How to disable XML-RPC for a WordPress instance hosted in Plesk?

This security measure turns off XML-RPC pingbacks for the whole website and also disables pingbacks for previously created posts with pingbacks enabled:

1. Log into Plesk
2. Navigate to WordPress > example.com > Security:
   
   
3. Select Website URL and click Secure:
   
4. Select Turn off pingbacks:
   

1. Log into Plesk
2. Navigate to WordPress > example.com > Plugins and click Install:
   
   
3. Search for a plugin to disable XML-RPC in the search-field, with for example search-string xmlrpc:
   
   
4. Click Install to install a suitable plugin

1. Log into Plesk

2. Add the following additional nginx directives in Domains > example.com > Apache & nginx Settings:

   location = /xmlrpc.php {
   deny all;
   }
   if (!-e $request_filename) {
   set $test P;
   }
   if ($uri !~ ^/(plesk-stat|webstat|webstat-ssl|ftpstat|anon_ftpstat|awstats-icon|external-nginx-static-location)) {
   set $test “${test}C”;
   }
   if ($test = PC) {
   rewrite ^/(.*)$ /index.php?$1;
   }

   These directives will block requests to WordPress XML-RPC and process WordPress permalinks correctly.

1. Log into Plesk

2. Add the following additional nginx directives in Domains > example.com > Apache & nginx Settings:

   location /xmlrpc.php {
   deny all;
   }

   This directive will block requests to WordPress XML-RPC.