If you ever have trouble login into your WordPress dashboard because your password is invalid or forgotten, there is a simple way to reset it from your cPanel area, specifically phpMyAdmin.
So, for those who are unfamiliar with phpMyAdmin, here’s a quick rundown of how it works and what it’s used for:
Most website developers utilize databases to store website information in order to construct a functional website. There are many different types of databases, but MySQL is one of the most used. Here’s when phpMyAdmin comes in handy. It is a piece of software that is developed in the PHP programming language and is used to manage MySQL databases. In other words, phpMyAdmin aids in the maintenance of MySQL databases, including database creation, database query execution, table management, and so on. This also means that it can assist you in seeing and managing tables that store information about your website, such as WordPress users and passwords.
To update your WordPress admin password from phpMyAdmin, follow the instructions below:
1- Go to your cPanel account and log in. Once you’ve logged in, search for phpMyAdmin in the top right search bar, or scroll down until you see the phpMyAdmin option.
2- Selecting the correct WordPress database, editing the admin user row in the “_users” table
On the left hand pane of the phpMyAdmin screen, click on your WordPress database. If your cPanel account has numerous databases, make sure you select the correct one. After that, choose the “wp users” table. The name of this table may differ depending on the database prefix you’re using. For example, in the screenshot below, we’ve selected “wpro users.” Then, on the WordPress user whose password you want to reset, click the “Edit” button.
3- Entering your new password
In this particular table row, you can now alter multiple fields, including the user name, email address, and password. To change this user’s password, go to the “user pass” column, change the “Function” to “MD5”, then enter the new password in the “Value” box. After that, click Go and wait for the modification to be saved and processed.
4- Go to the WP admin section and log in.
Login to your website’s WP admin area and use the new password you just put on the database to check sure it’s been set correctly.
If you are still having issues logging in, go over Step 2 and 3 again and double-check if you selected the correct database/WordPress user.