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How to Manage Hotlink Protection

Hotlink protection is essential for preventing unauthorized websites from using your images and files, which can drain your bandwidth. This guide will show you how to set up hotlink protection in your Account Manager to keep your content secure and preserve your resources.

  • Understanding Hotlink Protection
  • Managing HotLink Protection
  • How to set up Hotlink Protection
  • Customize Fields
  • Summary

To protect your images or other files from being hotlinked on another website, you may use hotlink protection. Hotlinking is the use of an image of a file on another server by pulling the source image from the original server. This uses the bandwidth of your Bluehost account. It appears as though your images are on the other website, even though the source is pulling from your Bluehost account. Hotlink protection stops this type of leeching or bandwidth theft.

Setting up hotlink protection is easy by using the Hotlink Protection Management tool built into the Account Manager.

  1. Log in to your Bluehost Account Manager.

  2. In the left-hand menu, click Websites.

  3. Click the MANAGE button located next to the website you want to manage. Bluehost Account Manager - Website Manage button

  4. Go to the Security section and click Manage in the Hotlink Protection section. Bluehost Account Manager - Security Tab Manage Horlink Protection

  5. In the Hotlink Protection Management section, you can choose the file type you want to protect, or you can click the box beside the SELECT ALL option to protect all types of files available on the list. hotlink-protection-management

Customize Fields​

If you still want other people to have access to your files but don’t want them to be hotlinked, you can customize their access by following the directions below.

  • You can tick the box under the Direct Requests section to give access to the restricted files. hotlink-protection-direct-requests-box

  • To redirect blocked requests, provide the URL of the page you’d like to show in the URL field. hotlink-protection-redirect-blocked-request

Summary​

Setting up hotlink protection in Account Manager is an effective way to prevent bandwidth theft and ensure your files remain safe from unauthorized use on other websites. By following these steps, you’ll secure your Bluehost-hosted files while allowing authorized access for your own website visitors.