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 …

Learn How To Use WordPressFor web security reasons, you should never install a WordPress site using the username “admin”.

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

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

In this step-by-step tutorial for non-technical users, you will learn how to change your WordPress admin username to a more secure username.

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

By default, on all new WordPress site installations, the first registered user is also the admin.

The default WordPress user name admin is not recommended, as it can out your WordPress site at risk …

How To Change Your WP Username From Admin To Another User Name

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

There are several ways to view your user name details inside your admin area:

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

How To Change Your WP Admin User Name

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

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress To A More Secure Username

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

How To Change Your WP User Name From Admin To Another User Name

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

You will discover in the Profile page that your user name cannot be changed from your Dashboard …

Changing Your WordPress Username From Admin To Another Username

So, how do you edit this admin user name?

Change Admin Username By Creating A New Admin User

If your WordPress admin login is “admin,” here’s the easiest way to change this without accessing your server and doing technical stuff:

Click Add New to add a new user …

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

Next, create a different username, and assign this new user the role of “Administrator”. Save your changes in order to update your settings …

How To Change Your Admin User Name In WordPress

You have now added a new user with admin privileges …

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress

Log out of your WordPress admin area …

How To Change Your Admin User Name In WordPress

Log in with the new admin details for the user you have just created …

How To Change Your WP Username From Admin To Another Username

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

How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

Click on Users > All Users in the main menu …

How To Change Your WordPress Admin User Name

You can now delete the old user account …

Changing Your WordPress Admin User Name

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

Changing Your WordPress Admin Username

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

How To Change Your WP Username From Admin To Another 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

Important

Although this tutorial is mostly intended 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’s control panel.

Practical 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 User Name Inside The WordPress Database

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

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

cPanel

Log into your server control panel …

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

cPanel administration area

Navigate to the “Databases” section and open up phpMyAdmin

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress To A Different User Name

phpMyAdmin

Open up your WP database.

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

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

phpMyAdmin databases

Don’t be concerned about the complicated screen.

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

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress

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

Changing Your Admin User Name In WordPress

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

Changing Your Admin Username In WordPress

Log out of your server if you’re done and return to your WordPress site. You will probably find that your session is expired. Log in again with your new Admin login credentials …

Changing Your WP Admin User Name To A Different Username

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

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

To choose a new “nickname”, access your Users section and click the Edit link below your user name …

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

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

Changing Your WordPress User Name From Admin To Another User Name

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

How To Change Your Admin Username In WordPress

Practical 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 drop down menu …

How To Change Your WP Admin User Name

Click Update Profile to save your new settings …

Changing Your WordPress Admin Username To A More Secure User Name

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

Changing Your WP User Name From Admin To A Different Username

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

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

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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)