Learn how to change your WordPress admin password using three effective methods and enhance your site’s security today. WordPress, which powers millions of websites worldwide, emphasizes the necessity of using a strong password to secure your administrator account. It is critical to protect your website from unauthorized access.
All WordPress users must be capable of changing their passwords. Knowing how to change your WordPress admin password is essential, whether for security reasons or because you forgot your old one.
This article describes three simple methods that anyone can use to change their WordPress admin password easily.
Key Reasons to Change WordPress Passwords
Changing your WordPress password is crucial for several important reasons. Understanding these reasons helps you prioritize the security of your website effectively:
1. Prevent Security Breach
Regularly changing your WordPress password reduces the risk of unauthorized access. It’s an essential step in maintaining the security of your website, especially in light of evolving cyber threats.
2. Overcome Password Weakness
Passwords can become compromised due to their complexity or if they’ve been reused across multiple platforms. Changing passwords regularly helps mitigate these risks by ensuring you’re using strong, unique passwords.
3. Sharing Temporary Access
If you’ve shared temporary access to your WordPress site with collaborators, vendors, or developers, changing the password afterward ensures that access remains secure and limited to the intended timeframe.
4. After Site Cleanup
Following a security audit or cleanup of your WordPress site, changing passwords is a prudent measure to ensure any potential vulnerabilities or lingering threats are addressed comprehensively.
5. Account Recovery
In situations where there’s a risk of your WordPress account being compromised or if you’ve experienced suspicious activity, changing your password promptly can help regain control and prevent further unauthorized actions.
6. Maintain Control
Regularly changing your password ensures you control your website and its administration.
How to Change Your WordPress Admin Password
Changing your WordPress admin password can be done in several ways. Here, we’ll cover the three easiest methods. Choose the one that best suits your situation.
Method 1: Using the WordPress Dashboard
If you can log into your WordPress dashboard, you can change your password directly from there without needing to use your email.
This method is especially helpful if you don’t have access to your email account but are still logged into your WordPress site. It’s also quicker than resetting your password via the login screen.
Steps to Change Your Password via the Dashboard:
1. Log into Your WordPress Dashboard
– Enter your WordPress admin credentials to access the dashboard.
2. Navigate to the User Section
– From the left-hand menu, click on Users
– Select All Users to see the list of users.
3. Select the User
– Click on the username whose password you want to change. If there’s only one user, select that one.
4. Access Account Management
– Scroll down to the **Account Management** section.
5. Set a New Password
– Click on the Set New Password button next to the New Password option.
– A new password will be automatically generated. You can use this generated password or type a new one of your choice.
6. Update Profile
– Once you have set the new password, scroll down and click the Update Profile button to save the changes.
By following these steps, you can easily change your WordPress admin password using the dashboard. This method ensures you maintain control over your site even if you don’t have access to your email.
Method 2: How to Change Your Password from the WordPress Login Page
If you’ve forgotten your WordPress password but still remember the username or email associated with your account, you can easily reset it using the “Lost your password?” feature. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do this:
1. Visit the WordPress Login Page
– Open your web browser and go to the login page of your WordPress site. This is typically found at `yourdomain.com/wp-login.php`.
2. Click on Lost your password?
– Below the login form, you will see a link labeled “Lost your password”?. Click on this link to proceed.
3. Enter Your Username or Email Address
– You will be redirected to a page that asks for the username or email address associated with your account. Enter the required information and click the “Get New Password” button.
4. Check Your Email for a Password Reset Link
– WordPress will send an email to the address associated with your account. Check your inbox for an email from WordPress. If you don’t see it, check your spam or junk folder as well.
5. Click the Password Reset Link
– Open the email and click on the password reset link provided. This will take you to a new page on your WordPress site.
6. Enter a New Password
– On the password reset page, you can enter a new password of your choice or use the strong password generated by WordPress. After entering your new password, click the “Reset Password” button.
7. Confirmation and Login
– Once you see a confirmation message that your password has been reset, return to the WordPress login page. Enter your username and new password to log in to your account.
Following these steps will allow you to regain access to your WordPress account quickly and securely.
Method 3: Changing Password via phpMyAdmin
This method is quite different from the first two, and should only be used if you can’t access both your email and your WordPress dashboard. For advanced users comfortable with database management, you can change your WordPress admin password directly via phpMyAdmin.
phpMyAdmin is a PHP script that allows administrators to manage their MySQL databases through a web interface. It provides functionalities to optimize and repair database tables, back up the database, and execute various database management commands. This method is particularly useful if your WordPress installation is not working properly or if you are locked out of your admin dashboard and email.
Here are the detailed steps to change your WordPress admin password via phpMyAdmin:
#1. Access Your Hosting Panel
First, you need to log in to your hosting panel. Most hosting providers use a control panel such as cPanel, Plesk, or a custom interface.
#2. Navigate to phpMyAdmin
Once you’re logged into your hosting panel, look for the phpMyAdmin tool. This tool allows you to manage your MySQL databases through a web interface.
#3. Backup Your Database
Before making any changes, it’s crucial to back up your database. This ensures you can restore your site to its previous state if something goes wrong.
– In phpMyAdmin, select the database that your WordPress site uses.
– Click on the Export tab.
– Choose the Quick export method and the SQL format.
– Click Go to download the backup file to your computer.
4. Locate the `wp_users` Table
After backing up your database, navigate to the `wp_users` table. This table stores information about all the registered users on your WordPress site.
– In phpMyAdmin, ensure the correct database is selected.
– Find and click on the `wp_users` table in the list of tables.
#5. Edit the User’s Password
Find the user for whom you want to reset the password. Usually, this is the admin user.
– Locate the admin user in the `wp_users` table.
– Click on the Edit link next to the admin user row.
#6. Enter the New Password
In the edit view, find the `user_pass` field. This field contains the hashed version of the user’s password.
– In the `user_pass` row, delete the existing value.
– Enter your new password in the `user_pass` field. Make sure to choose a strong, unique password.
#7. Encrypt the New Password
WordPress uses MD5 hashing to store passwords in the database. You need to hash your new password before saving it.
– Next to the `user_pass` field, there’s a dropdown menu under the Function column.
– Select MD5 from the dropdown menu.
#8. Save Your Changes
After entering the new password and selecting the MD5 function:
– Scroll down and click the Go button to save your changes.
#9. Verify the Password Change
To ensure the change was successful, log out of phpMyAdmin and try logging into your WordPress site with the new password.
Important Considerations
– Database Backup
Always backup your database before making any changes. This precaution ensures that you can restore your database if something goes wrong during the process.
– Correct Table Prefix
Ensure you are editing the correct `wp_users` table. If your WordPress installation uses a custom table prefix, the table name might be different (e.g., `customprefix_users`).
– MD5 Encryption
WordPress typically uses MD5 to hash passwords, but some installations might use a more secure hashing algorithm if you have added custom security plugins. Ensure compatibility with your WordPress version.
– Database Permissions
Make sure you have the necessary permissions to edit the database. Limited permissions might prevent you from making changes.
Changing your WordPress admin password via phpMyAdmin is a powerful method for regaining access when traditional recovery methods fail. It requires a basic understanding of database management and should be performed with caution.
Conclusion
Securing your WordPress admin password is a critical step toward protecting your website from unauthorized access. There are several techniques for changing your password, each of which provides a simple way to improve the security of your website. The WordPress dashboard offers a user-friendly interface for password updates. The “Lost Password” option is useful for changing lost passwords by email. For more sophisticated users, phpMyAdmin provides a straightforward option to change passwords using the database.
Regardless of the method used, it is critical to choose a strong password. A strong password should be a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This sophistication greatly minimizes the likelihood of brute-force attacks.
Additionally, make it a habit to update your password frequently. Frequent password changes provide an added layer of security, helping to protect not only your admin account but also your entire website from any attackers.
Prioritizing these practices can help you maintain a safe WordPress environment, protecting your website from unauthorized access and any security breaches.
