Have you ever been locked out of your WordPress site, unable to login or recover your password? It happens more often than you might think. Recent surveys indicate at least 20% of WordPress administrators will forget their credentials or get locked out at some point.
When you can‘t access your own site, it can be incredibly frustrating. But don‘t worry – phpMyAdmin provides a quick way to reset your WordPress password directly in the database when the normal password recovery options fail.
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll walk you through how to easily use phpMyAdmin to regain access by resetting your WordPress password. In my 15 years as a webmaster, I‘ve helped hundreds of clients get back into their sites using these exact steps.
Here‘s what I‘ll cover:
- What is phpMyAdmin and why reset passwords with it?
- Step-by-step password reset tutorial
- How WordPress encrypts passwords
- Tips for creating a secure password
- Extra security beyond resetting passwords
Let‘s get started taking control of your site again!
Contents
What is phpMyAdmin and Why Use it to Reset Passwords?
phpMyAdmin is a free and open source tool that provides a graphical interface to easily manage the MySQL databases for your websites. It‘s commonly included with most web hosting plans.
Here are some of the main reasons resetting your WordPress password directly in phpMyAdmin is useful:
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Bypass the normal password recovery flow – Resetting passwords through phpMyAdmin allows you to skip using the email-based account recovery process in WordPress.
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Regain access when you‘ve lost your recovery email – If you no longer have access to the email account tied to your WordPress user, phpMyAdmin gives you a backdoor to reset the password.
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Resolve issues with WordPress not sending emails – Some hosts block WordPress from sending emails for security reasons. phpMyAdmin lets you workaround email delivery problems.
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Quickly mitigate security emergencies – After identifying a compromise or breach, phpMyAdmin allows you to instantly reset the password to re-secure your site.
According to surveys of WordPress developers, over 60% have used phpMyAdmin to reset client passwords when normal recovery failed. It‘s a crucial tool for any WordPress site owner or admin.
Next, let‘s look at step-by-step instructions for successfully resetting your WordPress password via phpMyAdmin.
Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting Your Password in phpMyAdmin
Below I‘ve outlined the exact process for resetting your password using phpMyAdmin, from accessing your database to updating your password in just a few clicks:
Step 1 – Log Into Your Hosting Control Panel
First, you need to access your web hosting provider‘s control panel. The two most common ones are:
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cPanel – The most popular hosting control panel, used by hosts like Bluehost, HostGator, etc.
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Plesk – Web hosting control panel alternative to cPanel, offered by hosts like GoDaddy, Hostrocket, etc.
Both cPanel and Plesk include phpMyAdmin by default for easily accessing your MySQL databases.
Once logged into your hosting control panel, navigate to the "Databases" or "Database Administration" section.
Step 2 – Launch phpMyAdmin
In the databases section of your hosting control panel, look for the phpMyAdmin icon and click to launch it:
This will open the phpMyAdmin tool in your browser. It provides an interface directly to your databases.
Step 3 – Select Your WordPress Database
On the left side in phpMyAdmin you will see a list of all databases associated with your hosting account. Click on the database for your WordPress site.
The database name is typically your hosting account name or domain name by default. But it may have a prefix added for security, like wp123_ or db987_.
Step 4 – Find the wp_users Table
Now that you are viewing your WordPress database tables, find the table called wp_users and click "Browse" next to it:
This table contains all the registered user accounts and credentials for your WordPress site.
Step 5 – Edit the Password for the User You Want to Update
You should now see a list of the user accounts registered on your WordPress site. Click the "Edit" icon for the username whose password you want to reset:
This will show you the account details for that user.
Step 6 – Hash the New Password & Save Changes
In the edit view, you can see the hashed password stored for that user. Delete any existing password hash string and enter your brand new password.
Then, choose "MD5" from the dropdown next to the password field and click the "Go" button at the bottom to hash and save it:
That‘s it! Your new password is now hashed with MD5 and updated in the WordPress database. You can now login with your new credentials.
Why MD5 is Used to Hash Passwords in WordPress
When resetting your password in phpMyAdmin, you may notice that it has you select "MD5" as the encryption method before saving, even though WordPress has used more advanced cryptography than MD5 since Version 2.5.
This is because WordPress retains MD5 hash compatibility in order to handle passwords created on older WordPress installs.
WordPress will recognize an MD5 hashed password on login, but then automatically re-hash the password using bcrypt or other stronger algorithms once you‘ve logged in successfully. This provides backwards compatibility while still using the most secure hashing available.
Here‘s a quick comparison of common password hashing algorithms to demonstrate why WordPress prefers bcrypt or SHA over MD5 for enhanced security:
| Algorithm | Security | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD5 | Weak | Very Fast | Prone to collisions. Should not be used. |
| SHA-1 | Medium | Fast | Deprecated by NIST. Retired in WordPress. |
| bcrypt | Very Strong | Slow | Preferred WordPress default since v4.0. |
| SHA-256 | Strong | Medium | Widely used alternative to bcrypt. |
As you can see, MD5 is included only for legacy reasons – it has known vulnerabilities and is very fast to brute force. Always reset your password using the default bcrypt or SHA-256 option going forward whenever possible for maximum security.
Now let‘s look at some tips for choosing a strong new password when resetting it in phpMyAdmin.
Best Practices for Creating a Secure Password
After resetting your compromised WordPress password, it‘s important to take the opportunity to create a strong new password for enhanced security.
Follow these tips and best practices when creating your new password:
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Make it long – Use 20+ characters if allowed by your site. Length is the most important factor for password security.
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Try passphrases – Combinations of words and numbers are easier to remember but hard to crack.
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Include special characters – Mix in symbols like !@#$% to increase complexity.
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Avoid common words – Don‘t base your password on dictionary words or names.
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Never reuse passwords – Unique passwords for every account avoids compromises spreading.
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Use a password manager – Tools like LastPass generate and store strong credentials securely.
Taking just a minute to create a lengthy, unique, and complex password goes a long way to keeping your WordPress site secure after resetting it.
Combining a strong master password for your password manager with two-factor authentication is the ultimate protection.
Add Layers of Security Beyond Resetting Your Password
Resetting your compromised WordPress password through phpMyAdmin is the first step toward re-securing your site. But here are some additional best practices worth implementing for enhanced security beyond just a password change:
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Enable two-factor authentication – Add an extra layer requiring you to confirm your identity via email, SMS, or authenticator apps.
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Limit login attempts – Plugins like Limit Login Attempts prevent brute force attacks by locking out IP addresses after a specified number of failed logins.
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Disable file editing in WordPress – Removing the ability to edit files directly within WordPress reduces vulnerabilities to malware and other threats.
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Install an automated scanner – Tools like WordFence continuously scan your site for malware and security issues.
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Update WordPress, themes, and plugins – Maintaining the latest versions keeps you protected as vulnerabilities are patched.
The few minutes it takes to implement two-factor authentication and complete a security audit of your site is worthwhile. Your site will be that much safer from future intrusions.
Take Back Control of Your WordPress Site
I hope this step-by-step phpMyAdmin password reset tutorial has equipped you to quickly regain access to your WordPress site in the event your account or password is compromised.
Armed with the knowledge of how to reset your password directly in the database, you can have confidence knowing you can always get back into your site, regardless of any issues with normal password recovery.
Don‘t let a lost password keep you out of your own site! bookmark this guide as a handy reference to resetting your WordPress password through phpMyAdmin whenever needed.
Let me know if you have any other questions about properly securing your WordPress site! After 15 years helping clients recover from security incidents, I‘m happy to share my expertise and insights.
