How To Change The Admin Username In WordPress

The default WordPress username admin poses a security risk to your WordPress site. Learn how to change the admin username in WordPress for improved security …

WP TutorialFor improved WordPress site security, avoid installing a WordPress site with the user name “admin”.

This is the default installation user name for WordPress and one of the first things hackers will test with the WordPress CMS.

How To Change Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A Different User Name

In this step-by-step tutorial for non-technical WordPress users, we’ll show you how to change the WordPress admin user name from ‘admin’ to a more secure user name.

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

Normally, in a new WordPress installation, the first user is the admin of the website or blog.

The default WordPress username admin is not recommended, as it puts your blog at risk …

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A Different User Name

Let’s change your WordPress admin username from ‘admin’ to a more secure username.

There are several ways to access your “Profile” section after logging into WordPress:

Select the Users > All Users page in the main menu …

Changing Your WordPress Admin Username

Click on your username, or the Edit link when hovering over the user name with your mouse …

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress

Or, select Edit My Profile from the “Howdy, User” menu at the top-right hand corner of your Dashboard …

Changing Your WP User Name From Admin To Another User Name

You can also visit your “Profile” section by selecting Users > Your Profile from the admin menu.

You will see when you get into your Profile area that you cannot change usernames from the site admin section …

Changing Your WordPress User Name From Admin To A More Secure User Name

So, how do you edit your admin user name?

Change Admin Username By Creating A New Admin User

If your user name is “admin,” here’s the easiest way to change the username without going into your server:

First, create a new user …

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A More Secure Username

Next, create a better user name, and assign this new user account the role of “Administrator”. Remember to save your changes in order to update your settings …

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress To A Different User Name

You have now added a new admin user …

How To Change Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A Different Username

Log out of your WordPress admin area …

Changing Your WP Admin User Name

Log in with your new admin details …

Changing Your WordPress Admin Username To Another User Name

You should see your new username details displayed in the “Howdy, User” panel …

How To Change Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A Different Username

Click on Users > All Users in the main menu …

How To Change Your WP Admin User Name To A Different Username

You can now delete the old user account …

How To Change Your WordPress User Name From Admin To A Different Username

Select the option to assign all content owned by the old user account and reassigned it to your new admin, then confirm the deletion of the old user account …

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress To A Different Username

You are now left with only the new Admin account, effectively changing your WordPress admin user name …

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress

Change Admin Username Using A WordPress Plugin

Another easy way to change the username is to use a plugin like the one shown below.

Username Changer

Username changer

(Username changer)

Username Changer is a free WordPress plugin that lets you easily change your admin username (and allow other users to change their usernames too!)

Installing The Plugin

To install the plugin from your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add Plugins and type in “username” into the Keyword search field (if you need help see our tutorial on installing WordPress plugins).

There are several plugins you can use to perform a similar function. Locate the Username Changer plugin and click on ‘Install Now’ …

Install the plugin

(Install the plugin)

After installing the plugin, click the ‘Activate’ button …

Activate the plugin

(Activate the plugin)

Configuring The Plugin

After installing and activating the plugin, go to Settings > Username Changer

Settings - Username Changer menu

(Settings – Username Changer menu)

This brings you to the ‘Settings’ screen.

Here, you can allow other user roles to change their usernames too (be careful about doing this!) …

Username Changer Settings - Allowed Roles

(Username Changer Settings – Allowed Roles)

You can also configure email notifications (if you choose to allow users to change their usernames) …

Username Changer Settings - Email notifications

(Username Changer Settings – Email notifications)

Using The Plugin

To change your username, go to Users > Your Profile

Users - Your Profile menu

(Users – Your Profile menu)

Scroll down to the ‘Name’ section and you will see a ‘Change Username’ link next to the grayed out username field. Click on this link to change your username …

Click on 'Change Username' link

(Click on ‘Change Username’ link)

The ‘Username’ field will become editable. Change your username and click the ‘Save Username’ button …

Save your new username

(Save your new username)

Changing your username will log you out of your WordPress admin area. You will need to log back into your WordPress site.

Click on the link to log back in …

Click on the link to log back in

(Click on the link to log back in)

Log back into your site with your new username (note: your password should remain the same) …

Log back in with your new username

(Log back in with your new username)

Note: If you don’t click on the link to log back in you will find yourself logged out of your site …

Changing your username will expire your session

(Changing your username will expire your session)

After logging back into your site, go to your User Profile section and you will see that your username has been changed.

Username changed

(Username changed)

To learn more about this plugin, go here: Username Changer

Info

Although this tutorial is really designed for non-technical WordPress users, let’s go one step further and show you how to change a WordPress username inside the WordPress database.

All you need is admin access to your server.

Tip

To learn how to search and replace content in your WordPress database without touching code or editing WordPress database tables, see the tutorial below:

How To Change Your User Name Inside The WordPress Database

In the example below, we’ll be working with the cPanel management tool …

Changing Your WP Admin Username To A More Secure Username

cPanel

Log into your server control panel …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

cPanel administration area

Find the “Databases” section and open phpMyAdmin

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress To A More Secure User Name

phpMyAdmin

Open up your WordPress database.

Note: If you have a number of databases set up on your domain, make sure that you choose the right one …

How To Change Your WP Username From Admin To A More Secure User Name

phpMyAdmin databases

Don’t be concerned about the technical-looking nature of the information on your screen.

Click on wp_users

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

The user name is located in the “user login” column. To edit the user name simply double-click on this text you want to change …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

Type in the new user name and click outside the edit box to update the field with a new user name …

How To Change Your WP Admin User Name

Log out of your server when you’re done and go back to your WordPress site. You will probably find that your session has expired. If so, log in again with your new Admin user name and password …

How To Change Your WP Admin User Name

You should see that your user name is now updated. However, it will probably still display the previous “nickname” …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin User Name To A Different User Name

To choose a new “nickname”, open your Users section and click the Edit link below your username …

Changing Your WP User Name From Admin To A More Secure User Name

You can also access the Profile section if you click on the Edit My Profile link in the “Howdy, User” box …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username To A Different Username

Select a new name to display publicly from the dropdown menu …

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress

Tip

Note: You can also create a new Nickname in the Nickname field and it will then be available for selection in the Display name publicly as dropdown menu …

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress To A Different Username

Click Update Profile to save your new settings …

Changing Your WordPress User Name From Admin To A More Secure Username

You admin area is now updated with a new username and nickname …

Changing Your WP Admin User Name

Congratulations! Now you know how to change the WordPress admin user name on your website or blog.

Changing Your WP User Name From Admin To A More Secure Username

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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)