Open Your WordPress Database

What is in the database

Every WordPress site has a MySQL or MariaDB database. It stores your posts and pages, comments, users, settings, categories and the data of your plugins and themes. The data sits in tables such as wp_posts, wp_comments, wp_users and wp_options.

Open it with phpMyAdmin in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel. Your welcome email has the address and login details.

   

2. Scroll to the Databases section and click phpMyAdmin.

   

3. phpMyAdmin opens. The tables of your databases are listed on the left.

   

Find the right database

An account can have several databases. To find the one your site uses:

1. Go back to the main cPanel page and open File Manager.

   

2. Open the public_html folder.

   

3. Right-click the file wp-config.php and choose Edit. Look for the line DB_NAME. The value is the name of your database.

   

4. Return to phpMyAdmin and select that database.

Open it from the WordPress dashboard

Use this way only if you have no access to cPanel. It needs a plugin.

1. In the dashboard, go to Plugins, then Add New Plugin.
2. Search for wp phpmyadmin, then click Install Now and Activate.

   

3. Click the button Enter local phpMyAdmin or Enter hosting's phpMyAdmin.

   

4. Browse the tables, edit rows or run SQL queries.

   

Example: delete spam comments

This query removes all comments marked as spam:

DELETE FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_approved = 'spam';

Quick recap

• The database holds almost everything on your site.
• phpMyAdmin in cPanel is the best way in.
• Read wp-config.php to find the right database name.
• Back up first, then edit.