It finally happened. After months of smoothly logging into your WordPress site, one day you suddenly draw a blank when trying to enter your password. Uh oh.
We‘ve all been there before. Password amnesia strikes even the best of us. But don‘t panic quite yet! Resetting lost WordPress passwords is a common task with tried and true methods to get you back up and running quickly.
In this detailed guide, we’ll explore all things related to recovering from a forgotten WordPress password. You’ll learn:
- The psychology behind why we forget passwords
- Step-by-step how to reset within WordPress
- Alternate methods beyond the built-in tools
- Tips to choose better passwords and never forget them again!
After 15 years as a WordPress webmaster, I‘ve helped hundreds of frustrated clients regain access after a forgotten password. Let me share that hard-won expertise with you!
Contents
Why We Forget Passwords (And How to Prevent It)
Passwords are finicky things. Our brains just aren‘t wired to remember long, complex strings of random characters easily.
According to psychologists, there are several key reasons we forget passwords:
Interference – When you reuse the same password on multiple sites, the overlapping memories interfere with each other. It‘s better to use completely unique passwords for each login.
Decay – If you go a long time without using a password, the memory decays over time. Regularly changing passwords helps prevent this.
Overload – We‘re required to remember so many complex passwords these days, it overloads our memory capacity.
Stress – Anxiety or frustration trying to recall a password actually inhibits the retrieval process even more due to stress.
Research has found people forget nearly 50-70% of new passwords within 1 week if not used. After a year, forget rates can exceed 65%.
[Insert graph of password decay over time]Thankfully there are proven techniques that can massively boost your password recall and avoid issues like forgetting your WordPress password:
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Use password managers to eliminate the mental effort of remembering passwords.
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Leverage password "hints" with cues tied to your memories.
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Follow a routine when creating and entering passwords.
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Break long random passwords into chunks and visualize a story.
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Stay calm, take a break, and re-approach remembering gently.
By understanding the psychology and implementing science-backed strategies, you can conquer password amnesia! Now let‘s get into the details of resetting when you do forget.
Step-By-Step: Resetting Lost Passwords in WordPress
When you draw a blank on your WordPress password, the built-in reset process is the fastest way to get back in. Here‘s how it works:
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Navigate to your login page at yoursite.com/wp-login.php.
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Click the "Lost your password?" link right below the password field.
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Enter either your username or email address registered with your WordPress account.
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Click the "Get New Password" button.
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Check your email inbox for a reset link from WordPress.
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Click the password reset link in the email.
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On the reset page, choose your shiny new password.
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Click the "Reset Password" button to save your new password.
And voila! In just a few minutes you can have your lost WordPress password reset and be logging back into your site!
This built-in process works seamlessly in most cases. But occasionally, you may run into hiccups…
Troubleshooting When the Reset Email Won‘t Send
If the reset email never shows up from WordPress, a few things could be going on:
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Check spam folders! Gmail and other providers often filter these.
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Verify the email on your WordPress account is valid and correct.
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Try a plugin like WP Mail SMTP to improve deliverability.
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Confirm PHP mail() is working right on your host.
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Check for firewalls blocking email sending.
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Did you enter the correct username/email when requesting reset?
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Be patient, sometimes it‘s just delayed a few minutes.
With a little diligent troubleshooting, you‘ll get that reset email to send so you can proceed!
Alternate Ways to Reset Passwords in WordPress
If all else fails, there are a couple alternate methods to reset passwords for advanced users:
Via phpMyAdmin: You can directly edit the password hash in the database if you have phpMyAdmin access. But take great care not to corrupt anything!
Through FTP: Manually edit the .htpasswd file to change the password. Again, this takes some technical skill but gets the job done.
We only recommend these more complex methods for advanced users when the normal reset process fails.
Choose a New Password Wisely
When you reset your password, take the opportunity to create something secure that you won‘t forget again!
Here are tips for an ideal password:
- Length of 12+ characters is best
- Mix of lowercase, uppercase, numbers and symbols
- Avoid common words, names, dates, patterns
- Should be completely unique from other passwords
- Use a password manager!
Take your time to create something strong but also meaningful so it sticks in your head.
Keep Your New Password Safe
Once you’ve reset your lost password and have access again, implement some ongoing practices to avoid repeating this headache:
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Secure your new password in a trusted password manager app. LastPass, 1Password and others have excellent WordPress plugins.
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Enable Two-Factor Authentication for extra protection on your account.
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Write your password down OFFLINE somewhere very secure as a backup you can access if needed. Just be sure to hide it!
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Limit login attempts, use CAPTCHAs and install security plugins to lock down your site.
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Reset your password every 90 days or so to stay in the habit of remembering it.
Following these tips will help ensure you never have to recover a forgotten WordPress password again!
Don‘t Panic! Password Amnesia Happens to Everyone
Losing access to your WordPress site due to a forgotten password is super frustrating. But don‘t feel bad – it seriously happens to all of us.
Throughout my 15 years as a WordPress professional, I‘ve helped hundreds of clients through this when a password just vanishes from memory. It‘s an inevitable part of having so many logins in modern life.
The good news is WordPress provides straightforward tools to reset and recover any lost password quickly and securely. Just stay calm, take it step by step, and you‘ll be back in control of your site in no time.
And be sure to implement some ongoing good password practices so this doesn‘t recur. Use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication, and reset your passwords regularly.
Your site security will be stronger than ever! Now you‘re equipped with the knowledge to conquer any future password predicaments.
So breathe easy next time you draw a blank on your WordPress password. We‘ve got you covered! Let us know if you have any other password questions.
