Carl Alberto

Uploads Relay makes local WordPress development easier and lightweight by automatically proxying missing upload files from a remote server. No need to download gigabytes of media just to work on a site locally.
<h4>Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Proxy Missing Files — Automatically serve missing upload files from a remote server.</li>
<li>Always Remote Mode — Rewrite all upload URLs to point to the remote server for the fastest setup.</li>
<li>Optional Local Caching — Cache proxied files locally so subsequent requests are served from disk.</li>
<li>Security First — Path traversal protection, host allowlisting, and file extension validation.</li>
<li>Environment Guard — Only active when WordPress environment type is set to “local”.</li>
<li>Zero Configuration on Remote — No changes needed on the remote/production server.</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>A visitor or developer requests an upload file (e.g., an image in a post).</li>
<li>If the file does not exist locally, WordPress returns a 404.</li>
<li>The plugin intercepts the 404, fetches the file from the configured remote server, and serves it.</li>
<li>Optionally, the file is cached locally for faster subsequent loads.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Use Cases</h4>
<ul>
<li>Local development of large WordPress sites without syncing media.</li>
<li>Staging environments with partial media libraries.</li>
<li>Quick site clones for debugging or testing.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Requirements</h4>
<ul>
<li>WordPress 6.0 or higher</li>
<li>PHP 7.4 or higher</li>
<li><code>WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE</code> must be set to <code>local</code> (the plugin will not function in production environments)</li>
</ul>
<h4>External Service</h4>
This plugin sends HTTP requests to a remote server that you configure yourself in order to fetch upload files missing from your local environment. No requests are made until you explicitly enter a remote URL and enable the proxy in Settings → Uploads Relay. By enabling the plugin and providing a remote URL, you consent to these requests being made.
<ul>
<li>What is sent: HTTP GET requests for specific media file paths (e.g., <code>/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/photo.jpg</code>).</li>
<li>When it is sent: Only when a requested upload file does not exist locally, the proxy is enabled, and the environment type is <code>local</code>.</li>
<li>Where it is sent: Only to the remote server URL you have configured. This is typically your own production or staging server.</li>
<li>No data is collected, stored, or transmitted to any third-party service, analytics provider, or external server other than the one you configure.</li>
<li>No telemetry, tracking, or usage data is collected by this plugin.</li>
</ul>
Since the remote server is your own, its terms of service and privacy policy are governed by your own hosting provider.

Uploads Relay for Local Development by Carl Alberto

Proxy missing upload files from a remote server during local development. No need to download the entire uploads folder.

vpndeals

VPN Guard is the ultimate freemium WordPress plugin to help you block VPNs, proxies, and other anonymizing networks frequently leveraged by unwanted bots and suspicious traffic in real-time — no subscription required.
It uses the powerful <a href="https://vpnapi.io" rel="nofollow ugc">vpnapi.io</a> engine to scan visitors’ IP addresses and instantly block connections flagged as VPN, Proxy, Tor, or Relay—and your free account includes 1,000 API requests per day! This helps protect your site from various threats that hide behind these anonymization layers.
And here’s the game-changer: YOU decide the battlefield!
Want to shield your entire site? Done.
Need to protect just your login page, WooCommerce checkout, specific posts, or even the entire <code>/wp-admin/</code> area?
VPN Guard gives you pinpoint control with its advanced targeting rules.
> 💡 Premium-grade features, no premium price. Unlock serious protection with granular control, without spending a dime.
<h3>✅ Features You’ll Love</h3>
<ul>
<li>✨ NEW! Block Page Preview & Test Tab – See exactly what your blocked users see and get tips for testing your setup!</li>
<li>🎯 NEW! LASER-FOCUSED TARGETING! – Why block everything when you can block SMARTER?</li>
<li>Full Site Protection: Shield your entire WordPress site with one click.</li>
<li>Specific Areas Only: Create custom rules to protect: 
 – Individual Post / Page ID(s) 
 – Entire Post Types (e.g., all “products”, all “articles”, or your custom post types) 
 – URLs based on Contains, Starts With, or Exact Match 
 – Critical WooCommerce Pages (Cart, Checkout, My Account) 
 – Essential WordPress Pages (Login Page, Registration Page) 
 – The entire WordPress Admin Area (<code>/wp-admin/</code>)</li>
<li>🔍 VPN & Proxy Detection – Block anonymized traffic (VPN, Proxy, Tor, Relay) using trusted IP intelligence. Enhanced IP validation logic.</li>
<li>🛡️ Mitigate Unwanted Traffic – Helps reduce access from scrapers and unwanted bots that often operate through the types of anonymizing networks detected by the API.</li>
<li>🔐 WordPress Login Security – Harden your admin and login endpoints (now even more precise with targeting!)</li>
<li>🛒 WooCommerce Checkout Protection – Reduce fraud and suspicious orders by blocking high-risk anonymized connections.</li>
<li>🧠 Smart Role Bypasses – Let trusted roles skip blocking rules.</li>
<li>⏰ Scheduled Blocking – Only apply blocking rules at certain hours or days. Improved scheduler logic.</li>
<li>📋 View Blocked Logs – Review recent blocked IPs, URLs, and detection reasons. User Agent and Referer now included in CSV export.</li>
<li>📤 Export to CSV – One-click export for audit logs or compliance. Log export functionality restored and improved.</li>
<li>✅ IP Whitelist – Allow specific IPs even if flagged by the detection service.</li>
</ul>
– 🛡️ Admin Panel Status Notice – Optional notice in your dashboard, with refined styling and more robust status display.
<h3>🧠 Ideal For</h3>
<ul>
<li>Bloggers looking to protect login and admin access with precision.</li>
<li>WooCommerce stores wanting to secure checkout or specific product categories from risky traffic.</li>
<li>Membership sites and online courses needing to protect premium content areas.</li>
<li>Publishers battling fake traffic or content scrapers on high-value articles or sections.</li>
<li>Any WordPress site that needs smarter, targeted access control against anonymized and potentially malicious traffic.</li>
</ul>
<h3>🚀 Why Choose VPN Guard?</h3>
While other security or VPN-blocking plugins lock core features or charge extra for flexibility, VPN Guard gives you true freemium access with unparalleled control:
<ul>
<li>✅ 100% free with generous API usage for detecting VPNs, Proxies, Tor, and Relays.</li>
<li>🎯 Powerful targeting rules at no extra cost!</li>
<li>🔓 Key features without nagging upsells.</li>
<li>📈 Designed for performance, speed, and SEO safety. Enhanced stability and security in the latest update. 
> 💥 Use it standalone or alongside other security tools like Wordfence, iThemes Security, All In One WP Security, and more! VPN Guard’s targeting complements them perfectly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>🔌 Integrations & Compatibility</h3>
<ul>
<li>✅ Fully compatible with WooCommerce (target cart, checkout, account pages)</li>
<li>✅ Works with popular caching plugins</li>
<li>✅ Integrates with any WordPress theme or builder</li>
<li>✅ Safe for use with CDNs and Cloudflare</li>
</ul>
<h3>📦 API Details</h3>
VPN Guard uses <a href="https://vpnapi.io" rel="nofollow ugc">vpnapi.io</a> — a modern and reliable IP intelligence service. 
The API response includes flags for: 
– VPN: Is the IP a VPN? 
– Proxy: Is the IP a Proxy? 
– Tor: Is the IP a Tor exit node? 
– Relay: Is the IP part of a relay network? 
(The API may also provide a “hosting” flag indicating a datacenter/hosting IP, which contributes to identifying non-residential traffic, though VPN Guard’s primary blocking is based on the above explicit flags).
<ul>
<li>🆓 Free plan includes 1,000 requests per day</li>
<li>🚀 Easy upgrade options available (no commitment)</li>
<li>🔐 GDPR compliant, fast response times, and global coverage</li>
</ul>
You’ll be prompted to add your free API key inside the plugin settings.
<h3>💬 Support</h3>
Got questions or feature requests? Reach out from the plugin’s built-in feedback form or at <a href="https://vpndeals.com/wordpress-plugins/vpn-guard/" rel="nofollow ugc">https://vpndeals.com/wordpress-plugins/vpn-guard/</a>
<h3>External Services</h3>
This plugin utilizes the vpnapi.io service to perform real-time IP address analysis. This is essential for the plugin’s core functionality of detecting and blocking traffic from VPNs, proxies, Tor networks, and relays.
<ul>
<li>Service Provider: vpnapi.io</li>
<li>Purpose: To identify the nature of a visitor’s IP address (VPN, proxy, Tor, relay) to enable blocking or restriction based on your plugin settings, thereby enhancing website security and integrity.</li>
<li>Data Sent: When a visitor accesses a page or area of your site that is actively protected by VPN Guard (and the result for their IP is not already cached locally or if the IP is not whitelisted), the visitor’s IP address is sent to the vpnapi.io service for analysis.</li>
<li>Service Terms of Use: <a href="https://vpnapi.io/terms" rel="nofollow ugc">https://vpnapi.io/terms</a></li>
<li>Service Privacy Policy: <a href="https://vpnapi.io/privacy" rel="nofollow ugc">https://vpnapi.io/privacy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Privacy Considerations</h3>
VPN Guard is designed with user and site visitor privacy in mind. Here’s how we handle data:
<ul>
<li>Visitor IP Addresses: To protect your site, VPN Guard processes the IP addresses of your site visitors. As detailed in the “External Services” section, visitor IP addresses may be sent to the <code>vpnapi.io</code> service for analysis.</li>
<li>Data Logging: If a visitor’s IP address is blocked, VPN Guard will store the following information in your local WordPress database: the visitor’s IP address, the date and time of the block, the detection reason (e.g., “VPN”), the URL the visitor attempted to access, their browser user agent, and the HTTP referer. This data is for your security logging and review purposes. You have an option in the plugin settings to delete all plugin data, including these logs, upon uninstallation.</li>
<li>Cookies: VPN Guard’s core IP blocking functionality does not set any cookies on your website visitors’ browsers.</li>
<li>Site Administrator Data (Feedback Form): If you choose to send feedback to us via the plugin’s built-in feedback form, it will include your WordPress admin email, site URL, and technical details (plugin version, WP version, PHP version) to help us provide support. This is explicitly stated on the feedback form itself.</li>
</ul>
* Your Website’s Privacy Policy: We recommend that you update your website’s privacy policy to inform your users about the data processing activities performed by VPN Guard, including the use of the <code>vpnapi.io</code> service and the local logging of blocked IP addresses.

VPN Guard – Block VPN, Proxy, Bots & Anonymous Visitors


I have been using VPN Guard on my WooCommerce site for a few weeks, and it’s been really helpful. We were getting a lot of fake registrations and suspicious logins from VPN users, and this plugin reduced that significantly. I like that it doesn’t block all visitors, only protects important areas like login and checkout, so normal users are not affected. Setup was simple, and it works well with other security plugins. 


Great Plugin for Blocking Fake Users

Ultimate VPN/Proxy Shield Blocker! Real-time IP defense. Target Anything: Logins, Checkout, Post Types, URLs & more!. 1000 Free Daily API Checks!

Uploads Relay for Local Development by Carl Alberto vs VPN Guard – Block VPN, Proxy, Bots & Anonymous Visitors