Perplexing and Bursted: Enabling XML-RPC in WordPress

WordPress is widely known for its flexibility, user-friendliness, and customizable functionalities. Among its built-in features, some developers may need additional functionality to meet their unique requirements. One of them is enabling XML-RPC in WordPress.

What is XML-RPC?

XML-RPC is a protocol that allows remote access to a WordPress site’s functionality. Whether publishing blog posts, retrieving blog stats, or managing comments, XML-RPC can perform different actions through third-party tools, mobile apps, and APIs.

How to Enable XML-RPC in WordPress?

Before enabling XML-RPC, you must ensure that it’s not already enabled on your WordPress site. Misusing or exploiting XML-RPC can render your site vulnerable to attacks or login attempts.

Step 1: Ensure That XML-RPC Is Disabled

To verify whether XML-RPC is disabled or not, search for the .htaccess file either in your WordPress site’s root directory via FTP or file manager or in the WordPress folder. If you find the following lines of code, you’ll know that XML-RPC is disabled:

<Files xmlrpc.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
</Files>

If you don’t find these lines, you can leave them as they are, as the default WordPress configuration includes the XML-RPC file, which you’ll enable in step three.

Step 2: Benefits and Drawbacks of Enabling XML-RPC

Enabling XML-RPC in WordPress is advantageous when you want to access your site’s features remotely through third-party tools or mobile apps. However, XML-RPC’s primary concern is security because an unsecured XML-RPC endpoint can be exploited for data loss or launching brute-force attacks on your site. Therefore, you must weigh its benefits and drawbacks before enabling it.

Step 3: Enabling XML-RPC

If you’ve decided to enable XML-RPC, sign in as an administrator, go to “Settings” and click on “Writing.” Under “Remote Publishing,” check the “XML-RPC” box, and click on “Save Changes.”

Step 4: Troubleshooting Common XML-RPC Issues

After enabling XML-RPC, you may encounter some issues, including performance, compatibility, and security. To mitigate these issues, use a caching plugin or a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for your site. Also, ensure that third-party tools support WordPress’s XML-RPC protocol to avoid compatibility issues. You can also enhance your security by using strong passwords, implementing two-factor authentication, and disabling XML-RPC if it’s not needed.

Step 5: Conclusion

Enabling XML-RPC in WordPress can enhance your site’s functionalities; however, it poses a security risk if not secured properly. Therefore, implement best practices to safeguard your site against brute-force and denial-of-service attacks, including using strong passwords, implementing two-factor authentication, using security plugins, CDNs or WAFs, and disabling XML-RPC if not needed.