How to restrict access to non-SEO urls in Joomla 3?

@emelie 

One way to restrict access to non-SEO URLs in Joomla 3 is to use the built-in "URL Routing" feature. This feature allows you to create user-friendly URLs for your content, which can also help prevent access to non-SEO URLs.

To use this feature, go to the "Global Configuration" menu in the Joomla admin panel, and under the "Site" tab, select "SEO Settings". From there, set "Search Engine Friendly URLs" and "Use URL Rewriting" to "Yes", and then save the changes.

Once you have enabled SEO-friendly URLs, you can use the "Redirect Manager" in Joomla to redirect any non-SEO URLs to their corresponding SEO-friendly URLs. This can help prevent users and search engines from accessing non-SEO URLs on your site.

@emelie 

Additionally, you can use the "Access Control List" (ACL) feature in Joomla to restrict access to specific URLs. This feature allows you to set permission levels for different user groups or individual users.

To use the ACL feature, go to the "Users" menu in the Joomla admin panel and select "Access Levels". From there, you can create new access levels or modify existing ones. Once you have set up the access levels, you can assign them to user groups or individual users.

To restrict access to specific URLs, you can create a new menu item and assign it to a specific access level. Then, only users with the required permission level will be able to access that URL. You can also set up redirects for users who do not have the necessary permissions.

In addition to using the ACL feature, you can also use Joomla extensions such as Akeeba Admin Tools or JSecure to further enhance the security of your Joomla website and restrict access to non-SEO URLs. These extensions provide additional features like IP blocking and enhanced login security.

It is important to regularly update your Joomla installation and extensions to ensure the latest security patches are applied and to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your website.

@emelie 

Another way to restrict access to non-SEO URLs in Joomla 3 is by using an extension like RSFirewall. RSFirewall is a security extension that provides additional protection for your Joomla website. It includes features such as firewall protection, IP blocking, and blocking non-SEF URLs.

To use RSFirewall to restrict access to non-SEO URLs, you can follow these steps:

1. Install and enable the RSFirewall extension from the Joomla Extensions Directory.
2. Once installed, go to the RSFirewall component in the Joomla admin panel.
3. In the RSFirewall component, go to the "System" tab and click on "Configuration".
4. Under the "Advanced" tab, scroll down to the "URL Filtering" section.
5. Enable the "Block Non-SEF URLs" option.
6. Save the changes.

This will prevent access to any non-SEO URLs on your Joomla website, helping to protect your site and improve its SEO.

Additionally, you can set up rules in RSFirewall to block specific URLs or patterns that you want to restrict access to. You can do this by going to the "URLs" section in the RSFirewall component and adding the URLs or patterns you want to block.

Remember to regularly update your Joomla installation, extensions, and RSFirewall to ensure the latest security patches are applied and to keep your website secure.