Protect Your Images and Your Bandwidth
Hotlinking occurs when other website owners embed images or videos directly from your server onto their own website. The problem: the external website displays the content, but your server delivers the data and consumes your bandwidth. This is often referred to as "bandwidth theft."
Why activate it? Hotlinking can cause you to reach your monthly traffic limit prematurely simply because a third-party site is using your images. Additionally, it is often a copyright infringement.
Activating Hotlink Protection in cPanel
- In cPanel, navigate to the Security section and select Hotlink Protection.
- Click the Enable button.
- Ensure that your own domains (including subdomains) are in the "URLs to allow access" list.
Configuration Options
Allowed URLs
All pages that are permitted to display your images must be listed here. cPanel usually adds your main domains automatically.
All pages that are permitted to display your images must be listed here. cPanel usually adds your main domains automatically.
Block Extensions
Enter the file extensions you want to protect (e.g.,
Enter the file extensions you want to protect (e.g.,
.jpg, .png, .gif, .mp4).Direct Requests
Check this box if visitors should be allowed to see an image when they enter the URL directly into their browser.
Check this box if visitors should be allowed to see an image when they enter the URL directly into their browser.
Redirection (Optional)
You can redirect "thieves" to a specific page (e.g., an image that says: "Visit curiaweb.ch").
You can redirect "thieves" to a specific page (e.g., an image that says: "Visit curiaweb.ch").
Important note regarding cPanel access:
Make sure the URL you use to access your cPanel is also on the list of allowed URLs. Otherwise, images in the File Manager editor might not display correctly.
Make sure the URL you use to access your cPanel is also on the list of allowed URLs. Otherwise, images in the File Manager editor might not display correctly.
Disabling Hotlink Protection
If you wish to turn off the protection, simply click Disable.
⚠️ Warning: When disabled, cPanel deletes all entries in the allowed URLs list. Note down important exceptions beforehand!
Having trouble displaying your images after activation?
Check if all your subdomains are entered in the allowed URLs list.
