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How to fix WordPress Login Issues [Troubleshooting Guide]

Anyone who has constantly use WordPress website face the different issues. One common issue that occurs is login issues. There are various reasons behind login issues. It interrupts your work, and locked out of your website for long time. So, you should fix this issue quickly.

In this guide, we will tell you how to fix WordPress login issues and troubleshooting tips to solve them.

1. Recover a Lost or Forgotten Password

The common WordPress login problems are lost or forgotten passwords. If you experience this issue, then here are quick steps you should follow to solve it:

  1. Go to login page on wordPress, and click on “Lost your password?” link.
  2. Next, enter your username or email address to login to your WordPress account.
  3. A password reset link is sent to your email inbox.
  4. Check your email inbox, click on this link, follow the instructions, and set the new password.
  5. By successfully set new password, you access your WordPress site.

fix can't login to wordpress admin

Alternative: Changing Your Password via phpMyAdmin

If you do not have access to your WordPress account by the usual method, then you can change your password by using phpMyAdmin. You can also use other database management tools offered by reliable hosting services.
Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Login to cPanel hosting account.
  2. Navigate to phpMyAdmin.
  3. Now, a list opens on your screen, select the WordPress database from it.
  4. Find and click on the wp_users table.

fix wordpress login issues today

Under the user_login column, you should find your username and click on Edit button:
wordpress login page not working

In the user_pass column, you should set your new password in the Value field and choose MD5 from the drop-down menu. Next, click on Go Show at the bottom of your screen. This is how simply you login to admin area. If still this solution are not work, then follow the next solution.

2. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

The browser caches and cookies are another cause behind wordpress login issues. If you experience this problem, then you must clear browser cache. Next, you should try to update it again.
Here are steps you should follow to clear browser caches and cookies:

  1. Open your browser’s settings.
  2. Navigate to the Privacy or History section.
  3. Click on the option to clear Cache and Cookies.
  4. Now, Restart your browser and successfully login to WordPress site again.

fix WordPress Login error

3. Troubleshoot Plugin and Theme Conflicts

The WordPress login issues also occur because of plugin and theme conflicts.
Here are the tips to solve this problem:

Disable Plugins:

  • Try to access your WordPress site via FTP or File Manager.
  • Navigate to the wp-content/plugins folder.
  • Rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled. This will deactivate all plugins. (Deactivate each plugin individually by renaming its folder within the wp-content/plugins directory)
  • Once you deactivate all plugins, now try to login to your site. If successful, rename the folder back to its name and reactivate the plugins.

fix wp-admin login issue

Switch to a Default Theme:

  • If you still face these issues, then you should switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  • Navigate to the wp-content/themes folder and rename the active theme’s folder.
  • It switch back your site to default theme and identify the theme conflicts that cause this issue.

Some times, you won’t be able to change permission or update file. So there might be issue of file or folder permission in WordPress. Checkout our detailed guide to fix WordPress files and folder permissions.

4. Revert to a Site Backup

If the above solutions work on your site, then you should restore the backup of your WordPress site. It is helpful solution to fix problem, if you know when the issue occur ( e.g after update). So, reverting the site to its older version fix this problem.
Note: Backup process are vary on basis of backup solution and hosting service. If you use CPanel hosting, then you should use the tool Backup Wizard.

solution for common wordpress login issues

Don’t worry, if this solution does not work, then you can try one more solution given below.

5. Remove a Corrupted .htaccess File

If you face an internal server error or login page refreshing error on your site, then it is because of a corrupted .htaccess file.

  • You should delete and replace this corrupted file to check if this is the issue.
  • Go to your website’s root directory via FTP or File Manager, and find .htaccess file.

fix wordpress login not working

Note: Before finish this process, you should download a copy of file for backup purpose. Next, open the file, clear the contents and replace it with the given code:

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

Save the file after updating the contents. Then, refresh your login page and attempt to log into your site again. After completing these steps, the WordPress login issues should be resolved! After following all above fixes still if you are facing issue related to redirect loop then you may need to use different method to fix, please checkout our troubleshooting guide Fix Too Many Redirects Error in WordPress.

FAQs about WordPress login issues

Common login issues include incorrect passwords, cache problems, plugin conflicts, and corrupted files.

Click on Lost your password? on the login page, enter your email, and follow the reset instructions.

Access your database via phpMyAdmin, navigate to the wp_users table, and update the user_pass field using the MD5 encryption method.

Go to your browser settings, navigate to Privacy or History, and select Clear Cache and Cookies.

Connect to your site via FTP, go to the wp-content/plugins folder, and rename the folder to deactivate plugins.

Access your root directory via FTP, delete the .htaccess file, and replace it with the default WordPress code.

Clear browser cache, disable plugins, and fix .htaccess file issues.

Conclusion

WordPress is a robust and versatile CMS platform, but there are some issues that occur as same as other software. One common issue is unable to go to WordPress admin area. Hope you understand the five above solutions to fix login problems. The above solutions consist recover lost or forgotten password by using phpMyAdmin or built-in recovery tool, clear browser cookies or caches, fix plugin and theme conflicts by deactivating, restore site backup, and delete corrupted .htaccess files. Still, if you are facing issues related to WordPress then checkout our articles about WordPress Troubleshooting Guide for multiple solutions for errors and problems.

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