Sometimes, it’s necessary to block a WordPress user from logging into the site. This isn’t an easy decision, but if you have a good reason to block them, you need to know how to do this. Here’s how you can block a WordPress user account without deleting it.
Using the Account Locker Lite Plugin for WordPress
With the Account Locker Lite Plugin, you can actually lock somebody out of your site without deleting their account. You will first need to install and activate the plugin.
After you have installed the plugin and activated it, you will have a new “Account Status” area at the bottom of each user profile.
You will need to choose the “locked” option, which will block the person from your site. This will be done without transferring any posts to any other user, which means the posts they did will remain in their name on your WordPress blog. It’s also important to note that the user won’t be able to use the “reset password” option to regain access. They will be locked out for good.
Once you choose “locked” from the dropdown box, the user won’t be able to log in any longer. If they try, they will get an error that states, “Error: Your account has been locked.”
This message will be displayed, so if you are worried about what the user may do if they find out they are locked, you may want to go a different route. However, if you are blocking somebody that used to work for you and doesn’t anymore or a user violating policies of your site, this is a good way to let them know.
The plugin will work and keep everybody you lock out of your site locked as long as it remains active. If you disable the plugin, everybody you have blocked will regain access to your site.