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 …

WordPress For BeginnersFor security reasons, avoid creating WordPress sites with the user name “admin”.

This is the default installation username for WordPress and one of the leading causes of brute force attacks on WordPress sites.

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you how to change your admin user name in WordPress from ‘admin’ to a more secure username.

How To Change Your WP Admin Username

By default, on a new WordPress website installation, the first registered user is also the site administrator.

Having the default WordPress user name admin is not recommended, as it puts your site at risk …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name To A Different Username

Let’s change the WordPress admin user name to a more secure user name.

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

Click on the Users > All Users page in your main menu …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin User Name

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

How To Change Your WordPress Admin User Name To Another Username

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

Changing Your WP Admin User Name To A Different Username

You can also go to your “Profile” screen by selecting Users > Your Profile from your admin menu.

You will discover in the Profile page that user names can’t be changed from the backend admin section …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

So, how can you change your username?

Change Admin Username By Creating A New Admin User

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

First, create a new user …

Changing Your WP Admin Username To A Different User Name

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

Changing Your WP Username From Admin To Another User Name

You should now see a new admin user with a new user name, as well as your original username (i.e. “admin”) …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name To A Different User Name

Log out of your WordPress admin area …

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

Log in with your new admin details …

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress

You should see your new user name details in the “Howdy, User” screen …

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress To A More Secure Username

Select Users > All Users in your main menu …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

Delete the old administrator account …

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

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

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name To Another User Name

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

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

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 mostly aimed for non-technical WordPress users, let’s go one step further and show you how to change your WordPress username inside the WordPress database.

All you need is admin access to your server’s control panel.

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:

Changing Your Username Inside The WordPress Database

For the example below, we’ll be working with the cPanel management software …

How To Change Your WP Admin Username

cPanel

Log into your server control panel …

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

cPanel administration area

Scroll down to the “Databases” section and open up phpMyAdmin

Changing Your WordPress Admin Username To A More Secure User Name

phpMyAdmin

Open up your WP database.

Note: If you have multiple databases set up on your domain, make sure you select the right one …

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress To Another User Name

phpMyAdmin databases

Don’t panic when you see the complicated screen.

Click on wp_users in the “Table” column on the left-hand side …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

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

Changing Your WordPress User Name From Admin To A Different Username

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

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress

Log out of your server if you’re finished and return to your WordPress site. You may find that your session is expired. Log in again with your new administration credentials …

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

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

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username To Another User Name

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

How To Change Your WordPress Admin User Name

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

How To Change Your WP Admin Username

Choose a new name to display publicly from the drop down menu …

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress To A Different Username

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 …

Changing Your WordPress Username From Admin To Another Username

Click Update Profile to save your new settings …

How To Change Your WP Admin Username

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

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress

Congratulations! Now you know how to change the WordPress admin username on your website.

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

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