I can’t access WordPress through wp-admin

Feeling like your WordPress website is blocking you can be frustrating, especially if you don’t know why it happened or how to fix it. But do not worry! In this article we show you everything you need to know and do when you can’t access WordPress through wp-admin.

What to do before solving the problem?

Before you get started, there are a few things you need to do to make sure everything goes smoothly:

• Restore a backup: WordPress crash can be resolved by restoring a backup of your site. If you don’t have one, skip this step and check out other causes and solutions listed below.
• Create a backup– Before taking any further action, such as making changes to the site’s database, it is necessary in case any changes cause further problems.
• Install an FTP client: You can use an FTP client like to access your web server through a local computer manually. If you don’t know what it is or how to use it, check out our .

Why can’t I access WordPress through wp-admin?

There are several reasons why your WordPress website might have crashed. Here are the most common causes and how to fix them:

1. Incorrect login credentials

One of the most common reasons for getting locked out of WordPress is simply using the wrong login credentials. Since these credentials are case sensitive and are usually hidden as we type, it’s very easy to get it wrong.

How to fix this?

Pay extra attention as you enter your password, watch out for numbers and characters, and if you’re still having trouble, consider using a password manager app.

2. Password not working and password recovery failed

Sometimes you just can’t remember your password, or there’s a chance that someone else has gained access to your website and changed it.

How to fix this?

This can usually be fixed with a simple click of the button “Did you forget your password?“, but if that doesn’t work, you can also change the password from your hosting control panel.

Here we will show you how to do it with ‘s hPanel and phpMyAdmin:

1. Sign in to the hPanel.
2. Scroll down and find the Databases section, select phpMyAdmin.
3. Once you’ve logged in, click Login to phpMyAdmin and you will be redirected to the administration page. Choose Structure and scroll down to find wp_users.
4. Once you click wp_users, you’ll see the login credentials for your site’s users on the next page. Choose Edit.
5. Then just type the new password in the column user_pass to change it. Make other changes as needed.
6. before pressing Go to save changes, change the value of function your password to Used to encrypt your password for an additional layer of security.

3. Loss of administrator privileges

In some cases, you may not be able to get into the WordPress dashboard, either because you can’t log in or your username doesn’t exist. This can happen due to any of these reasons: the site owners revoked your admin rights, or you could be the victim of a hack.

How to fix this?

If it’s the latter, you need to directly add a new admin user to your WordPress database via phpMyAdmin. That is how:

1. Sign in to hPanel and open phpMyAdmin.
2. Once you are on the administration page, click on wp_usersthen select Insert.
3. Fill in the columns as needed and save your changes. Choose a ID number that is not in use in the database and keep user_status as 0.
4. Once you save your changes, go to the left side of the screen and select the table wp_usersmetathen find the column Insert.
5. Complete the columns with the following information:

• a meta_id: leave it blank as it will be generated automatically.
• user_id: Enter the identification number that you entered in step three.
• meta_key: type wp_capabilities.
• meta_value: add a:1: {s:13:”administrator”;b:1;}.

6. Once you’re done, click Go and be prepared to repeat the previous step with the same information, but type wp_user_level in meta_key and set meta_value in 10.
7. click on Go one more time to save the changes, and voila! You can now login to WordPress with the new admin user.

Make sure you insert the value of meta_value correctly. We suggest typing it manually instead of copying and pasting it to avoid mistakes.

4. Too many login attempts

This error can be caused by a plugin that limits the number of login attempts. It’s a great way to prevent brute force attacks, but sometimes it backfires, and you end up not being able to access WordPress through WP-ADMIN.

How to fix this?

Naturally, the login form will work again after a while, but if you can’t wait, you can choose to disable the plugin via an FTP client. We explain how to do it:

1. Configure an FTP client through the hPanel. If you need help, consult
2. Login to the FTP server and go to the window remote site.
3. Scroll down and find the folder wp-contentselect plugins.
4. Right click on the plugin that limits login attempts, select rename.
5. Write deactivate_ before the plugin name.
6. Save the changes and you are done: the plugin will be disabled and you will be able to log in immediately.

5. Wrong WordPress URL

If you have suddenly not been able to access WordPress through wp-admin, you may want to check if there is any inconsistency between your site’s URL and the one stored in the MySQL database.

How to fix this?

To resolve this issue, all you have to do is update your database with the correct URL. Check out our full guide on how to change your URL in a MySQL database using phpMyAdmin .

6. Error establishing database connection

Unlike other errors where you can’t log in to WordPress, this one affects your entire site. It can’t connect to the database, so there’s nothing you can do. This usually happens because there is a problem with the database, a bad server, or damaged files due to malfunctioning plugins, for example.

How to fix this?

There are a couple of things you can do to fix this:

1. Activate the built-in WordPress repair setting, or check the database settings through your hosting control panel. Check our for help.
2. If those two methods don’t work, try disabling all the plugins you installed before the incident with the steps mentioned in the fourth number.

7. White Screen of Death (WS)

If you ever find yourself looking at nothing but a blank page on your WordPress site, then you may be experiencing this issue. The reasons behind this issue vary from faulty plugins to insufficient website memory.

How to fix this?

Here are some options to solve it:

1. Increase the memory limit of your site.
2. Disable all plugins that you recently installed via an FTP client.
3. Install a default WordPress theme through phpMyAdmin.

Check out our how to fix WordPress white screen of death if you need more detailed steps.

8. Parsing error: syntax error

If you see the “parse error: syntax error» when trying to access your site, then the culprit is definitely an incorrect line of code. Since even a single misplaced letter can trigger this error, it is very common and can be easily fixed.

How to fix this?

There are a couple of things you need to do to fix this syntax error:

1. Trace the source of the error by checking whether the code changes you’ve recently made are inserted correctly and use the proper syntax.
2. Fix bad code with an FTP client. See our on how to debug and fix WordPress parsing errors.

You can also determine the source of errors by opening your site in any browser and waiting for the syntax error message to appear, which will show you a full error path.

conclusion

Now you know the reasons why you cannot access WordPress through wp-admin and how to fix them. Let’s quickly recap everything you’ve learned:

• Incorrect login credentials– Type your password more carefully or use a password manager app for hassle-free and secure logins.
• Password not working and password recovery failed: If normal email recovery doesn’t work, change and create a new password through your hosting provider’s control panel.
• Loss of administrator privileges: create a new user in the database through phpMyAdmin.
• Too many login attempts: To try to log in immediately, disable the plugin that prevents you from logging in with an FTP client.
• Wrong WordPress URL: This happens due to a URL or domain change. Update your database with the new URL through phpMyAdmin.
• Error establishing database connection– Check if there are any problems with your database through your hosting control panel or disable faulty plugins and themes.
• white screen of death– Increase site memory limit, disable faulty plugins and set site theme as default.
• parsing error: syntax error: determine the source of the error and correct it with an FTP client.

There you go. It’s not as complicated as you thought, right? If you follow all the instructions correctly and make sure to back up your site before doing anything else, you should be able to access your site in no time. Good luck!

Deyi is a digital marketing enthusiast, with a background in web design, content creation, copywriting, and SEO. She is part of ‘s SEO & Localization team. In her free time, she likes to develop projects, read a book or watch a good movie.