HandL AI Connector Access Control
See which WordPress plugins use AI. Control access. Track estimated spend before it becomes a surprise.
Use with caution
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 3 weeks ago, and scores 59/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 3 weeks ago
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where HandL AI Connector Access C… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| AI | >100 |
| ai client | >100 |
| governance | #35 |
| handl | #4 |
| security | >100 |
About HandL AI Connector Access Control
From the official readme · v1.7.0Description
Know when your WordPress plugins use AI.
See activity. Control access. Track estimated spend.
Avoid surprise AI bills
- See estimated spend by plugin.
- Add your own provider rates.
- Estimates are not bills.
- This plugin does not sell AI usage or add AI charges.
- Your AI provider controls actual billing.
What it does
- Shows which plugin made each AI Client request.
- Shows whether each request was allowed or blocked.
- Shows the AI task, provider, model, tokens, and estimated spend.
- Lets you allow or deny each plugin.
- Lets you control text, image, speech, and video separately.
- Includes Learn mode so you can watch first.
- Includes Emergency stop for urgent shutdowns.
Who it is for
- WordPress site owners.
- WordPress administrators.
- Multisite teams that manage rules one site at a time.
No developer experience is required.
How it works
- Install the plugin.
- Open Settings → HandL AI Connector Access Control.
- Turn on Learn mode.
- Review Activity.
- Add rules after you know which plugins need AI.
Everyday controls
- Plugin rules: Allow, deny, or use the site default.
- Temporary allow: Optional expiry on Allow rules (auto-reverts to the site default).
- AI type rules: Control text, image, speech, and video separately.
- Learn mode: Record activity without enforcing deny rules.
- Emergency stop: Block AI Client calls across the site.
- Blocked AI tools: Stop prompts that offer blocked tools.
- Role gate: Choose which WordPress roles may start AI operations.
More controls
- Denial alerts: Get an optional email when a request is blocked.
- Weekly report: Review activity, denials, and estimated spend by email.
- Estimated spend: Use token counts and your provider rates.
- Plugin AI profile: Open a plugin from Activity or Dashboard estimated spend to see its usage, incidents, estimated spend alerts, and current rules in one read-only view. Rule changes and CSV exports stay on their existing screens.
- Rules transfer: Export or import rules as JSON.
- Activity limits: Control how many entries are saved and for how long.
- Audit report: Print a governance summary (rules + activity) as PDF from your browser.
- Multisite overview: View status and activity for each site.
- WP-CLI: List and update AI type rules from the command line.
Important limits
- AI Client calls are allowed by default until you change a rule.
- This plugin governs calls made through the WordPress AI Client.
- Version 1.2.0 can observe some direct AI connections. It does not block them.
- The known-provider list is not complete.
- Caller identification is best effort.
- Experimental model force is not a spending guarantee.
- Activity may be empty when WordPress disables AI site-wide.
Privacy
- Activity stays on your WordPress site by default.
- Logging, denial alerts, and webhooks are optional.
- The weekly report is selected by default.
- It sends only while logging or Learn mode is on.
See Privacy / Data below for every stored or transmitted field.
Privacy / Data
By default, this plugin does not send data to HandL Digital. Features that send data outside your site are optional and require an explicit setting or onboarding choice. The weekly report uses your site’s configured email system and runs only while logging or Learn mode is on.
If you enable recent-call logging in Settings → HandL AI Connector Access Control, it stores a local log in the WordPress options table containing:
- Timestamp
- Allow/deny decision (AI Client rows) or observe (direct-HTTP AI observations)
- AI Client operation (e.g.
generate_text,is_supported_for_text_generation) — ordirect_httpfor shadow observations - Capability family (text / image / speech / tts / video / unknown) for AI Client rows
- Provider and model when set on the prompt builder (or model preferences)
- In learn mode: whether a configured model pin matched, and the provider/model you pinned
- Truncated prompt preview and selected generation config (best-effort; AI Client rows only)
- Input and output token counts when the AI Client completes a generation (best-effort)
- Best-effort calling plugin (plugin basename) and source file
- Current user id and display name
- Initiating WordPress role slug(s) when a user context exists (role gate / audit; no usernames beyond display name already listed)
- Full request URI (including query string, kept only on this site) for AI Client admin-request context
- For direct-HTTP AI observations only: request host and path (query string stripped). No request body, no Authorization headers, no API keys. Channel label
direct_httpand matched provider id when known.
Logs are kept as a single shared entry-based ring buffer (default 200 entries, configurable 20–1000) for both AI Client rows and direct-HTTP AI observations. An optional maximum log age (days) setting also drops rows older than the threshold on the next read or append; when both the count cap and the time-based TTL apply, the stricter limit wins. Leave maximum age empty for entry-count-only retention. Repeated direct-HTTP calls from the same attributed plugin + host (or the same unattributed file + host) that stay active within ~5 minutes of idle time are collapsed into one row whose count is the number of HTTP calls (same unit as AI Client rows). Active clusters move to the newest slot so a chatty bypass does not erase the rest of the log, and the log does not drop the chatty cluster ahead of idle rows.
If you set an estimated spend alert threshold (Activity → Estimated spend alerts), the plugin may send a message via WordPress wp_mail when the retained log’s estimated total first crosses that amount (site-wide or per-plugin). The email includes the threshold, current estimated total, dated log window, and (for per-plugin alerts) the plugin name. It states that the figure is estimated (token × rate placeholder), not billing. No prompt text or user identity is included. Empty thresholds never send mail. Delivery failures are contained and never change allow/deny.
If you enable denial email alerts, the plugin sends a message via WordPress wp_mail when enforcement blocks a prompt (immediate rate-limited mail, or an hourly digest). The recipient is the address you configure, or the site admin_email if left empty — that may be any address you enter, and mail is delivered through whatever transport your site uses (core PHP mail or an SMTP / transactional-mail plugin). Alert messages include:
- Timestamp
- Calling plugin (best-effort basename)
- AI Client operation and capability family
- Denial reason and any matched blocked tools
- Provider and model when known (may be labeled inferred)
- Request path only (query string is stripped before mail; full URI stays in the local log if logging is enabled)
Alert mail does not include prompt preview or user identity. Digest rows waiting to send are stored in a local options queue (path-only URI) and are removed when alerts are turned off or the plugin is uninstalled.
If you enable shadow-AI email alerts (Activity tab; off by default), the plugin sends a message via WordPress wp_mail the first time a given attributed plugin+host (or unattributed file+host) pair appears as a direct_http observe row in the retained log window — immediate rate-limited mail, or the same hourly digest queue, using the same recipient and mode as denial alerts. Messages are explicitly labeled observe / not blocked and include:
- Timestamp
- Best-effort calling plugin, file, or method
- Request host
- Path only (query string stripped — same redaction as denial alerts)
Shadow-AI alerts do not block HTTP and are not posted to the webhook. They require logging or learn mode, and are suppressed when AI is disabled site-wide via wp_supports_ai. Chatty-cluster collapse (~5 minutes idle) and the retained-window pair check prevent duplicate alerts for the same pair.
If you also set a Webhook URL (Activity → denial alert settings), the plugin POSTs a generic JSON body with the same fields as the denial email alert to that http(s) URL whenever a denial alert would fire (same alert_on_deny gate, rate limit, and immediate/digest mode — not a separate toggle). Delivery uses WordPress wp_remote_post (timeouts/non-2xx are contained like wp_mail failures and never change allow/deny). The URL is an intentional admin-supplied outbound integration (same trust model as the alert recipient). Empty URL means no webhook POST is attempted. A Send test webhook control posts a sample payload clearly labeled as a test (bypasses rate limiting). Weekly report email and shadow-AI observe alerts are not sent to the webhook in this release.
If you enable the weekly report email (Activity tab), the plugin sends one message per week via WordPress wp_mail with Dashboard-style aggregates from the retained local log. This is the first surface where retained log data can leave the WordPress site (through your site’s mail transport into an inbox). The weekly report includes only:
- Dated window from the oldest and newest retained log timestamps (self-dating so a late WP-cron send stays honest)
- Coverage call counts (through the AI Client vs outside — not governed by these rules)
- Deny count in the retained window; default policy and learn-mode / kill-switch state labels
- Estimated spend total and top plugins by estimated $ (token × rate placeholders — not billing)
- Pin-hold counts when experimental force rules are configured
- Plugin display names (or basenames) for top estimated-spend rows
Weekly report mail does not include prompt preview, user identity, request paths, hosts, denial reason detail rows, or any per-call URI. Recipient is the same address as denial alerts (or site admin_email if empty). Every email includes a link to turn the report off. The weekly cron is cleared when the report is disabled, logging is off, or the plugin is uninstalled.
During first-run setup, you can optionally agree to receive product news and related offers from HandL Digital. The checkbox is off by default. If you agree and finish setup, the plugin sends your alert email address, site URL, plugin version, and consent time to HandL Digital. HandL Digital stores this information on its server for those emails. If you leave the box unchecked, the plugin sends nothing to HandL Digital for this purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time by emailing support@handldigital.com. This registration is separate from denial alerts, webhooks, and the weekly report.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
/wp-content/plugins/handl-ai-connector-access-control/ - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress
- Go to Settings → HandL AI Connector Access Control to configure plugin rules
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the WordPress AI plugin’s Connector Approvals?
Connector Approvals in the WordPress AI plugin controls which plugins and themes can use configured AI connector credentials. HandL AI Connector Access Control governs AI Client prompts through wp_ai_client_prevent_prompt, adding per-plugin allow/deny rules, a capability-family matrix, tool-arming denial, shadow-AI detection for direct connections outside the AI Client, and estimated spend / denial alerting. Both can run together because they govern different layers. See Dashboard → “Beyond Connector Approvals”.
Does this stop all AI usage?
Only AI calls made through the WordPress AI Client APIs that pass through wp_ai_client_prevent_prompt. The shadow-AI detector can observe direct HTTP to known AI hosts (when logging or Learn mode is on) and, if you enable Block direct calls to known AI providers, can block those requests with optional per-plugin exceptions. AI Client traffic is never treated as shadow traffic.
What does “outside the AI Client” mean on Audit & log?
A plugin (or other PHP code) issued a WordPress HTTP request to a known AI provider host without going through the AI Client path this plugin gates. With blocking off, those rows are labeled observe. With Block direct calls to known AI providers on, they may be denied or allowed as an exception. Plugin Allow/Deny rules still apply only to AI Client traffic.
Is attribution perfect?
No. It is best-effort and may be unknown or ambiguous for some execution paths (cron, REST bootstraps, shared libraries, MU plugins). Experimental model force uses the same attribution: a pin follows the detected caller, not a guarantee of which product “owns” the spend.
Does experimental model force guarantee cost control per plugin?
No. It pins the route for calls we attribute to that plugin’s nearest stack frame. Unattributed calls are unforced by default (configurable). Misattribution can apply another plugin’s pin without failing closed — existence of a resolved plugin is not proof it is the right one.
Can I manage rules with WP-CLI?
Yes. With WP-CLI available and this plugin active: wp aicac rule list — table of every installed plugin (active and inactive) with family-level allow/deny/inherit state. Use `--format=json` for machine-readable output. wp aicac rule set — set one capability-family cell (text, image, speech, tts, video). Writes through the same sanitized policy path as the Rules tab. Plugin basename must match an installed plugin file (e.g. `acme-plugin/acme-plugin.php`), including inactive plugins.
Changelog
Unreleased
1.7.0
- Optional retry-storm detector collapses rapid deny loops from the same plugin into one Activity row and one hourly alert (
wp handl-aicac retry-storm). On by default at a 30-second window and threshold of 5; turn off to restore per-deny rows and emails. - Optional SIEM export (off by default): send deny, shadow-deny, tamper, budget, and policy restore events as CEF or JSON lines to local syslog and/or a rotating file under uploads. Configure with
wp handl-aicac siem set|status|test. - Alert emails can include signed links to allow a plugin for 24 hours, snooze alerts for 7 days, or open that plugin’s rule. The link only works after you log in and confirm.
- Uninstall now keeps plugin data by default (rules, activity, alerts). Deleting the plugin used to remove that data. To wipe it, run
wp handl-aicac uninstall set purgebefore deleting the plugin. - Deactivating the plugin now writes an Activity row, sends one alert email, and stamps the enforcement gap; reactivating logs the resume, shows a dismissible admin notice with the gap window, and Site Health recommends when gaps appear in the last 30 days.
- Optional Hardened mode (
wp handl-aicac hardened) installs a must-use stub so AI Client calls stay blocked or watched while the main plugin is deactivated. - Rules matrix paginates (25/50/100 per page) with plugin name search, so large sites no longer post every plugin row on Save.
- A Getting started list now appears on the Dashboard after Quick setup. It tracks plugins that used AI, a starter policy pack, alert email, policy tester, and weekly digest. The list hides when complete or dismissed. If it hides after completion, it returns when a setting is turned off.
- The Rules tab now lists plugin rules that need review or belong to plugins that are no longer installed. Marking a rule as still correct does not change Allow or Deny. Review counts also appear on the Dashboard, in Site Health, and in the printable audit report.
- Editors whose AI requests are blocked can ask for temporary access. The site owner receives no more than one email per plugin every 24 hours and can approve access for 24 hours or deny the request. Pending requests appear on the Protections screen.
- Auditor view access: grant
handl_aicac_viewso a role can open Rules, Activity, Insights, and Site Health details without changing settings. Alerts & Settings shows which roles can view or manage. - Insights now includes a Who talks to whom map: plugins, providers, and models from the saved log, with call counts and estimated-spend share. Providers without a saved rate show Spend unknown.
1.6.0
- In versions 1.3.0–1.5.0, changes made on the Rules tab did not save. Version 1.6.0 saves Rules again and prevents an incomplete save from erasing rules that were not submitted.
- Change history on the Rules tab records who changed rules or settings, when, and a secret-safe before-and-after summary. The recent trail is kept separately from Activity, always records Emergency stop changes, and appears in printable audit reports.
- Dashboard governance setup score (0–100): a weighted checklist of local settings and saved Activity, with Complete, Needs setup, and Not applicable states linked to the relevant screen. Setup guidance only, not a security or safety rating.
- Optional Rule notes on plugin rules, shown on Rules, plugin profiles, and applicable Activity entries. Notes are stored locally, included in rules exports, Activity CSV exports, and printable evidence, and preserved on historical Activity entries when a rule changes or is removed.
- WP-CLI policy apply: preview a secret-safe policy diff with –dry-run, then apply the reviewed JSON export with –yes. A site mismatch requires explicit confirmation, and the previous policy is kept as a restore snapshot.
- Starter policy packs on the Rules tab: preview Strict, Balanced, or Observe-first, download a JSON backup, then apply without silently replacing your existing per-plugin rules.
- Activity keep period on the Activity tab (30, 90, 180, or 365 days, or forever): daily cleanup in batches, an optional CSV download before the first cleanup, and a Site Health line showing the period and last cleanup time.
- Optional weekly rules backup email on the Rules tab, off by default: sends a JSON rules export once a week, stores only the latest backup on the site, and lets you download or compare it.
- Insights daily trend lines for calls, estimated spend, and blocked calls over up to 30 days of saved Activity, with honest short-window labels and expandable per-plugin trends.
- One email when a plugin that never used AI makes its first AI Client call. Snooze and Quiet hours still apply. This does not change Allow or Deny.
- Share-safe policy export via WP-CLI:
wp handl-aicac policy export --redactedreplaces alert email and webhook URLs with present/absent placeholders, strips rule notes, and omits the site URL. Regular export is unchanged. Import of a redacted file keeps live secrets. - Emergency break-glass via WP-CLI: temporarily allow all AI Client calls for a set number of minutes, then restore the previous policy automatically. Cancel early to restore now. Calls during the window are tagged in Activity.
- Blocked calls now record the page context and the error returned to the calling plugin, so Activity shows what happened instead of only showing that the call was denied.
1.5.0
- Shared email layout for HandL alerts and reports: same header, intro, and footer on every message, with a plain-text and HTML part. Per-message wording inside the content block is unchanged.
- Optional weekly governance digest email: last 7 days of AI Client calls, estimated spend vs the previous 7 days, blocked calls, direct connections, usage spike alerts, and top plugins. Off by default.
- Per-plugin estimated monthly budgets on the Rules tab, with progress, a Dashboard banner when a budget is reached, a budget-hit email, and a Site Health notice. Choose Block or Observe-only mode when the estimated spend reaches the ceiling. Amounts are estimates, not bills.
- Optional provider or model change alerts: send one email and optional webhook the first time a plugin uses a new provider. You can also alert on new models. The first recorded call sets a baseline and does not send an alert. Alerts do not change Allow or Deny rules.
- WP-CLI read-only inspection:
wp handl-aicac policy listandwp handl-aicac log summary(table or JSON) for scripted audits without opening wp-admin. - Webhook delivery log for the last 20 attempts on Activity, a Send test webhook button next to the Webhook URL, one automatic retry after a server error or timeout, and a failure email if the retry does not succeed.
1.4.0
- Policy checks on the Rules tab: save sample AI calls with expected Allow or Deny results. The plugin re-checks them before rules, presets, restores, or imports are applied and warns if a result would change.
- Added optional Quiet hours on the Activity tab. Set weekly schedules to block AI Client calls or use Observe-only mode, which logs activity without blocking. The Dashboard shows when a schedule is active, and Emergency stop always takes priority.
- The Activity settings screen now shows how much space the activity log uses and estimates what shorter time limits would remove. The suggested limit only fills the field. Select Save Activity settings to apply it.
- Mute alert emails and webhooks for one plugin for 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or 7 days. Rules still apply and activity still logs. The plugin records how many alerts would have been sent during the mute.
- Compare a previous JSON rules export with your current policy on the Rules tab. See every setting that differs before you import. Unknown fields from a newer export are listed as not comparable. Nothing is changed until you use Import.
- Temporary Allow rules can send one warning email when about 24 hours remain before expiry. Renewing a rule clears the warning for that rule.
- Optional: flag newly activated plugins for review and either block or log their AI calls until you choose Allow or Deny. Existing plugins are left alone when you turn this on.
- Create a rule from an Activity call: open the Rules form pre-filled with that plugin, AI type, and provider/model. Already-covered plugins show a status instead of adding a second rule.
- Added a read-only Plugin AI profile. Click a plugin in Activity or Dashboard estimated spend to see usage by day, operation, and model; blocked calls; direct connections outside the AI Client; estimated spend alerts; and the rules that currently apply. Rule results use the same decision process as enforcement. Links open the existing Rules and CSV export screens.
- Added an optional, unchecked onboarding choice to receive product news and related offers from HandL Digital. If selected, the plugin sends the alert email address, site URL, plugin version, and consent time to HandL Digital. Privacy / Data documents the transmission and opt-out method.
1.3.0
- Insights: weekly call and estimated-spend trends (last 8 weeks) with per-plugin sparklines and week-over-week change. Weeks with no retained log data show as “no data kept,” not zero.
- Optional monthly email of the printable audit report, off by default. It sends a short summary and HTML attachment starting on the first of each month. If no activity was retained, it sends a no-activity note without an attachment.
- Restore a previous policy from the Rules tab. The plugin keeps the last 5 versions of your rules and settings, and shows what will change before you restore.
- Scan active plugins for possible embedded AI API keys. Possible findings appear on the Dashboard and in Site Health. The Dashboard shows only the last 4 characters, and full keys are never stored.
Screenshots
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FAQ
HandL AI Connector Access Control: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is HandL AI Connector Access Contr… free?
Yes. HandL AI Connector Access Contr… is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is HandL AI Connector Access Contr… safe to use in 2026?
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 3 weeks ago, and scores 59/100 on our health check.
How many websites use HandL AI Connector Access Contr…?
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,505 times since it launched in April 2026. It was downloaded 417 times in the last 30 days.
Does HandL AI Connector Access Contr… work with WordPress 7.1?
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does HandL AI Connector Access Contr… need?
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was HandL AI Connector Access Contr… last updated?
The latest version, 1.7.0, was released on September 17, 2026 (3 weeks ago).
Who makes HandL AI Connector Access Contr…?
HandL AI Connector Access Contr… is developed and maintained by Haktan Suren.
What are the best alternatives to HandL AI Connector Access Contr…?
The most popular alternatives to HandL AI Connector Access Contr… are Elementor Website Builder (10M+ installs), All in One SEO (2M+ installs) and AI Agent by SiteGround (1M+ installs).
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