How to Password-Protect a Web Page
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| Password
protection keeps only the users you want on your page.
If you know JavaScript or even plain old HTML, you can
use password protection. |
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| Placing a Link from an
Unprotected Page to a Protected Page |
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Steps: |
| 1.
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Open
the unprotected page in a basic text editor. Place the
cursor where the link will appear. |
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| 2.
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Type
the following, substituting your own text or graphic: Click here
to access the password protected page. |
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Tips: |
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Users must click on a link to access a page
unless the first page of a site is protected. If the
main page is the password protected page, start at
Section 2. |
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For the purposes of this section, the
destination of the link, a script file, is called
"password.html". |
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| Creating a Script for the
Password Page |
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Steps: |
| 1.
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Open a
basic text editing program. Begin by typing the opening
tags: <html><head> |
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| 2.
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Type
the title of your page and close the title with a tag:
<title>Protected Page: Please enter
password</title> |
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| 3.
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Type
the following: <script
language="Javascript"> This command tells the browser
a script is about to begin. |
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| 4.
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Press
the Enter key and type the following: //prompt. Press
the Enter key again. |
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| 5.
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Enter
the prompt by typing the following: var password =
prompt("Enter in the password"""); There are three
double-quotation marks after the word "password" and a
semicolon after the last parentheses. |
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| 6.
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Type
the following, replacing "pass" with the word or numbers
the password will be: if (password == "pass")
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| 7.
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Now
type the following, replacing "correct.html" with the
name of the page the correct user is directed to:
{location = "correct.html"} This tells the browser to
send the user who enters the correct password to this
page. |
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| 8.
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Send
users who type the incorrect password to an error page
by typing the following, replacing "error.html" with the
error page you have created: else {location =
"error.html"} |
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| 9.
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End
the script by typing the following:
//--></script> |
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| 10.
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Close
the scripted section of the page by typing the follow:
</head>. |
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| 11.
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Add a
body section for browsers that do not read JavaScript:
<body>This page is designed for viewing by
Netscape 2.0, Internet Explorer 3.0 or above. Please
upgrade your browser and return soon!</body>
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| 12.
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Close
the Web page by typing: </html> Save the page (for
this example, save it as "password.html"). |
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Tips: |
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Users who enter the correct password are taken
straight to the page; users who enter the incorrect
password are sent to an error page. You create the error
page, called "error.html" here, in the next section.
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Be sure to enter all commands as shown.
JavaScript will not work if the command isn't exactly
right. |
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| Creating the Error Page
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Steps: |
| 1.
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Open a
basic text editing program. Begin by typing the opening
tags: <html><head><title> |
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| 2.
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Title
the page "Error" or "Wrong Password": <title>Sorry
' Wrong Password!</title></head>
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| 3.
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Type
the error message the viewer will see, such as:
<body> <h1>I'm sorry, the password you typed
is incorrect. |
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| 4.
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Give
the user an opportunity to re-enter the password: Please
click
here to try again. This allows the user the
opportunity to return to the password script.
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| 5.
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Allow
the user to back out: <p>Otherwise, click
here to return to the main page.
</h1>("here.html" indicates the name of the page
that links to the protected page) |
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| 6.
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Close
the page by typing the closing tags:
</body></html> |
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Tips: |
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Format this page to resemble your other pages,
so viewers don't get lost. |
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| Testing the Password Script
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Steps: |
| 1.
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Open a
Web browser. Select Open from the File menu, locate the
page that links to the password-protected page, and
click Open to view it. |
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| 2.
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Click
on the link to the password-protected page. |
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| 3.
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You
will be prompted for the password. Make sure you enter
it correctly; passwords are case-sensitive. |
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| 4.
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Gauge
the results. If it does not work, go back and
double-check that you entered the script correctly.
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Tips: |
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Try typing both the correct and incorrect
passwords so you will see what your visitors see.
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Warnings: |
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Do not
link back to the password file (password.html). If the
person does not know the password, they will be
endlessly looped and cannot get out of the script.
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| Finding More Complex
Password-Protection Scripts |
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Steps: |
| 1.
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Visit
pages that offer free JavaScripts and do a search for
"password". Many of these scripts are just cut and
paste, with minimal changes. |
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| 2.
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Protect extremely sensitive information by
hiring a Web developer (or your ISP) to create a
customized password script for you. These scripts are
extremely sensitive and very difficult for hackers.
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| 3.
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Contact your Internet Service Provider and ask
if they provide password protection services. This
entails setting aside a portion of the server for your
pages, so some ISPs may charge extra. |
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| 4.
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If you
use a free script, add a courtesy button or reference to
the provider on your page. |
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| 5.
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You
may need to get permission before using JavaScripts from
another Web site. When in doubt, ASK! |
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| 6.
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Not
all browsers support scripts. Be sure to follow
directions for providing alternates to scripts on your
Web page. |
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