professionals in Hollywood, television, and is even used by popular YouTubers.

It’s cross platform compatible and works on both Mac and Windows.

If you’re already an Adobe user and are using other products like, Photoshop, After Effects, or Adobe Stock, then it makes sense to use Premiere Pro since it integrates with the other products seamlessly.

It supports the latest 4K, 8K, and VR video formats and can handle multi-angle shots. It also has advanced trimming and editing tools to give you high levels of control.

There are robust color grading, color correction, and compositing features. Plus, there’s chroma key options to remove backgrounds for green screen videos.

You can import from virtually any source or format, and you have an unlimited number of video tracks to flex your creativity.

You’ll even find automated tools with the Adobe Sensei technology, which works to help speed up the editing process.

Finally, there are a ton of exporting options. You can easily export directly to YouTube, Vimeo, and more.

Note: If you want a more affordable and beginner-friendly tool, then Adobe Premiere Elements is a great choice.

Beyond the video editing tools, there’s a wealth of audio editing tools as well. The sound panel comes equipped with features and effects like reverb, compression, amplification, stereo balance, and more.

You can subscribe to Adobe Premiere Pro by itself for $239.88 per year. Or you can purchase the entire Creative Cloud suite ($52.99 per month) which gives you access to all 20+ Adobe apps including Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, all Adobe Pro fonts, and collaboration tools.

The creative suite is great value and that’s what we use for our business.

Expert Review: We believe Adobe Premiere Pro is best overall video editing software.

2. Camtasia

Camtasia is primarily known for its screen recording features, but you’ll also find powerful video editing functionality.

The combination of screen recording and editing tools makes it perfect for creating YouTube tutorials, online course lessons, how-to videos, product reviews, and more.

You’ll find a library of video templates you can use to easily create the exact kind of video that you want.

The process for editing videos is very straightforward. Just use the drag and drop editor to edit your video and add animations and transition effects quickly.

There’s also an integration with PowerPoint to help you create captivating presentations and tutorials. You’ll even find cool interactive features like quizzes that you can add to your videos.

You can use the iPhone app to record videos on your phone and edit them using the software. This is great if you’re creating mobile tutorial videos or walkthroughs.

Camtasia offers an individual plan for $249.99, which gives you access to all features and is compatible with both Windows and Mac.

Larger teams can purchase the business license, and there are both education, government, and non-profit discounts available.

Expert Review: We believe Camtasia is best video editing software for online course creators and how-to video editors.

Several of our team members use Camtasia to create screencast tutorial videos for our products.

3. Promo

Promo is a great online video editor perfect for making marketing videos. It’s incredibly easy to use. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can put together promotional content quickly and simply.

If you get stuck when coming up with Instagram video ideas or video ads for Facebook and YouTube, then this tool is for you.

It only takes a couple of clicks to create an engaging video ready to post online. It’s super easy.

All you have to do is choose your campaign type or industry, select from one of 5 million templates, then add customizable animations, video clips, and text. You can even see your changes in real-time.

You’ll find templates in industries like business, real estate, marketing, travel, ecommerce, and recruiting and HR.

Plus, specialized templates for marketing tasks like promo videos, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, YouTube Ads, and LinkedIn ads.

For those who want more creative control, you can start from scratch with a blank template.

The Basic plan starts at $49 per month.

If you create a lot of marketing videos, then the Standard plan gives you access to unlimited premium clips and video downloads, plus you can add watermark to your videos for $99 per month.

The premium plans also give you access to an iOS or Android mobile app, which lets you create videos on the go.

Expert Review: We believe Promo is the best video editor for creating and editing marketing videos. It’s great for business owners, marketers, and non-techy users.

4. Wondershare Filmora

Filmora by Wondershare is a very simple and easy to use video editing software. It has a short learning curve, so it’s perfect for those just getting started with video editing.

Even if you’ve never used a video editing software before, you can use this intuitive and easy to navigate editor to create your first video.

As your skills improve, you can take advantage of the advanced editing features this tool offers such as noise removal, speed control, color tuning, and more.

You’ll also find a library of visual effects and built-in titles that are designed with YouTubers in mind. There’s also a library of royalty-free music and sound effects you can use in your videos.

The most recent release added features like motion graphics, color matching, and a keyboard shortcuts editor to help you create your own time saving workflows.

There’s also a free mobile app for editing videos on the go, and simply uploading to Instagram or YouTube.

The premium version costs $69.99 for a lifetime payment, or you can choose to pay $44.99 per year.

There is a free version available, which has all the same features as the paid version. But, your videos will have their company watermark present.

If you want unlimited downloads from the stock film library, then there’s a Bundle plan for $104.87 per year.

Expert Review: We believe Wondershare Filmora is the best beginner-friendly video editing software.

5. Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is the best video editing software for macOS used by over 2 million people. This tool is very easy to use, despite being so powerful.

Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro offer a nearly identical set of features. The big difference is Final Cut Pro X isn’t Windows compatible.

It’s equipped with advanced functionality to help you edit videos faster like, Smart Conform cropping, which will ensure that no essential scenes get cut.

There are grouping tools, organization features, animation templates, transitions, and a library of video effects. Plus, built-in audio editing features.

If you’re going to post videos to Facebook or YouTube, then you can use the export feature to automatically optimize and set the right aspect ratio for these platforms.

Since Final Cut Pro isn’t subscription-based, it offers you a simpler pricing model. Pay a one time fee of $299.99 and access the software forever.

Expert Review: We believe Final Cut Pro is the best video editing program for Mac users.

6. CyberLink PowerDirector 365

CyberLink PowerDirector 365 is feature-rich high-end video editing software. However, it doesn’t carry the high price tag of tools with a similar set of features.

You’ll find functionality like a 100-track timeline, video correction tools, motion tracking, support for multi-cam editing, and stabilization features (great for GoPro footage).

It also has support for 360-degree video editing and nearly all file formats and file types.

Beyond the standard professional video editing features, there are additional features and pre-made templates for creating slideshows, DVD menus, and even screen recording.

Now, the tool isn’t the most intuitive for beginners. However, there is a massive video tutorial library to help you use the software.

This software starts at $19.99 per month, or you can pay $51.99 for the year, which is $4.33 monthly.

Expert Review: We believe CyberLink PowerDirector 365 is the best for users who need advanced features, but have a small budget.

Which is the Best Video Editing Software for You?

After carefully researching and testing the top video editing software, we believe that Adobe Premiere Pro is the best video editing software in the market.

It’s the industry leading software used for everything from Hollywood productions to YouTube videos and everything in-between.

It has every feature you could want and plenty of tutorials for beginners who are just getting started using the software.

If you’re looking for creating guided video tutorials (screencasts + video), then Camtasia is the best cross-platform video editing software for screen recording.

If you’re looking for an easy tool for creating promo videos for social media ads or marketing campaigns, then Promo.com comes with a lot of templates. It’s made for marketers & non-techies.

Aside from the top video editing software in our list, we also looked at other video editing software like Corel VideoStudio, DaVinci Resolve, Pinnacle Studio, Lightworks, VSDC, Shotcut, and HitFilm Express.

However, we decided not to list them to help make your decision easy and avoid choice paralysis.

Best Video Editing Software FAQs

Having helped thousands of users find the best video editing software for their needs, we’ve answered a lot of questions.

Below are some of the most common questions we’ve received about video editing software providers.

What is the best free video editing app?

The best free video editing app is the iMovie movie maker. The free software comes preinstalled on most Mac machines.

It’s beginner-friendly and has plenty of special effects to enhance your videos. It also works on iPads.

If you’re not using macOS, then Wondershare Filmora has a great free video editing app. It’s packed with advanced features and a beginner learning curve.

What’s the best video editing software for beginners?

The best video editing software for beginners is Filmora. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and comes with filters, overlays, transitions, motion elements, and more.

It also has a mode called “Easy Mode” that lets you create simple edits by choosing a theme and dragging and dropping clips and presets.

Adobe Premiere Element is also pretty beginner friendly.

If you’re looking to create promo videos, then Promo.com is the easiest video editing software for non-techies & marketers.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Most YouTubers use popular video editing software like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and iMovie. However, most video editing tools have similar features overall.

If you’re starting a YouTube channel, then the best video editing software is one that you can use and fits within your budget. As your channel grows, you can improve your skills and invest in professional video editing software.

We hoped this article helped you find the best video editing software to use with your WordPress site. You may also want to see our expert list of the best webinar software and best online course platforms to create & sell online courses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 6 Best Video Editing Software of 2021 Compared (Easy & Powerful) appeared first on WPBeginner.

March 26, 2021 at 05:00PM