As a WordPress site owner, building user trust and confidence in your platform should be a top priority. Displaying respected security seals like McAfee SECURE shows your visitors you take site safety seriously.
In this expert guide, I‘ll show you step-by-step how to add the McAfee trusted badge to your WordPress site for free.
Why You Need the McAfee Secure Seal
Before we get into the technical details, let me give you some background on website malware threats and how security seals help.
Malware Threats Are Increasing Exponentially
Hackers have an ever-growing array of attack vectors at their disposal – WordPress sites are commonly targeted with:
✅ Phishing attacks
✅ Spam bots
✅ SQL injections
✅ Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
✅ Zero-day exploits
In fact, sucuri.net estimates that over 30 million WordPress sites were infected with malware in 2022 alone!
Security Seals Reassure Visitors
Displaying respected security certifications like McAfee SECURE assures visitors that proper precautions have been taken.
Studies show sites displaying security seals have:
💰 Up to 26% higher online conversion rates
📈 Increase in pageviews and time on site
🏆 Improved brand trust and loyalty
Simply put, guards like the McAfee badge convert visitors into customers.
Prerequisites Before You Start
Before installing the McAfee WordPress plugin, make sure your site meets these security requirements:
✅ Running latest WordPress version – 6.1.1 recommended
✅ Remove any inactive plugins or themes
✅ Change default admin username
✅ Strong passwords over 12 characters
Meeting these basics signals to McAfee you take security seriously.
Step 1 – Install and Activate the McAfee Plugin
First, install the official "McAfee SECURE" plugin from your WordPress dashboard:
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for "McAfee SECURE"
- Install the plugin and activate
You‘ll now see a new McAfee SECURE menu in your WordPress dashboard. This is where we‘ll configure integration settings next.
Step 2 – Set Up Your McAfee Secure Account
Under the new McAfee SECURE dashboard menu, connect your website by entering:
✅ Your email address
✅ Your site‘s domain name
Then click Get Started to kickoff account setup and have McAfee scan your site.
Stand By for McAfee‘s Website Scan
Next, McAfee will automatically scan your site using 25+ integrity tests checking for:
❗️ Known malware
❗️ Invalid certificates
❗️ Form validation issues
❗️ Cross-site scripting flaws
The process should take less than 15 minutes to complete all checks.
Step 3 – Verify Your Email to Activate Seal
Once the automated tests complete, head to your email inbox to verify ownership of your site‘s domain.
Open the confirmation email from [email protected] and click the verification link inside.
This last step connects and activates the trust seal to display on your WordPress site.
🚀 You‘re all set! 🚀
The McAfee badge should now prominently appear on your site to indicate it‘s safe and secure.
Next Level – Further Secure Your WordPress Site
While having the McAfee seal is a fantastic security foundation, here are my professional recommendations for hardening your site even more:
#1 Install an SSL Certificate
Without HTTPS encryption, your site is communicating openly and could expose private user data.
I recommend Really Simple SSL for quickly activating SSL and forcing HTTPS:
#2 Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Even if hackers get an admin password, 2FA requires additional logins via text code or auth apps.
For 2FA, use the Duo Security plugin connected to your mobile:
#3 Install Automated Malware Scanners
To monitor for new threats, use malware detection plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri Security.
They scan regularly and immediately alert you of core file changes, backdoors, phishing URLs, hidden redirects and more.
Let me know if you have any other WordPress security questions! Stay safe out there and happy site building.
