Which method changes a WordPress admin password?
Pick the row that matches the access you still have. Stay on that row. Do not open the database if the dashboard or the reset email still works.
| Access you still have | What to do |
|---|---|
| You can open wp-admin | Users, then Account Management, then Update User |
| You cannot log in, and you can read the admin email | Lost your password? on wp-login.php |
| The reset email never arrives | phpMyAdmin: user_pass, function MD5, then Go |
| You have a shell and the wp command runs | wp user list, then wp user update for that ID |
Read $table_prefix in wp-config.php before you look for a users table. The default prefix is wp_, so the table is often wp_users, and it is not always that name.
You are finished when a private window accepts the new password and rejects the old one.
How do you change a WordPress admin password from the dashboard?
Use this only when you can already open wp-admin. It replaces the password on that user. It does not rename the username.
- Open Users, then All Users. Click the administrator, or open Profile if that account is yours.
- Under Account Management, click Set New Password or Generate Password. Keep the generated password, or replace it with one you will store.
- Click Update User or Update Profile. If a box offers to log out other sessions, tick it when someone else may still be signed in.
A private window that signs in with the new password is the check. The strength meter is only a hint. On WordPress hosting this screen is inside WordPress, so you do not need the hosting panel.
How do you reset a WordPress admin password from the login page?
Use this when wp-admin rejects the password and you can open the mailbox stored on that user.
- Open your domain at /wp-login.php. Keep a subfolder in the path if WordPress lives in one.
- Click Lost your password?, enter the username or the email, and click Get New Password.
- Open the message, follow its link, set the new password, and save.
The link expires. Request one fresh message if it is stale. Stop if nothing arrives. Repeating the form does not repair mail. If the new password is accepted and the dashboard still bounces you, the fault is no longer the password. Start with WordPress login not working.
How do you reset a WordPress admin password in phpMyAdmin?
Use this when the reset email does not arrive, or you cannot open that mailbox. Export the database from cPanel first. Editing the wrong database changes a different site.
- In cPanel open File Manager and wp-config.php. Note DB_NAME and $table_prefix.
- Open phpMyAdmin, click that database, and open the users table. Edit the administrator row.
- Clear user_pass, type the new password as plain text, set Function to MD5, and click Go.
- Sign in at wp-login.php. The old password should fail.
WordPress replaces that MD5 value with its own hash after a successful login. If the old password still works, you edited another user or another database. The same row edit works on a local install when you open that install's database. A cPanel account password is a different login.
How do you change a WordPress admin password with WP-CLI?
Use WP-CLI only when the account already has a shell and the wp command runs. If wp is not found, return to phpMyAdmin. Do not install a random tool just to finish a reset.
- Move to the folder that contains wp-config.php.
- Run wp user list and copy the ID beside the administrator login. Do not assume the ID is 1.
- Run wp user update ID --user_pass='your-new-password' with that ID. Put the password in single quotes so the shell does not split it.
A success line names the user you updated. Sign in at wp-login.php. The previous password should fail.
Why does a WordPress password-reset email never arrive?
The form mails only the user_email on that row. Check spam, then that address in the users table. An old address means the message went to a mailbox you do not control.
A security plugin can block mail from wp-login.php, and the account can fail to send mail at all. Clicking Get New Password again does not fix either fault.
Reset the password in phpMyAdmin, sign in, and correct the email on the profile if it is wrong. The admin email is a different field. This reset does not change it.
If the site is on WebJi® and phpMyAdmin is new to you, email support@webji.services. The inbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English, and the first reply is usually under 60 minutes. The office phone is not the support line.
What should you do after you change the WordPress admin password?
Store the new password in a password manager. Do not reuse the mailbox password or a password from another site.
Turn on a second factor for every administrator once login works. A new password does not end a session that is already open, and it does not replace the rest of how to keep WordPress secure.
Change it when someone who knew it leaves, or after you suspect a leak. Review it about every six to twelve months if two-factor authentication is not on yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my WordPress admin password?
While you are logged in, open Users, then All Users, and edit the administrator. Under Account Management click Set New Password, keep or replace the generated password, and click Update User. A private window should accept it at once.
How do I reset my WordPress password if I forgot it?
On wp-login.php click Lost your password?, enter the username or the admin email, and open the link in that message. Set the new password on the page that opens. Check spam if the message is missing.
How do I reset the password via phpMyAdmin?
In cPanel open phpMyAdmin, select the database named in wp-config.php, and edit the admin row in the users table. Type the new password in user_pass, choose MD5 under Function, and click Go. Then sign in at wp-login.php.
Can I change the admin password with WP-CLI?
Yes, when the account has a shell and the wp command runs. From the WordPress directory run wp user list, then wp user update with that user ID and --user_pass set to the new password. If wp is not found, use phpMyAdmin.
Why isn't the password reset email arriving?
The form sends mail only to the address on that user. Check spam and the user_email value. If the mailbox is wrong or the site cannot send mail, reset the password in phpMyAdmin instead of requesting more messages.
How often should a WordPress admin password change?
Change it when someone who knew it leaves, or after you suspect a leak. Review it about every six to twelve months if that account does not yet have two-factor authentication.