Creating a Simple Strong Password Policy for Your New Website

Learn how to create a practical strong password policy for your new website, based on modern security guidance but written in plain language your team can follow.

Why Your Website Needs a Simple Strong Password Policy

Before your new site launches, you should decide how you and your team will create and manage passwords. A short, clear password policy helps prevent account takeovers and reduces the chance that a weak admin password becomes the way an attacker gets in.

Modern guidance from security agencies emphasizes three core ideas for passwords: make them long, random, and unique for each account.Source

Core Principles for Strong Passwords (Plain Language)

Use these principles as the foundation of your policy. You can paste and adapt the wording into your internal handbook or onboarding docs.

1. Length First

Make length your main rule. Security guidance now recommends passwords or passphrases of at least 15–16 characters for important accounts like website logins.Source

• Minimum length for admin and editor accounts: 16 characters.
• Minimum length for all other roles: 12–16 characters (choose one and stick to it).
• Encourage passphrases made of several random words instead of short, complex strings.

2. Make Passwords Random Enough to Be Hard to Guess

Your policy should discourage anything that can be guessed from public information or simple patterns.

• No names, birthdays, addresses, or business names.
• No keyboard patterns (like 123456, qwertyuiop).
• No reused passwords from other services.

Instead, recommend either:

• A passphrase of 4–7 unrelated words (for example, “river ladder cinema jacket”), or
• A random mix of letters, numbers, and symbols generated by a password manager.

3. One Password Per Account (No Reuse)

Reusing the same password across multiple services is one of the fastest ways a breach at another company can turn into a compromise of your website.Source

• Each website account must have its own unique password.
• If a password is suspected to be exposed anywhere, it must be changed everywhere it was used.

Recommended Password Policy Template (Copy–Adapt–Use)

You can copy the text below into a document and adjust it for your organization. Keep it short so people will actually read and follow it.

Template: Strong Password Policy for Website Accounts

Purpose: Protect our website and customer data by requiring strong, unique passwords for all accounts.

Scope: Applies to all users with access to our website, including administrators, editors, contributors, and any integrated services that use passwords.

Policy Rules

1. Minimum length
   • Admin and high-privilege accounts: at least 16 characters.
   • All other accounts: at least 12 characters.
2. Allowed format
   • Passwords may be a passphrase (several unrelated words) or a random string.
   • Users may include spaces, letters, numbers, and symbols.
3. What is not allowed
   • No passwords based on personal details (names, birthdays, addresses).
   • No simple patterns (e.g., 123456789, password2026!).
   • No reuse of passwords from any other account or service.
4. Password managers
   • We strongly encourage the use of a reputable password manager to generate and store passwords.
5. Sharing
   • Passwords must never be shared by email, chat, or text.
   • If access must be shared, a shared password vault or separate user account should be used.
6. Rotation
   • Passwords must be changed immediately if there is any sign of compromise.
   • Admin passwords should be reviewed at least twice a year and updated if any former staff or vendors may still know them.

How This Connects to Your Website Platform

Your written policy is only useful if your website and related systems support it. Modern guidance emphasizes enforcing password length and allowing users to create long passphrases rather than forcing frequent changes or complex character rules.Source

Questions to Ask Your Hosting or IT Provider

• What is the minimum password length enforced for admin logins?
• Are there any limits that prevent long passphrases (for example, a 16-character maximum)?
• Are passwords stored using modern, secure hashing algorithms?
• Is multi-factor authentication (MFA) available for admin accounts?

Implementing the Policy with Your Team

Once you have the rules defined, walk your team through them in a short meeting or training session. Focus on what they need to do, not on technical details.

Step 1: Share the Policy in Writing

• Add the policy to your onboarding checklist for new staff and contractors.
• Store it in a shared location (for example, your internal handbook or project workspace).
• Highlight which rules are mandatory versus recommended.

Step 2: Help Everyone Set Up a Password Manager

Security agencies recommend password managers as a practical way for people to use long, random, unique passwords on every account.Source

• Choose one password manager for the organization, if possible.
• Create a short internal guide: how to install it, how to generate a new password, and how to share access safely when needed.
• Require that all admin-level users store their website credentials in the manager, not in spreadsheets or notes.

Step 3: Clean Up Old or Weak Passwords

Before launch (or as part of a security refresh), schedule 30–60 minutes to clean up existing passwords.

1. List all accounts that can access your website or hosting (admins, editors, vendors, integrations).
2. For each account, generate a new strong password in the password manager.
3. Update the login details everywhere they are used.
4. Remove or disable any accounts that are no longer needed.

What You Should See

Once your strong password policy is in place and your team is following it, you should notice:

• All admin and editor passwords are stored in a password manager, not in shared documents.
• Passwords you see are long (typically 16+ characters) and look like passphrases or random strings.
• Former staff and vendors no longer have working logins.
• Your team can explain, in simple terms, how they create new strong passwords.

Keeping the Policy Up to Date

Password guidance evolves over time as research and standards change. For example, modern standards place more emphasis on length and less on forcing special characters or frequent changes.Source

Simple Maintenance Checklist

• Review this policy once a year or when you change hosting or authentication providers.
• Update minimum length requirements if new standards recommend longer passwords.
• Add notes about any new security features you adopt (for example, MFA or single sign-on).
• Re-train staff when you make significant changes.

By keeping your password policy short, clear, and grounded in modern security guidance, you give your team a realistic way to protect your new website without overwhelming them with technical detail.Source