Resetting the WordPress Admin Password

Locked out of wp-admin? There are three ways to reset a WordPress password depending on whether your reset emails are working, whether you have SSH/WP-CLI access, or whether you need to go straight to the database.

Option 1: Use the built-in "Lost your password?" link

• Go to yourdomain.com/wp-login.php and click Lost your password?
• Enter the admin username or the email address associated with that account
• Check inbox and spam for the reset link — it expires after a set time, so use it promptly

This is the easiest route, but it only works if your site can actually send email. Many WordPress sites on shared hosting have unreliable outgoing mail unless an SMTP plugin is configured — if the reset email never arrives, use one of the options below instead.

Option 2: Reset via WP-CLI (SSH/VPS access)

If you have SSH access — common on VPS plans, or shared hosting with Terminal enabled in cPanel — WP-CLI can reset a password in one command without needing email at all:

• Navigate to your WordPress folder: cd public_html (or your site's specific folder)
• List users to confirm the username: wp user list
• Reset the password: wp user update admin --user_pass=your-new-password

Option 3: Reset directly in phpMyAdmin

• Open phpMyAdmin from cPanel and select your WordPress database
• Open the wp_users table (your table prefix may differ — check wp-config.php) and click Edit on the admin row
• In the user_pass field, enter your new password and set the Function dropdown next to it to MD5, then click Go
• Log in immediately with the new password — WordPress re-hashes it securely on your next login

As always, take a quick database backup or export before editing the users table, in case anything looks off afterward.