BBQ Pro enables you to create custom patterns that will be blocked when they are included in the URI request. Custom patterns are a powerful feature that give you full control over your site’s traffic, but you have to be careful not to inadvertently block any important URLs. This tutorial provides a quick way to restore default patterns just in case you accidentally block yourself from the Admin Area.
The Normal Way
Normally, you can reset all BBQ patterns to default values under the “Tools” tab. There you can select which patterns to restore, and also reset pattern counts and plugin settings. But this only works if you have access to the WP Admin Area. So if you do NOT have access for whatever reason, you can restore BBQ patterns using the technique described below.
Recommended Setting
Before doing anything, understand that there is a plugin setting called “Logged-in Users”. When this setting is enabled, you NEVER will be blocked from the WP Admin Area. This setting is designed to ensure that you always will have access to the Admin Area and plugin settings and patterns. It is recommended to enable this setting.
Restore Default Patterns
Okay, so now let’s assume that the “Logged-in Users” setting is disabled, and you have added a custom pattern such as /wp- that blocks all requests for the Admin Area. So you can’t log in to remove the pattern. What to do? Follow these steps to restore the default BBQ patterns and gain access:
- Download the “Reset Patterns” plugin (see below)
- Unzip and upload to
/wp-content/mu-plugins/ - Reload any page on the frontend of your site
- Done! The default BBQ patterns have been restored, and you now have access to the WP Admin Area
Important! The reset-patterns plugin is a “must-use” (mu) plugin, not a regular plugin. So it needs to be uploaded to the following directory on your WordPress-powered site:
/wp-content/mu-plugins/That way WordPress automatically will execute the plugin and reset the BBQ Patterns, without requiring you to activate the plugin via the WP Admin Area. Learn more about must-use plugins at the WP Codex. After restoring the default patterns, you may safely delete the reset-patterns plugin.