Maintenance Mode for WordPress®

A free WordPress® plugin that enables a fully customizable Maintenance Mode and Coming Soon Mode with dedicated landing pages.

Built with the WordPress® core editor, this plugin locks down access to the frontend for non-logged-in users while keeping administrators in control.

Features

• Custom Maintenance & Coming Soon Pages: Create and edit pages using the WordPress block editor.
• Maintenance Mode (503 Status): Displays a maintenance page and sends a 503 Service Unavailable HTTP status to notify search engines of temporary downtime.
• Coming Soon Mode (200 Status): Displays a coming soon page without restricting access to search engines, useful for pre-launch SEO.
• Admin-Only Access: Allow logged-in administrators to bypass maintenance and coming soon mode.
• REST API Control: Restrict REST API access for non-logged-in users during maintenance mode.
• Launch Scheduling: Set an optional launch date for automatic mode deactivation.
• Customizable Frontend Appearance: Use the block editor to style your maintenance or coming soon page.
• • *

Installation

1. Download the plugin files from the GitHub repository.
2. Upload the plugin to your WordPress® installation via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
3. Activate the plugin via the Plugins screen in WordPress®.

Usage

1. Enable Maintenance or Coming Soon Mode

1. Navigate to Maintenance > Settings in your WordPress® admin panel.
2. Check the box for either:
   • Enable Maintenance Mode (restricts site access with a 503 response).
   • Enable Coming Soon Mode (displays a coming soon page with a 200 response).
3. Only one mode can be active at a time.

2. Set a Maintenance or Coming Soon Page

1. Go to Maintenance in the WordPress® admin panel.
2. Create or select a page using the block editor.
3. Assign the page in Maintenance > Settings under Maintenance Mode Page.

3. Schedule a Launch Date (Optional)

1. In Maintenance > Settings, enter a date under Launch Date.
2. Save your settings.

If a launch date is specified, the active mode will automatically end on that date.

Developer Notes

Actions and Filters

• Actions:
  • template_redirect: Restricts frontend access for non-logged-in users when maintenance mode is enabled.
  • rest_api_init: Blocks REST API access for non-logged-in users during maintenance mode.
• Filters:
  • the_content: Used to render the content of the assigned maintenance or coming soon page.

Code Highlights

• Custom Post Type:
  • Maintenance & Coming Soon pages are created as a custom post type maintenance_page.
  • They support title and editor fields.
• HTTP Status Codes:
  • Maintenance Mode: Sends a 503 Service Unavailable status code to indicate temporary downtime.
  • Coming Soon Mode: Sends a 200 OK status code, allowing search engines to index the page.
• REST API Restriction:
  • Non-logged-in users receive a 403 Forbidden response when attempting to access the REST API (only in Maintenance Mode).

FAQs

What's the difference between Maintenance Mode and Coming Soon Mode?

• Maintenance Mode: Temporarily restricts access to your site and sends a 503 status code to prevent search engines from indexing during downtime.
• Coming Soon Mode: Allows you to display a coming soon page without restricting search engine access (sends a 200 status).

Why can't I see the maintenance or coming soon page?

Make sure you've assigned a published page under Maintenance > Settings > Maintenance Mode Page.

How do I bypass Maintenance or Coming Soon Mode?

Log in to WordPress® as an administrator. The restrictions do not apply to logged-in users.

Will this affect my site's SEO?

• Maintenance Mode: Sends a 503 status, notifying search engines that the downtime is temporary (recommended for short-term maintenance).
• Coming Soon Mode: Sends a 200 status, allowing indexing (recommended for site pre-launch).

Troubleshooting

1. Settings Not Saving:

   • Ensure your WordPress installation has sufficient permissions to save plugin options.

2. REST API Issues:

   • Check that you are logged in as an administrator if you need REST API access during maintenance mode.

3. Maintenance Mode Not Enforcing a 503 Response:

   • Some caching plugins may interfere with HTTP response headers. Try clearing your cache.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository on GitHub.
2. Create a feature branch for your changes.
3. Submit a pull request for review.

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL-2.0+ License.