What to Do When Locked Out of WordPress Admin

Being locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard can be a frustrating and stressful experience. Not only does it prevent you from managing your website, but it can also lead to potential security breaches and loss of data. In this article, we will be diving into the various causes of being locked out of the WordPress admin, providing precautionary measures to avoid it, troubleshooting methods to regain access, and advanced solutions for more severe cases. By the end of this article, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to handle and prevent being locked out of your WordPress admin in the future.

Understanding the Causes of Being Locked Out of WordPress Admin

There are several reasons why you may find yourself locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard. The most common causes include:

• Forgotten Password: The most straightforward reason for being locked out is that you have forgotten your password. In this case, you will need to reset it through the email associated with your account.
• Incorrect Login Credentials: Another common cause of being locked out is entering the wrong login credentials. Double-check that you are entering the correct username and password before attempting to reset them.
• Brute Force Attack: A brute force attack is when someone repeatedly attempts to guess your login credentials in order to gain access to your admin dashboard. This type of attack can be prevented by setting strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and limiting the number of login attempts.
• Inactive Plugins or Themes: In some cases, a plugin or theme that is inactive or incompatible with your current version of WordPress can cause issues with logging into the admin dashboard.

Precautionary Measures to Avoid Being Locked Out of WordPress Admin

Preventing being locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard is always better than trying to regain access. Here are some steps you can take to avoid finding yourself locked out:

• Strong Passwords: One of the most basic, yet effective ways to secure your account is by using a strong, unique password. Avoid using common words or phrases, and include a mix of numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an additional layer of security to your login process, by requiring a verification code in addition to your password. This will make it much more difficult for someone to gain unauthorized access to your account.
• Update Your Software: Keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up-to-date can help you prevent compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities and this may also help you avoid being locked out.
• Limit Login Attempts: Limiting the number of login attempts can prevent someone from trying to brute force their way into your site by guessing your login credentials. You can use a plugin like Login Lockdown to limit login attempts and also track the IP addresses that have been locked out.
• Keep Your Computer Secure: If you are regularly accessing your WordPress website on your personal computer or device, make sure it is secured with up-to-date anti-virus software, and a firewall to keep the attackers at bay.

Troubleshooting Methods for Being Locked Out of WordPress Admin

Despite taking precautionary measures, you may still find yourself locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard. Here are a few troubleshooting methods to regain access:

• Resetting the Password through Email: If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it through the email associated with your account. Simply click on “Forgot Password” on the login page and follow the prompts to reset your password.
• Changing the Password through FTP: If you are unable to reset your password through email, you can change it through FTP by accessing the functions.php file of your active theme. Once you have access, you can use the wp_set_password() function to change your password.
• Disabling Inactive Plugins through FTP: As mentioned earlier, inactive plugins and themes can cause issues with logging into the admin dashboard. To disable these plugins, you can access your website’s files through FTP and rename the plugin’s folder to temporarily deactivate it.
• Checking for Hacked Files: In some cases, your website may have been hacked, which could result in being locked out of your admin dashboard. Check your website’s files for any suspicious or unknown code, and consider restoring a clean backup of your website.

Advanced Solutions for Being Locked Out of WordPress Admin

If the troubleshooting methods outlined in the previous section have not worked, you can try some more advanced solutions to regain access to your WordPress admin dashboard.

• Use a Backup to Restore Your Website: A recent and clean backup can be an effective way of restoring your website and regain access to your admin. It will help you to get rid of any malicious code and files.
• Utilize a security plugin: Security plugins like iThemes Security, Sucuri Security, or Wordfence Security are great options to secure your website and regain access to your admin. These plugins can be set to notify you via email when someone attempts to brute force their way into your site, and can lock out IP addresses that have been locked out after a certain number of failed login attempts, it also can help you scan for any malicious files.
• Hiring a Professional WordPress Developer: If you are still unable to regain access to your admin dashboard, consider hiring a professional WordPress developer to help you diagnose and resolve the issue. They can assist you with restoring a backup, or thoroughly scanning and cleaning your website of any malicious code. Click here for hiring a professional WordPress developer.

Conclusion for Locked Out of WordPress Admin: Key Takeaways and Future Preventative Measures

Being locked out of your WordPress admin dashboard can be a frustrating and stressful experience, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can regain access and prevent it from happening again. To summarize, here are the key takeaways from this article:

• Understand the causes of being locked out, including forgotten password, incorrect login credentials, brute force attacks, and inactive plugins or themes.
• Implement precautionary measures to avoid being locked out, including setting strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, regularly updating plugins and themes, and limiting login attempts.
• Use the troubleshooting methods outlined in this article to regain access to your admin dashboard, including resetting the password through email, changing the password through FTP, disabling inactive plugins through FTP, and checking for hacked files.
• In the worst-case scenario, you can use the advanced solutions like, restoring a website backup, utilizing a security plugin, or hiring a professional WordPress developer to regain access and secure your website.

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that you are prepared to handle and prevent being locked out of your WordPress admin in the future.

• In addition, ensure to keep your computer secure, with up-to-date anti-virus software, and a firewall to prevent attackers from accessing your website.
• Lastly, Be sure to keep a regular backup of your website, both on your local machine and on a remote location like cloud storage, in case you need to restore it.

I hope this guide has provided you with the knowledge and tools you need to handle and prevent being locked out of your WordPress admin in the future. Remember to always keep your website updated, use strong and unique passwords, and take regular backups to ensure that your data is safe and secure. And if you do find yourself locked out, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a professional WordPress developer who can assist you in troubleshooting and resolving the issue.