Introduction
The IP Blocker tool in cPanel lets you block specific IP addresses or ranges from accessing your website. This is particularly useful for protecting your site against malicious bots, spammers, brute-force attacks, or unwanted visitors. With a few clicks, you can deny access to suspicious IPs and enhance the overall security of your website.
This article will guide you through using the IP Blocker tool to secure your cPanel-hosted site.
Why Use IP Blocking?
The IP Blocker can help you:
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Stop repeated login attempts or DDoS attacks
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Prevent scraping bots from stealing content
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Block abusive users or competitors
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Reduce server load caused by unwanted traffic
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Protect private areas of your site from exposure
How to Access the IP Blocker Tool
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Log in to your cPanel account
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Scroll to the Security section
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Click on IP Blocker
How to Block an IP Address
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In the Add an IP or Range field, enter the IP address or CIDR range you want to block.
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Examples:
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Single IP:
192.0.2.1 -
Range:
192.0.2.0/24 -
Multiple addresses: Add each separately
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Click Add
The IP will now be added to the .htaccess file of your site and denied access to your domain.
How to Remove a Blocked IP
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On the same IP Blocker page, scroll down to Currently-Blocked IP Addresses
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Find the IP you want to unblock
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Click Delete next to it
This will remove the block from your site.
Best Practices
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Only block IPs you trust to be malicious or unnecessary. Mistakenly blocking legitimate users can hurt SEO or lose customers.
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Check access logs (via Visitors or Raw Access Logs in cPanel) to verify suspicious activity before blocking.
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Avoid over-blocking with large CIDR ranges unless absolutely necessary.
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Combine with firewall rules or security plugins (especially for CMS sites like WordPress) for layered protection.
Limitations
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Blocks are applied only to domains on your cPanel account — not across the entire server
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IP blocking at the
.htaccesslevel is not as powerful as server-level or firewall-based blocking -
Users with dynamic IPs may return with different addresses
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Blocked IP still accessing site | Ensure .htaccess is not being overridden or check caching/CDN layers |
| IP blocked but user can access email | The tool only blocks web access (HTTP/HTTPS), not email or FTP |
| Accidentally blocked your own IP | Use a different connection (e.g., mobile data) to log in and remove it |
Conclusion
The IP Blocker tool in cPanel is a quick and easy way to secure your site against known threats and unwanted traffic. While it's not a substitute for full firewall protection, it adds a helpful layer of defense for your hosting environment. Regularly monitoring your traffic and updating your block list ensures a safer and more stable website.
