Title: BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security Author: Jeff Starr Published: March 5, 2010 Last modified: March 27, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/block-bad-queries/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=622778) ![](https://ps.w.org/block-bad-queries/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=1471770) # BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security By [Jeff Starr](https://profiles.wordpress.org/specialk/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/block-bad-queries.20260205.zip) * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#description) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#reviews) * [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#installation) * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/) ## Description > 🔥 Install, activate, and done! > 🔥 Powerful protection from WP’s **fastest** > firewall plugin. [BBQ Firewall](https://perishablepress.com/block-bad-queries/) is a lightweight, blazing-fast firewall plugin that protects your site against a wide range of threats. BBQ checks all incoming traffic and quietly blocks bad requests containing nasty stuff like `eval(`, `base64_`, and excessively long request-strings. This is a simple yet solid solution for sites that are unable to use a [strong Apache/.htaccess firewall](https://perishablepress.com/8g-firewall/). > 🔥 Adds a strong firewall to ANY WordPress site > 🔥 Works with all WordPress plugins > and themes **Powerful Protection** BBQ protects your site against many threats: * SQL injection attacks * Executable file uploads * Directory traversal attacks * Unsafe character requests * Excessively long requests * PHP remote/file execution * XSS, XXE, and related attacks * Protects against bad bots * Protects against bad referrers * Protects against bad POST content * Protects against many other bad requests > 🔥 Works great with [Blackhole for Bad Bots](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blackhole-bad-bots/) > and [Banhammer](https://wordpress.org/plugins/banhammer/) **Awesome Features** BBQ provides all the best firewall features: * Rated [5 stars](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#reviews) at WordPress.org * 100% plug-&-play, zero configuration * 100% focused on security and performance * Blocks a wide range of malicious URL requests * Fastest Web Application Firewall (WAF) for WordPress * Based on the [7G](https://perishablepress.com/7g-firewall/)/[8G Firewall](https://perishablepress.com/8g-firewall/) * Scans all incoming traffic and blocks bad requests * Scans all types of requests: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. * Protects against known bad bots and referrers * Works silently behind the scenes to protect your site * Hassle-free security plugin that’s easy to use * Thoroughly tested, error-free performance * Extremely low rate of false positives * Compatible with other security plugins * Regularly updated and “future proof” * Firewall < 10 kilobytes in size * Lightweight, fast and flexible > 🔥 For advanced protection and features, check out [BBQ Pro »](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) **Exclusive Pro Features** * Customize firewall via plugin settings * Easily add or remove firewall patterns * Easily add Jeff Starr’s [AI Block List](https://perishablepress.com/ultimate-ai-block-list/) * Send Email Alerts for blocked requests * Quickly enable/disable firewall rules * Disable firewall for logged-in users * Block excessively long URI requests * Protect against XML-RPC exploits * Block any individual IP address * Block entire ranges of IP addresses * Protect against user-ID phishing * Redirect all blocked requests * Display a custom “blocked” message * Set your own response status code * Complete inline documentation * Statistics for blocked requests * Tools to reset options and patterns * Import and Export firewall patterns * One-click pattern testing * Whitelist IP addresses ..plus everything the free version can do and more. > 🔥 Learn more and [get BBQ Pro »](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) **Privacy** This plugin does not collect or store any user data. It does not set any cookies, and it does not connect to any third-party locations. Thus, this plugin does not affect user privacy in any way. BBQ Firewall is developed and maintained by [Jeff Starr](https://x.com/perishable), 15-year [WordPress developer](https://plugin-planet.com/) and [book author](https://books.perishablepress.com/). > 🔥 BBQ = Block Bad Queries **Support development** I develop and maintain this free plugin with love for the WordPress community. To show support, you can [make a donation](https://monzillamedia.com/donate.html) or purchase one of my books: * [The Tao of WordPress](https://wp-tao.com/) * [Digging into WordPress](https://digwp.com/) * [.htaccess made easy](https://htaccessbook.com/) * [WordPress Themes In Depth](https://wp-tao.com/wordpress-themes-book/) * [Wizard’s SQL Recipes for WordPress](https://books.perishablepress.com/downloads/wizards-collection-sql-recipes-wordpress/) And/or purchase one of my premium WordPress plugins: * [BBQ Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) – Blazing fast WordPress firewall * [Blackhole Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/blackhole-pro/) – Automatically block bad bots * [Banhammer Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/banhammer-pro/) – Monitor traffic and ban the bad guys * [GA Google Analytics Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/ga-google-analytics-pro/)– Connect WordPress to Google Analytics * [Head Meta Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/head-meta-pro/) – Ultimate Meta Tags for WordPress * [Simple Ajax Chat Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/simple-ajax-chat-pro/) – Unlimited chat rooms * [USP Pro](https://plugin-planet.com/usp-pro/) – Unlimited front-end forms Links, tweets and likes also appreciated. Thank you! 🙂 ## Installation **Installing BBQ** 1. Install, activate, done. Once active, BBQ automatically protects your site against threats. Quietly, behind the scenes. For more control and stronger protection, [check out BBQ Pro »](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) [More info on installing WP plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/manage-plugins/#installing-plugins-1) **Customizing** BBQ Firewall is designed to be super lightweight and fast. Here are some addons that can be used to customize default functionality. * [BBQ Whitelist](https://perishablepress.com/bbq-whitelist-blacklist/#bbq-whitelist)– Allow patterns that otherwise would be blocked * [BBQ Blacklist](https://perishablepress.com/bbq-whitelist-blacklist/#bbq-blacklist)– Block patterns that otherwise would be allowed * [BBQ Display Count](https://perishablepress.com/bbq-firewall-count-blocked-requests/)– Display the total block count on the plugin settings page * [BBQ Customize Features](https://perishablepress.com/customize-bbq-firewall/)– Block long requests, log blocked patterns, enable POST protection, and customize response headers (e.g., for redirecting blocked requests) Note that the [Pro version of BBQ](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) makes it possible to customize patterns and everything else directly via the plugin settings, with a click. BBQ Pro also displays the current block count for each firewall rule, like [this](https://plugin-planet.com/wp/wp-content/themes/planet/img/plugins/bbq/bbq-statistics.png). **Uninstalling** This plugin cleans up after itself. All plugin settings will be removed from the WordPress database when the plugin is deleted via the WP Plugins screen. **Like the plugin?** If you like BBQ, please take a moment to [give a 5-star rating](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?rate=5#new-post). It helps to keep development and support going strong. Thank you! ## FAQ ### How to test that the plugin is working? Visit the plugin settings page and click the “Test Firewall” link. ### Do you offer any other security plugins? Yes, three of them: * [BBQ Firewall](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/) for blazing- fast firewall security * [Blackhole for Bad Bots](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blackhole-bad-bots/) to protect your site against bad bots * [Banhammer](https://wordpress.org/plugins/banhammer/) to monitor and ban any user or IP address Pro versions with more features available at [Plugin Planet](https://plugin-planet.com/). ### Do I need to do anything else for BBQ to work? Nope, just install and relax knowing that BBQ is protecting your site from bad URL requests. ### Where are the plugin settings? No settings needed for BBQ! Everything is done automatically behind the scenes. Zero configuration required. The free version of BBQ is strictly plug-n-play, set- it-and-forget-it, with no settings to configure whatsoever. Just install, activate, and enjoy better security and robust protection against malicious requests. The [Pro version](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) is just as fast and simple to use, but is much more powerful and includes robust settings to customize and fine- tune your firewall. ### Is BBQ free version compatible with Wordfence? Does it makes sense to use both? Yes BBQ free and BBQ Pro are both compatible with any plugin written according to WP APIs. And yes, there is benefit to using BBQ with any other security plugin, including Wordfence. They protect against different threats, so using both provides additional protection. ### Does BBQ make changes to my .htaccess file? Absolutely not. Unlike other security/firewall plugins, neither BBQ (free version) nor BBQ Pro make any changes to any .htaccess file. ### Does BBQ make any changes to my WP database? Only two tiny options are stored in the database; one option for the plugin version, and another option that stores an expiration date for the banner ad on the plugin settings page. Everything else happens at runtime. No other options are stored in the database. Also, both options are removed completely when the plugin is uninstalled via the WP Plugins screen. ### Does BBQ block malicious strings included in arrays? Yes, BBQ scans any arrays that are included in the URI request. If any matching patterns are found, the request is blocked. ### My PHP scanner/checker plugin says there is an error? If some PHP scanner is reporting an error or bad string in BBQ, it’s a false positive and safe to ignore. Why? Because the PHP checker is finding the static strings/patterns that BBQ uses to identify and block bad requests. In other words, the PHP scanner is finding a static string thinking it is live code. It’s not. If possible, please take a moment to report this to the developers of your PHP scanner. They should be happy to improve the accuracy and quality of their plugin. [More info](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/on-php-checker-results/). ### Can I use BBQ and 7G/8G Firewall at the same time? **Full question:** “Except most of the rules overlapping, is it counter productive( site slowing down for example, potential conflicts, bugs) or is there any risks using 7G/8G Firewall + BBQ at the same time?” **Answer:** It’s fine to run both BBQ and 7G/8G Firewall at the same time. Both firewalls are super fast, so they won’t slow things down. In other words the two firewalls play well together. The only downside is that some of the rules will be redundant, but there should be no negative impact on performance. The upside is that you get extra protection when using both, as there are variations in the firewall rules and patterns, etc. ### How to enable logging? You can use a free addon to display the total number of blocked requests on the BBQ settings page. Here is a guide that explains [how to set it up](https://perishablepress.com/bbq-firewall-count-blocked-requests/). Alternately, BBQ can be configured to log the matching pattern for each blocked request. When match-logging is enabled, BBQ will add a log entry in the site’s default error log. To enable match logging, use the free [customize plugin](https://perishablepress.com/customize-bbq-firewall/). Note that the [Pro version of BBQ](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) displays the current block count for each firewall rule, like [this](https://plugin-planet.com/wp/wp-content/themes/planet/img/plugins/bbq/bbq-statistics.png). All automatic, fiddling with code NOT required 🙂 ### Got a question? Send any questions or feedback via my [contact form](https://plugin-planet.com/support/#contact). ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e45e4f4ef1062bb7bf358444a7044392e4a836195fcaa1de0109196d42e192f5? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Top PlugIn](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/top-plugin-508/)󠁿 [emd37](https://profiles.wordpress.org/emd37/) February 4, 2026 Installation simple protection max, merci ! ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8903912eef107eba2d7a8c94170253f9d392a3e0f2b86a997f3cffa92fa44b5e? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Easy to use, not complicated](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-to-use-not-complicated-2/)󠁿 [mikapin](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikapin/) December 26, 2025 Thanks to @Jeff Starr, who is a security expert and shares very useful information on his website. BBQ is a great WordPress security plugin. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4434cdaac15e9631c122c7b7aa936e6ba74c17c59b94c91539d9fa2a40e4e425? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[The Most Powerful Security Plugin – BBQ Pro](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-most-powerful-security-plugin-bbq-pro/)󠁿 [nebuldu](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nebuldu/) November 27, 2025 I have used BBQ Pro plugin for a few years to protect my website, and I appreciate the creators of this plugin. I recommend this plugin to everyone who has a WordPress website. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/667ab88314eb0743b935bb65f91a2e714e308daf979490f05ac3707905408efc? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[5 stars. A fast, lightweight and highly effective firewall.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/5-stars-a-fast-lightweight-and-highly-effective-firewall/)󠁿 [pgmachtweb](https://profiles.wordpress.org/peter-gruchott/) November 24, 2025 Easy setup, strong protection, zero bloat. Ideal for keeping WordPress clean and secure. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f70d2b10f6a333ffcfe683ddb2c4aed12bea4136b64f30c2c317214d38a60249? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[BBQ Firewall for many years on crucial site](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/bbq-firewall-for-many-years-on-crucial-site/)󠁿 [therinjfoundation](https://profiles.wordpress.org/therinjfoundation/) November 15, 2025 As firewalls go, BBQ is a unique brand plus style of operation and it is very functional. No firewall stops everything but this one excels because it is a little outside the box in its design doctrine, dodging the tricky parts of building a firewall inside a system-wide firewall for the specific and unique requirements of a WordPress site. I will send a donation and send my thanks to the developers and best wishes for longevity and many happy days and years with this awesome project. Stick with it, folks, and have fun—with our thanks.Micheal John ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dc20fa6e1f96b8359406432ae39a7906ea98bcd43854b25edee24b0be40b78d1? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Simple and efficient. “Just Works”.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/simple-and-efficient-just-works/)󠁿 [Ashutosh](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ashubetta/) August 27, 2025 BBQ Firewall does what it says, and does it well. No settings, no pop-ups, no code. This is an automatic install for all of my WordPress sites. [ Read all 156 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Jeff Starr ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/specialk/) * [ Aldo Latino ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/aldolat/) * [ John H ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpbloghost/) * [ jameswilkes ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jameswilkes/) * [ Julio Potier ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/juliobox/) * [ George wp-website-mastery ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/lernerconsult/) “BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security” has been translated into 16 locales. Thank you to [the translators](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/block-bad-queries/contributors) for their contributions. [Translate “BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/block-bad-queries) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/block-bad-queries/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/block-bad-queries/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/block-bad-queries/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/block-bad-queries/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog If you like BBQ, please take a moment to [give a 5-star rating](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?rate=5#new-post). It helps to keep development and support going strong. Thank you! > 🔥 For stronger firewall protection and powerful features, check out [BBQ Pro »](https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/) **2026/02/05** * Updates plugin settings page * Improves readme.txt documentation * Generates new language template * Tests on PHP 8.4 and 8.5 * Tests on WordPress 6.9 + 7.0 (nightly) Full changelog @ [https://plugin-planet.com/wp/changelog/block-bad-queries.txt](https://plugin-planet.com/wp/changelog/block-bad-queries.txt) ## Meta * Version **20260205** * Last updated **2 weeks ago** * Active installations **100,000+** * WordPress version ** 4.7 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.0** * PHP version ** 7.1 or higher ** * Languages * [Croatian](https://hr.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Dutch](https://nl.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Dutch (Belgium)](https://nl-be.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [French (France)](https://fr.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Galician](https://gl.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [German](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Greek](https://el.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Italian](https://it.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Korean](https://ko.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Persian](https://fa.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Russian](https://ru.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Slovak](https://sk.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Spanish (Chile)](https://cl.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Spanish (Spain)](https://es.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), [Spanish (Venezuela)](https://ve.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/), and [Swedish](https://sv.wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/). * [Translate into your language](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/block-bad-queries) * Tags * [bots](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/bots/)[firewall](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/firewall/) [secure](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/secure/)[security](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/security/) [web application firewall](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/web-application-firewall/) * [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/advanced/) ## Ratings 4.9 out of 5 stars. * [ 153 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 1 4-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 2 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Jeff Starr ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/specialk/) * [ Aldo Latino ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/aldolat/) * [ John H ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpbloghost/) * [ jameswilkes ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jameswilkes/) * [ Julio Potier ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/juliobox/) * [ George wp-website-mastery ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/lernerconsult/) ## Support Issues resolved in last two months: 0 out of 1 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/block-bad-queries/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://monzillamedia.com/donate.html)