---
title: Customizing firewall filter rules
canonical: https://wpsecurityninja.com/docs/filters-hooks/customizing-firewall-filter-rules/
---
## Customizing Firewall Filter Rules in WP Security Ninja

This guide explains how to customize or disable the firewall filter rules in WP Security Ninja to suit your security needs and site specifications.

### Modifying Firewall Filter Rules

Customizing firewall filter rules allows you to add or modify existing security checks according to your website’s specific needs. Here’s how you can modify different filter categories using the `apply_filters` function.

**Modifying Request URI Items**

```
add_filter('request_uri_items', function($items) {
    // Add custom rules
    $items[] = '\.(exe|bin)$'; // Blocks .exe and .bin file accesses
    return $items;
});
```

**Enhancing Query String Checks**

```
add_filter('query_string_items', function($items) {
    // Add more specific patterns
    $items[] = 'admin(\s|%20)console'; // Blocks attempts to access admin consoles
    return $items;
});
```

**Expanding Referrer Blacklists**

```
add_filter('referrer_items', function($items) {
    // Include more spammy or malicious referrers
    $items[] = 'badreferrer\.com';
    return $items;
});
```

**Updating Blocked Hosts List**

```
add_filter('blocked_hosts_items', function($items) {
    // Block additional problematic hosts
    $items[] = 'examplemalicioushost.com';
    return $items;
});
```

These modifications allow you to tailor the security filters to better fit the security profile of your site, potentially adding more stringent checks or blocking additional vectors of attack. Remember to test these changes in a staging environment before applying them to your live site to ensure they do not interfere with legitimate traffic.

### Disabling Filter Rules

To disable specific filter rules, return an empty array for that filter using the `apply_filters` function. Disabling filters will prevent the plugin from processing these specific checks, although other firewall functions will remain active.

**Request URI Items**

```
add_filter('request_uri_items', function($items) {
    return []; // Disables all Request URI checks
});
```

**Query String Items**

```
add_filter('query_string_items', function($items) {
    return []; // Disables all Query String checks
});
```

**Referrer Items**

```
add_filter('referrer_items', function($items) {
    return []; // Disables all Referrer checks
});
```

**Blocked Hosts Items**

```
add_filter('blocked_hosts_items', function($items) {
    return []; // Disables all Blocked Hosts checks
});
```

**Warning:** While disabling filters can tailor the security settings to your specific needs, it’s important to understand that doing so may reduce the effectiveness of your site’s security. Disabling all filters will stop the plugin from filtering suspicious queries even if the feature is enabled. It’s advised to use this option cautiously and ensure that other security measures are in place.