Can’t find your WordPress login URL? Like most things, it’s only easy if you know how to do it, and this article shows you the way. It also looks at methods to change and save your login.
The Importance of a WordPress Login Page
You wouldn’t be able to access your WordPress Dashboard without the login URL. It’s the first screen you see after log-in. It displays an overview of your website or blog, but that’s not all. It’s also the place where you get to update, modify, and control all aspects of your project. The Dashboard is your private control panel, accessible only with a username and password.
A typical WP Dashboard looks something like this:
Colours and layout may vary depending on the theme you use, but you get the idea. The Administrator menus down the left-hand side give you access to your entire site.
WordPress Login URLs
Knowing your username and password is of no use if you don’t know your WordPress login URL. That can happen if you work from someone else’s computer. Don’t worry. There are three options to try if you know the exact name of your new website. Simply add /admin or /login to the end of your web address (see next). Replace teachingxyz.com with the name of your own site:
www.teachingxyz.com/admin/ or www.teachingxyz.com/login/
Try this third option if neither of the two URLs above work.
www.teachingxyz.com/wp-login.php/
You should now see the familiar WordPress Login box:
Still can’t log in?
Some users place all their site files into a wordpress subdirectory (folder) of the root. The subdirectory shows at the end of the .COM, .NET or whatever your domain extension is.Â
Here are some examples of how that may look (subdirectory in bold font):
teachingxyz.com/wordpress/admin/ or teachingxyz.com/wordpress/login/ or /wp-login.php/
And for WordPress installed on subdomains, the login URL looks like this:
subdomain.teachingxyz.com/admin/ or
subdomain.teachingxyz.com/login/
subdomain.teachingxyz.com/wp-login.php/
Remember to replace ‘subdomain’ with the actual name.
Once you’ve found your WordPress Login URL, it’s time to save it.
Bookmark Your WordPress URL
Finding your WP login page could be quick or take a bit more digging, depending on the URL. It’s always wise to bookmark the login page to your web browser. That solves the problem of forgetting it again in future. You can also place a link on your website’s footer or sidebars.
Add Your WP Login to the Site Menu
WordPress login URLs are not secret. Anyone can load these pages using the methods above. It’s your login details that provide security and prevent unauthorised access to the site. Therefore, it’s fine to add a visible link to the footer or sidebars of your website or blog. It’s useful for those times when you need access to your Dashboard from someone else’s device.
OK, let’s go ahead and add your login URL to a site menu.
From your WP Dashboard, go to Appearance then click on Menus.
- From the Add Menu Items box, click Custom Links
- Copy and Paste your Login URL into the URL box
- Type a title into the Link Text box
- Click the Add to Menu button
See illustration below.
Your WP Dashboard login link is now in the Menu Structure area. Click Save Menu if you’re happy for it to display as an independent link.
Or, keep reading if you want it to appear as an item in an existing menu dropdown list.
Drag the custom link slightly to the right to make it a sub item. Move it up from the bottom if you need it in a different position. Click the Save Menu button once you’re happy.
Here’s how our login link appears on the site using the Academy Pro child theme by StudioPress. How yours looks depends on the theme in use and size of the viewing device.
Add Your WP Login to the Meta Widget
Another way to never lose your login URL is to add it to a widget called Meta. This widget adds a link for logging IN and OUT, and your RSS feeds if you have them. It also displays a link to the WordPress.org website.
From your WordPress Dashboard side menu, go to Appearance, then click Widgets.
Find the Meta widget then drag it to any widget-ready area, typically sidebars or footers. For this example, let’s put it at the top of the Primary sidebar.
Now click the small Down Arrow right of the Meta widget.
Give it a name and click Save.
Here’s how the Meta Widget links look in the sample site’s primary sidebar. Our WordPress Login URL is at the top, with a Log out link below it. Also, check out the RSS and WordPress.org links.
That’s it. There’s no need for plugins or any reason ever to lose your WordPress login URL again. Feel free to pass this tutorial over to anyone else who may benefit from it.
