Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Your WordPress Password via phpMyAdmin

Time needed: 20 minutes

When you lose access to your WordPress admin dashboard or forget your password, it can be frustrating. One of the quickest ways to reset your WordPress password is by updating it directly in the database using phpMyAdmin and MD5 encryption. This guide will walk you through the process of changing your WordPress password using the MD5 hashing method within the database.

1. Access Your Hosting Control Panel

   To begin, you need to log into your hosting account and navigate to your control panel (cPanel or another hosting interface). Look for phpMyAdmin, the tool that manages your database.

2. Open phpMyAdmin

   Find your WordPress database from the list on the left panel.
   Click on the database to view its tables.

3. Find the Users Table

   In the database, look for the table that contains your users’ information. Typically, it’s called wp_users, but the prefix might be different if you used a custom prefix during installation.

4. Locate Your User Account

   Find the row corresponding to your WordPress username. You can look under the user_login column to find it. Click on Edit next to your username.

5. Change Your Password

   Now that you’re in the user’s details:
   In the row labeled user_pass, you will see a string of characters that represent your current password (encrypted).
   Replace this string with a new password of your choice, Type newpassword123 into the Value field

6. Choose Encryption MD5

   Select MD5 from the dropdown in the varchar the column next to the user_pass field.

7. Save Your Changes

   Once you’ve updated the password and set the function to MD5:
   Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Go to save the changes.

8. Login to WordPress

   You can now log into your WordPress admin panel using the new password you set in the database. Navigate to your WordPress login page, enter your username, and the newly changed password.