Are you having trouble logging into the WordPress admin dashboard?
Well…there can be multiple reasons why you might be facing this error. But you don’t have to worry since you have landed on this article. We are here to guide you through the common reasons you might face this error.
Furthermore, you will learn why your default WordPress login is highly vulnerable to password-based cyber attacks and how to protect it.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
How To Login to WordPress Admin Dashboard
Logging in to your WordPress dashboard is super simple. All you have to do is add /wp-login.php or /wp-admin—which also redirects you to the wp-login.php screen—after the website’s URL, and press enter.
That should be enough to land you on the login screen.
Simply enter your username and password. Upon successful login, you will be redirected to your WordPress admin dashboard.
4 Common WordPress Login Errors
If this simplest of processes did not go well with you, here’s what could be the reason:
#1: Incorrect Username or Password
One of the most common reasons you might see a login error is your username or password is incorrect. This might sound obvious, but we often overlook tiny details or forget our password and try to guess it.
Your caps lock might be on, or you might be losing a tiny detail of your password. You might have added an exclamation mark at the end or additional numbers or letters to enhance the security of your password.
The verdict is always to double-check when entering your username and password. Ensure the capslock is off or on if your password uses capital letters. Lastly, use password managers that allow you to fill in passwords with one click without typing the entire password, which is prone to errors. Numerous password managers also help you create strong passwords, contributing to your WordPress’s overall security.
#2: Forgotten Password
WordPress offers a solution for this WordPress login problem. If you don’t remember your password, go to WordPress login and use the “Lost your password?” button.
WordPress will send you an email to your dedicated email address. From there, you can effortlessly reset your password.
⚠️ Sometimes WordPress doesn’t send password reset emails. In such a case, refer to this article: How to Fix WordPress Not Sending Password Reset Email.
If your WordPress has multiple admins, the process is even more straightforward. You can simply ask the other admin to reset the password for you. Alternatively, you can reset the password via cPanel (phpMyAdmin or MySQL database).
#3: Browser Cache
Sometimes, the browser cache can also prevent you from entering your WordPress. If that is the case, simply clear your browsing cache and log in again.
It’s also best to restart your browser before logging in again. This should solve your redirection issues. You can clear cookies using the site information in Google Chrome.
Using a different browser may also help.
#4: Corrupted Plugin
A corrupted plugin can cause WordPress login issues, such as “There has been a critical error on this website.” This can happen if your new plugin is just installed. If so, access your website through File Manager and rename the corrupted plugin’s folder to disable it. That should be enough to help you re-enter your website. Afterward, you can delete or update the plugin or use an alternative plugin to circumvent the problem.
Vulnerabilities of Default WordPress Login URL
In the beginning, we told you that the default WordPress login URL can be dangerous for your WordPress’s security. That’s because the default WordPress admin is vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
Brute force is a type of cyber attack that uses trial and error to crack a password. Attackers start with common passwords like ‘your name’ or ‘yourname123’ or other common combinations. A study by NordVPN stated that common passwords like ‘123456’ or ‘admin’ can be cracked in less than a minute.
Alternatively, hackers also use credentials stolen from previous data breaches. For example, they may use credentials stolen from one website and use them on another completely unrelated website to determine if similar accounts exist. This practice is known as credential stuffing, and it can be deadly for users who use identical credentials for multiple accounts.
Returning to the topic, let’s understand why WordPress login URLs are vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
Previously, we learned you can access a website by entering /wp-login.php after a website’s domain. For instance, example.com/wp-admin.php will take you to the WordPress login of the example website. Similarly, any cyber attacker and perpetrator can also enter any website and perform brute force or other attacks.
Thus, secure your WordPress admin URL to prevent brute force, credential stuffing, and other password-based attacks. Here’s how to get started…
Protect Your WordPress Admin Dashboard With All-in-One Login
There’s no better protection for a WordPress admin dashboard than the All-in-One login plugin. It is a complete solution that offers multiple features to protect your WordPress login from cyber threats.
Let’s configure it together!
- Change Your Login URL
Considering the vulnerabilities of the WordPress default login URL, changing it is the first step you can take to mitigate the risk of a brute-force attack.
To change your default login URL, go to WordPress dashboard >> AIO Login.
Afterward, switch to the ‘Login Protection’ tab, and you will land on the ‘Change Login URL’ subtab.
Use the toggle button to enable the feature, and enter your custom login URL in the ‘Login URL’ input box.
The next input box is the Redirect URL. This is the destination to which users will be redirected if they attempt to enter your login page. We recommend leaving it blank so that users will be redirected to your homepage instead.
Lastly, Save Changes to save your progress!
- Limit Login Attempts
Perpetrators also sometimes use automated scripts to try different password combinations continuously. This practice usually requires hundreds of thousands of different combinations before success.
Limiting login attempts can help prevent such attacks. It traps the IP address after a set of incorrect attempts by temporarily blocking it.
To implement limit login attempts, navigate to the Login Protection tab >> Limit Login Attempts subtab and switch the toggle button on.
Go to the second input box and change the Maximum Attempts with the number of attempts you want.
In the Timeout field, specify the time you want the user to be blocked out after incorrect attempts.
Lastly, write a Lockout Message to be shown to temporarily blocked users.
Save changes, and there you go!
- Implement Two-factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is one of the best security solutions that require the applicant to prove their authentication through another validation factor—usually done through the admin’s mobile phone.
2FA helps your WordPress admin dashboard even if your password is guessed or hacked. Using another authentication factor after a successful password, usually through their mobile, traps a hacker who does not have access to their mobile.
To set up two-factor authentication, switch to the Security tab and then the 2FA subtab. You’ll see a toggle switch.
Slide it open, and that will trigger a pop-up with a QR code.
Scan the QR code with any Time-Based One-Time-Password (TOTP) app on your cell phone, such as Google Authenticator, and that will take you to an input box.
Enter the OTP here and use Verify OTP to verify.
Final Words
You can log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard by entering /wp-login.php ahead of your website domain, but as we told you, this leaves your website login page vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
Microsoft’s digital defense report, published in April 2023, stated that 11,000 brute-force attacks occurred every second.
This number has increased 10x from the previous year. We can only imagine how it must have spiked by the time of writing this article in 2024.
Securing your WordPress admin dashboard is vital to ensuring the overall security of your website. Thus, you should implement the aforementioned strategies as soon as possible.
Better safe than sorry!
If you need help implementing any strategy or if you face any obstacle with All-in-One Login, do not hesitate to contact our support team.
To enhance the security of your WordPress admin dashboard, download All-in-One Login today!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to my WordPress admin dashboard?
Simply add /wp-login.php ahead of your website domain in the URL field. This will take you to the login page, where you can enter your login credentials to log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
What is the URL for WordPress admin?
By default, the URL of the WordPress admin dashboard is domainname/wp-login.php or domain name/wp-admin. However, this login URL is susceptible to password-based attacks. Thus, changing it to something confidential using All-in-One Login benefits your website security.
How do I log in if I change my login URL and forget it?
If you change your login URL using All-in-One Login, you can disable the plugin from the file manager. Alternatively, contact your host, and they can do it for you. Lastly, if you just downloaded the plugin, try ‘yourdomain/login’ because that’s the default login URL that AIO Login changes to once enabled.