If you’re locked out of your WordPress admin panel and the password reset email isn’t working, don’t worry! You can easily reset your password using a tool called phpMyAdmin, which is available in your hosting control panel (cPanel).
What You Need:
- Access to your hosting account (like cPanel)
- Your WordPress site database (handled through phpMyAdmin)
Step 1: Log In to cPanel
Go to your hosting provider’s cPanel login page (usually something like yourwebsite.com/cpanel). Use the username and password your host gave you when you signed up.
Step 2: Open phpMyAdmin
Once you’re in cPanel, scroll down to the Databases section. Click on the icon or link that says phpMyAdmin.
Step 3: Choose Your WordPress Database
In phpMyAdmin, you’ll see a list of databases on the left side. Click on the one that belongs to your WordPress site. (Tip: The database name often starts with wp_, but it may be different.)
Step 4: Open the Users Table
After clicking your database, look for a table called wp_users. If your database has a different prefix, it might look like xyz_users. Click on it.
Step 5: Find Your Admin Account
In the list of users, find the row with your admin username. Once you find it, click the Edit button next to it.
Step 6: Change the Password
- Look for the field named user_pass.
- In the “Value” box, type your new password (for example: MyNewSecurePassword).
- In the dropdown next to it (called “Function”), choose MD5.
This tells WordPress to safely encrypt the password.
Step 7: Save Your Changes
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Go button. Your new password is now saved in the database.
Step 8: Log In to WordPress
Go to your WordPress login page (usually yourwebsite.com/wp-admin), enter your username, and use the new password you just set. You should now be able to log in!
Step 9 (Optional but Recommended): Change Password Again in WordPress
Once logged in, go to Users > Profile in the WordPress dashboard and set a new password. This updates your password with stronger encryption than MD5 and improves security.
You’re Done!
✅ Success: You’ve reset your WordPress admin password without using email, right from phpMyAdmin. This method is especially useful if your site isn’t sending emails correctly.
