How to Add an Admin User to WordPress Using phpMyAdmin

What is this about?

A database is where WordPress stores your users, posts and settings. Think of it as a big filing cabinet. phpMyAdmin is a tool that lets you open that cabinet and look inside. You find it in cPanel, the control panel for your hosting.

An administrator is a user with full power over the site. Use this method only if you cannot log in any other way. Try the "Lost your password?" link first.

Warning: a wrong change can break your site. Take a backup of the database first. In phpMyAdmin, click Export and then Go to save a copy.

Steps

1. Log in to your client area at https://secure.hostvento.com/clientarea.php and open cPanel from your hosting service.
2. Click phpMyAdmin in the Databases section.
3. Click your WordPress database on the left. If you are not sure which one, check DB_NAME in the wp-config.php file.

   

4. Click the table wp_users. Your prefix may differ from wp_.

   

5. Click the Insert tab.

   

6. Fill in these fields:
   • user_login: the new username
   • user_pass: a password. Pick MD5 in the Function drop-down beside it.

     

   • user_nicename: the same as the username
   • user_email: your email address
   • user_status: 0
   • display_name: the name to show
7. Click Go. Note the new ID number shown for the user.
8. Open the table wp_usermeta and click Insert.
9. Add the first row: user_id is your new ID, meta_key is wp_capabilities, and meta_value is:

   a:1:{s:13:"administrator";b:1;}

   

10. Click Go, then insert a second row: user_id is your new ID, meta_key is wp_user_level, and meta_value is 10.

    

11. Click Go. Log in with the new username and password.

If your table prefix is not wp_, use your own prefix in the meta_key names.

Quick recap

• Back up the database before you change it.
• Add a row to the users table with a new username and an MD5 password.

  

• Add the capability and level rows in the usermeta table.
• Log in, then set a new strong password.