Can’t access WordPress through wp-admin? This is what you should do

Feeling like your WordPress website is blocking you can be frustrating, especially if you don’t know why it happened or how to fix it. But do not worry! In this article we show you everything you need to know and do when you cannot access WordPress through wp-admin.

What to do before solving the problem?

Before you start, there are a few things you need to do to make sure everything goes smoothly:

• Restore a backup: WordPress crash can be resolved by restoring a backup of your site. If you don’t have one, skip this step and check out other causes and solutions listed below.
• Create a backup: Before taking additional measures, such as making changes to the site database, it is necessary to create a backup of your website in case any changes cause additional problems.
• Install an FTP client: You can use an FTP client like FileZilla to access your web server through a local computer manually. If you don’t know what it is or how to use it, check out our tutorial on the subject.

8 reasons why you may not be able to access your WordPress through wp-admin and how to fix them

There are several reasons why your WordPress website could have been blocked. Here we will show you the most common causes and how to solve them:

1. Incorrect login credentials

One of the most common reasons for getting locked out of WordPress is simply using wrong login credentials. Since these credentials are case-sensitive and are generally hidden while we type, it’s very easy to get it wrong.

How to fix this?

Pay more attention as you enter your password, watch out for numbers and characters, and if you’re still struggling, consider using a password manager app.

2. Password does not work and password recovery failed

Sometimes you just can’t remember your password or there is a possibility that someone has accessed your website and changed it.

How to solve this?

This can usually be solved with a simple click on the “Forgot your password?” Button. «, But if that doesn’t work, you can also change the password from your hosting control panel.

Here’s how to do it with Panel and phpMyAdmin:

1. Login to the
2. Scroll down and find the databases section, select phpMyAdmin.
3. Once you have logged in, click Login to phpMyAdmin and you will be redirected to the administration page. Select Structure and scroll down to find wp_users.
4. Once you click on wp_users, you will see the login credentials of your site users on the next page. Select Edit.
5. Then just type the new password in the user_pass column to change it. Make other changes as needed.
6. Before pressing Go to save your changes, change the Function value of your password to Use to encrypt your password with an additional layer of security.

3. Loss of administrator privileges

In some cases, you may not be able to access the WordPress admin area (also known as wp-admin), either you cannot log in or the error is that your username does not exist. This can happen due to some of these reasons: the site owners revoked your administrator rights, or you could be the victim of a hack.

How to fix this?

If it is the latter, you must directly add a new administrator user to your WordPress database through phpMyAdmin. That’s how:

1. Login to hPanel and open phpMyAdmin.
2. Once you’re on the admin page, click wp_users, then select Insert.
3. Fill in the columns as necessary and save your changes. Choose an ID numberthat is not in use in the database and keep user_status as 0.
4. Once you save your changes, go to the left side of the screen and select the wp_usersmeta table, then look for the Insert
   1. Complete the columns with the following information:
5. unmeta_id: leave blank as it will be generated automatically.

• user_id: enter the identification number that you entered in step three.
• meta_key: write wp_capabilities.
• meta_value: add a: 1: {s: 13: »administrator»; b: 1;}.

6. Once you’re done, click Go and get ready to do the previous step again with the same information, but just type wp_user_level  in meta_key and set meta_value to 10.
7. Click Go one more time to save your changes, and voila! Now you can log into WordPress with the new admin user.

4. Too many login attempts

This error can be caused by a plugin that limits the number of login attempts. It’s a great way to prevent brute-force attacks, but it sometimes backfires, and you’re the one who ends up unable to access WordPress through WP-ADMIN.

How to fix this?

Naturally, the login form will work again after a while, but if you can’t wait, you can choose to disable the plugin through an FTP client. We explain how to do it:

1. Set up an FTP client through hPanel. If you need help, check out this tutorial.
2. Log in to the FTP server and go to the Remote Site
3. Scroll down and find the wp-content folder, select plugins.
4. Right click on the plugin that limits login attempts, select Rename.
5. Write deactivate_before the plugin name.
6. Save your changes and you’re done: the plugin will be disabled and you can log in immediately.

5. Incorrect WordPress URL

If you have recently changed the domain name of your site, and suddenly you cannot access WordPress through wp-admin, you may want to check if there is any inconsistency between your site’s URL and the one stored in the database MySQL.

How to fix this?

To solve this problem, all you have to do is update your database with the correct URL. Check out our full guide on how to change your URL in a MySQL database using phpMyAdmin here.

6. Failed to establish database connection

Unlike other errors where you cannot log into WordPress, this one affects your entire site. It cannot connect to the database, therefore there is nothing you can do. This usually happens because there is a problem with the database, a faulty server, or corrupted files due to malfunctioning plugins, for example.

How to fix this?

There are a couple of things you can do to fix this:

1. Activate the built-in WordPress repair settings, or verify the database settings through your hosting control panel. Check out our step-by-step tutorial for help.
2. If those two methods don’t work, try disabling all the plugins you installed before the incident with the steps mentioned in the fourth issue.

7. White Screen of Death (WS)

If you ever find yourself looking at nothing but a blank page on your WordPress site, then you may be experiencing this problem. The reasons behind this problem range from faulty plugins to insufficient memory of the website.

How to fix this?

Here are some options to solve it:

1. Increase the memory limit of your site.
2. Disable all the plugins that you recently installed through an FTP client.
3. Install a default WordPress theme through phpMyAdmin.

See our detailed tutorial on how to fix WordPress white screen of death for more detailed steps.

8. Parse error: syntax error

If you see ” parsing error: syntax error ” when trying to access your site, then the culprit is definitely an incorrect line of code. As even a single misplaced letter can trigger this error, it is very common and can be easily fixed.

How to fix this?

There are a couple of things you need to do to correct this syntax error:

1. Trace the source of the error by checking if your recent code changes are inserted correctly and use the proper syntax.
2. Fix the wrong code with an FTP client. Check out our full guide on how to debug and fix WordPress parsing errors.

conclusion

Now you know the reasons why you cannot access WordPress through wp-admin and how to fix them! Let’s quickly recap everything you’ve learned:

• Wrong login credentials – Type your password more carefully or use a password manager app for secure and hassle-free logins.
• Password doesn’t work and password recovery failed: If normal email recovery doesn’t work, change and create a new password through your hosting provider’s control panel.
• Loss of administrator privileges: create a new user in the database through phpMyAdmin.
• Too many login attempts: To try to login immediately, disable the plugin that prevents you from logging in with an FTP client.
• Wrong WordPress URL – This happens due to a URL or domain change. Update your database with the new URL through phpMyAdmin.
• Failed to establish database connection: check if there is a problem with your database through your hosting control panel or disable faulty plugins and themes.
• White Screen of Death – Increase the site’s memory limit, disable faulty plugins, and set the site theme as the default.
• Parse error: syntax error: Determines the source of the error and correct it with an FTP client.

There you go. It’s not as complicated as you thought, right? If you follow all the instructions correctly and make sure to back up your site before doing anything, you will be able to access it immediately.