Prerequisites
Access to MySQL Database Client
A running MySQL server
Backup Your Database
Access to a terminal or command line
Root or sudo privileges
Introduction
When it comes to securing your WordPress site, changing the default admin username and customizing your author slug are two important steps. By default, WordPress doesn’t allow you to easily change the admin username, and managing author slugs can be a bit tricky without the right tools. Thankfully, using MySQL commands, you can quickly update both your WordPress admin username and author slug directly in the database.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of editing both the admin username and author slug using MySQL. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your site's security or simply personalize your author URL, this straightforward method will help you make the changes with ease.
Essential Security Best Practices for Your WordPress Admin Username
- Avoid common usernames like: admin (the default username), administrator, root, webmaster, your name or nickname, and website name
- Don't reuse usernames across multiple sites
- Use a password manager like LastPass to generate and store unique usernames safely
Key Columns in the wp_users Table
- user_nicename: A URL-friendly version of the user's name. This is used in URLs for things like user profiles. For example, it might be used in the URL like https://yoursite.com/author/username.
- user_login: The username chosen by the user. This is what they use to log in to the WordPress site.
Access your database
Log in to Your MySQL Database Client
mysql -u username -p
Locate Your WordPress Database
To list all databases on a MySQL server
show databases;
Select your WordPress database using the use statement
use your_database_name;
Open the wp_users Table
To list tables in a MySQL database
show tables;
Locate the wp_users table
select * from wp_users;
Find Your Admin User
In the wp_users table, look for the row where the user_login is the current admin username (likely "admin" if you're using the default)
SQL query to find a username
select * from wp_users where user_login = 'desired_username';
Change the Username with an Update Query
update wp_users set user_login = 'new_username' where user_login = 'current_username';
Replace 'new_username' with the desired username
Replace 'current_username' with the current username that you want to change
Change the Author Slug with an Update Query
update wp_users set user_nicename = 'new-slug' where user_login = 'current-username';
Replace 'new-slug' with the desired slug (e.g., cameron-the-author ).
Replace current-username with the current username of the author whose slug you want to update (e.g., admin ).
Next, check the author URL
After executing the query, the author URL should now reflect the new slug. For example,
https://yourdomain.com/author/cameron-the-author/
Ensure the new user_nicename (slug) is unique. If another author has the same slug, there could be conflicts.
Clear the cache after making changes to ensure the new author URL is displayed.
If you don't change the default admin username or the user_nicename, your WordPress author URL will be publicly accessible at:
https://yourdomain.com/author/admin/
This could reveal your admin account to anyone who checks your site structure, and it's an easy target for attackers who might try to brute-force login using the admin username.
Final Thoughts
Editing your WordPress admin username and author slug directly via MySQL can be a quick and effective way to make changes to your site. However, it's important to approach these changes with caution.
- Backup Your Database: Before making any changes to your MySQL database, always backup your WordPress database. Accidental changes or mistakes can result in data loss or site disruptions.
- Security Considerations: Changing the default "admin" username is a good security practice to prevent unauthorized access. Likewise, modifying the author slug can help protect user privacy and improve SEO. Be sure to use secure and unique usernames and slugs.
- Clear Caches and Rebuild Permalinks: After making changes, don't forget to clear any caching plugins or server caches to ensure the changes take effect. Additionally, visit the Settings > Permalinks section in your WordPress dashboard to refresh the permalink structure.
- Test After Changes: After editing the admin username or author slug, test the login and ensure everything works as expected. If you're changing the author slug, check that posts are correctly attributed to the right user and that URLs are functioning properly.
By carefully following the steps to modify your admin username and author slug via MySQL, you can improve both the security and organization of your WordPress site. However, always proceed cautiously and with awareness of the possible implications of these changes.