Basic information for managing your WordPress website

Website administrators and owners looking to make changes to their sites often receive requests from external companies to provide access credentials. Commonly requested access includes credentials for the dashboard, backend, or server. For less experienced users, this presents a challenge in knowing precisely which data to provide and where to find it.

In the following article, you’ll learn about the essential data needed to manage a WordPress environment that every administrator or owner of a WordPress-based website should know.

WordPress admin account

Creating a user with administrator role

1. Log in to your WordPress site.
2. In the left-hand menu, go to the “Users” section and click “Add New“.
3. Fill in the details for the new user, such as username, email, and password.
4. In the “Role” dropdown menu, select “Administrator“.
5. Click the “Add New User” button.

Accessing site files on the server

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

1. To access your WordPress site files via FTP, you will need an FTP client such as FileZilla and FTP credentials provided by your hosting provider.
2. Once you have this information, configure your FTP client to connect to your server and transfer files back and forth.
3. The process of creating a new FTP account may vary slightly depending on your hosting provider and administrative panel. However, many hosting providers use cPanel as their administrative interface. Here’s a general guide on creating an FTP account using cPanel:
   • Log in to your cPanel account using your username and password.
   • Find the “Files” section, then select “FTP Accounts”.
   • Create a new FTP Account.
   • In the form provided, fill in necessary information such as:
     • Login (username for FTP account).
     • Domain (if you have more than one domain, make sure to select the correct domain from the dropdown menu).
     • Password (ensure you select a strong password).
     • Password confirmation (re-enter the password to confirm).
     • Home Directory (path to the folder FTP user will access; usually leave this blank to grant access to the root directory, or enter a specific folder path).
     • Quota (disk space limit for the FTP account or select “unlimited”).
   • After filling out the form, click “Create Account” to finish the process. Your new FTP account is now ready for use.

After creating an FTP account, you can log in using an FTP client such as FileZilla. Use the username, password, and FTP server address provided by your hosting provider.
Remember, details may differ if your hosting provider uses a system other than cPanel, so it’s always best to consult your hosting provider’s documentation or support team.

For more information about FTP, see our article:

What is FTP and why do you need it?

It is a network protocol that enables data transfer. What is it used for and how do you connect to it?

read more

SSH (Secure Shell)

1. SSH access allows remote login to the server and file management using the command line.
2. To configure SSH access, you will need to contact your hosting provider for credentials and configuration instructions.

Database access

You can access the WordPress database in several ways, but the most common method is using phpMyAdmin or a graphical interface for managing MySQL databases. Your hosting provider should provide login information for phpMyAdmin or another database management interface. Once logged in, you can view, edit, and manage your WordPress database.

How to find database login information?

To find database login information for your WordPress site, you need to locate the WordPress configuration file named wp-config.php. Here’s how:

Logging into the server via FTP or cPanel: Log into your hosting server using FTP access or through the hosting administration panel (e.g., cPanel).
Locate wp-config.php File: Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation (where the wp-content folder and wp-admin, wp-includes files are located).
You’ll find the wp-config.php file in the main WordPress directory.
Open wp-config.php File: Download the wp-config.php file to your computer and open it in a text editor like Notepad or Sublime Text.
Find database login information: In wp-config.php, find the following lines containing database login information:

• define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘database_name’);
• define(‘DB_USER’, ‘username’);
• define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘password’);
• define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘database_host’);

database_name is your WordPress database name.
username is the database username.
password is the database user’s password.
database_host is the database host address, usually localhost but could differ depending on your hosting configuration.

Closing the file: After finding this information, close the wp-config.php file and store it securely, as it contains sensitive data.
Remember, never share this information with anyone you don’t fully trust, as it provides complete access to your WordPress database.

How to find the database login link?

The URL for logging into your database depends on your server configuration and whether you’re using a management panel like cPanel or Plesk. Here are several methods:

cPanel: Log in to cPanel, find the “Databases” section, and click “phpMyAdmin”. You’ll be redirected to the phpMyAdmin interface, where you can log in using the credentials from your wp-config.php file.

Plesk: Log into Plesk, locate the “Databases” section in the left menu, and select your database. The next screen should have a link to phpMyAdmin.

Direct phpMyAdmin access: Usually, the link is like http://yourdomain.com/phpmyadmin or http://yourserverIP/phpmyadmin. You can log in using credentials from wp-config.php.

Contact your hosting provider: If unsure, contact your hosting provider for the correct database login link.

Check hosting provider documentation: Hosting documentation may include database login details. Check your hosting’s FAQ or database section.

Summary

Valuable information about managing your WordPress environment is crucial for site administrators and owners. Having access to the right data and tools is essential for effectively managing your WordPress site. Now that you know the basics, you can confidently provide necessary details to external companies assisting in site maintenance and development.