Protected route ownership
Keep route identity steady while content changes
It covers both individual objects and settings whose scope would otherwise move many URLs.
Objects
Object ownership
Ordinary editor, REST, MCP, import, WP-CLI, and plugin writes preserve post slugs, page hierarchy, term slugs, and term hierarchy.
Site-wide
Broad URL impact
Ordinary updates cannot change permalink structure, category base, or tag base because changing any of them would move many public URLs at once.
Intentional route change
Use one reviewed path when a public route must change
A correction stays bounded when each decision carries forward the exact object and evidence it was based on.
1
Establish the baseline
Run url-lockdown/audit to compare the established Canonical Route Contract with the route WordPress currently observes, then retain that evidence with the correction.
2
Select the matching forecast
Choose the forecast that matches the object: url-lockdown/preview-post-migration covers a post or page, and url-lockdown/preview-term-migration covers a taxonomy term. The paired confirmed operations are url-lockdown/migrate-post-route and url-lockdown/migrate-term-route; keep the selected pairing tied to the destination under review.
3
Review the descendants in scope
Read the affected child routes shown by the forecast before you state the reason for the correction; the confirmation must cover the impact you reviewed.
4
Tie the reason to the evidence
Provide a concrete reason and match the confirmation to the preview you reviewed. A different or stale confirmation does not authorize the route change.
5
Run the matching migration
After approval, execute the migration for the selected family; do not substitute another one.
6
Bridge the former destination
The confirmed migration creates the required permanent redirects from the previous public route to its replacement.
7
Read the observed result
Verify the route WordPress observes after the change and retain the audit receipt recording the migration result.
8
Prevent a half-finished result
If redirect creation fails, the change is rolled back rather than left incomplete.
Exact boundaries
Know the boundary before you delegate a route change
Route identity, content links, stored metadata, and migration authority are separate controls.
Permission boundary
Every audit, preview, and migration requires the WordPress manage_options capability.
Editor-written references
URL Change Lockdown leaves links inside post content outside its protected route surface.
Non-route data
Values stored in post meta or custom fields remain editable.
Runtime and migration stack
Dependencies
These source-owned dependencies provide route protection, ability exposure, and confirmed migration redirects.
WordPress 6.9 or later
WordPress 6.9 or laterSupplies the content, taxonomy, and permalink surfaces and the platform ability layer used by the plugin.
PHP 7.4 or later
PHP 7.4 or laterRuns the URL Change Lockdown plugin code.
Included in WordPress 6.9 or later
WordPress Abilities API in WordPress 6.9 or laterProvides the native interface that registers URL Change Lockdown’s route controls.
Optional for MCP client access
WordPress MCP AdapterExposes the registered WordPress operations to authenticated MCP clients.
Installed and active for confirmed URL migrations
Rank Math SEOProvides the SEO integration for permanent old-address forwarding; route protection and audit remain available without it.
Stable package
Make the safeguard available
Download and install the stable self-hosted package to put the protection on the site. Before approving a necessary migration, verify the active prerequisites listed in Dependencies.