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Troubleshooting Wordfence Blocks: Why Your Site Updates or Plugins Are Being Blocked and How to Fix It

60 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Wordfence security

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If you manage a WordPress site, you've likely encountered the powerful Wordfence Security plugin. While it's an excellent tool for protecting your website, it can sometimes be a bit overzealous, blocking legitimate actions like saving content, updating plugins, or processing API calls. This guide will walk you through the most common reasons for these blocks and the steps you can take to resolve them.

Why Does Wordfence Block Legitimate Actions?

Wordfence's firewall operates by analyzing traffic and requests to your site, looking for patterns that match known attack signatures or suspicious behavior. Sometimes, perfectly normal actions—like a page builder saving content, an RSS feed fetching data, or a plugin auto-updating—can trigger these rules. This is often due to the complex code or specific data structures these functions use, which can resemble malicious activity to an automated system.

Common Solutions for Wordfence Blocks

1. Utilize Learning Mode

The first and most effective step is to use Wordfence's built-in Learning Mode. This is specifically designed to prevent false positives when you are making legitimate changes to your site.

  1. Navigate to Wordfence > Firewall in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Click on the Manage WAF button.
  3. Change the Firewall Status to Learning Mode.
  4. While in this mode, perform the actions that were previously being blocked. For example, click around in your page builder, save changes, or run the update process that was failing.
  5. After you have completed these actions (usually for about 15-30 minutes), return to the Firewall settings and switch the status back to Enabled and Protecting.

This process teaches the firewall that your actions are safe and allows them to proceed in the future.

2. Check Live Traffic for Block Reasons

If an action is still blocked even after Learning Mode, the next step is to investigate the specific reason for the block.

  1. Go to Wordfence > Tools > Live Traffic.
  2. Use the Filter Live Traffic dropdown and select Show Only Blocked.
  3. Attempt the action that gets blocked again (e.g., try to update a page).
  4. Immediately return to the Live Traffic page. You should see a new entry with a red "Blocked" label.
  5. Click on the entry or the eye icon to expand it. The reason for the block will be displayed in red text.

This reason is crucial. It often cites a specific firewall rule (e.g., a rule for an outdated plugin version) or a type of suspicious activity it detected. Sometimes, an "ADD PARAM TO FIREWALL ALLOWLIST" button will appear next to the reason, which you can click to instantly whitelist that request.

3. Address Specific Block Scenarios

  • Plugin Update Blocks: If a firewall rule for an old vulnerability (e.g., "All in One SEO Pack <= 4.2.9") is blocking your updated plugin, you can safely disable that individual rule. Since your plugin is patched, the rule is no longer necessary for your site. Navigate to Wordfence > Firewall > Manage WAF and click on Blocking to find and disable the specific rule.
  • API or External Service Blocks: If a service like MailChimp or a portfolio tracker API is being blocked, check the Live Traffic log for blocks originating from their IP addresses. You may need to allowlist their IP or user agent in Wordfence > Firewall > Blocking under the Allowlisted URLs section.
  • Content Security Policy (CSP) Conflicts: Wordfence does not control your site's CSP headers. If you see errors related to unsafe-eval being blocked (a common issue with page builders like Elementor or Brizy), you will need to adjust the CSP settings in the plugin or server configuration that is generating those headers, not in Wordfence.

4. Rule Out Other Conflicts

In some cases, the issue may not be a Wordfence block but a conflict with another security plugin, a server-level firewall (like ModSecurity), or a caching system. If you have deactivated Wordfence and the problem persists, the issue likely lies elsewhere. Try deactivating other security or optimization plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

When to Seek Further Help

If these steps do not resolve your issue, gathering more information is key. The Wordfence Security team often recommends sending a diagnostic report. You can find this under Wordfence > Tools > Diagnostics. Use the "SEND REPORT BY EMAIL" button to send crucial debugging information to yourself or a support forum.

Remember, the goal of Wordfence is to protect your site without getting in your way. By understanding how to manage its firewall settings, you can maintain strong security while ensuring your site's functionality remains smooth.

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