How To Change Your WordPress Admin Username (3 Methods)

We have all tried it, setting up our WordPress website too fast and forgetting to set the username to something that makes sense. Now your username is admin, and your URL contains admin, it doesn’t look good, and it’s not optimal for your visitors or your SEO profile.

Changing your WordPress admin username can be done by creating a new admin user with the username you wish. Sign out of your old admin user, and sign in to the new admin user you just created. Then delete the old admin user and attribute all content to your new admin user.

Here are 3 simple ways how you can change your admin username.

1. Create a New WordPress Admin User And Delete The Old One

This is the best and most straightforward way to change your admin username.

First, we need to create a new administrator who will have the new username you wish to use. This is done simply by going to users in the menu, clicking on add new user and filling out the information.

After this, you will need to sign out of your current admin user, which is the old user. This is done simply by moving the mouse to the top right corner, hovering on your name and pressing Log Out.

You’re now ready to sign in with the new admin user we just created. Fill out your email or username and password, and click Log In.

You’re now signed in as the new admin, and you now have the correct username, but now we need to delete the old admin user and attribute the content to the new admin user you just signed in as.

Again click on users in the menu, and for the user you want to delete, you hover on it and click delete.

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WordPress will now ask you to delete or attribute all content to a new user. I recommend you attribute the content to the new admin user we just created.

Now your username is “changed”, and the old user is gone, with no content lost and no coding required.

2. Change Your WordPress Admin Username Using a Plugin

If you wish to use a plugin instead to change your admin’s username, then this is also an option.

I have tested the following 2 plugins, and they’re tested and published for the newest version of WordPress 6.0.1.

Bonus tip for both plugins: Remember to delete the plugin when done with this action. There is no need to run this plugin and pull resources from your website when you’re not using it.

Use Easy Username Updater, To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

Click on the plugins in the menu and search for Easy Username Updater. Then click on install, and activate the plugin.

After installing it, head over to the plugin page, which you will find under the users menu in the side menu.

For the user you want to change the username on, you just click Update on the user, and then we’re shown a new screen where we can enter the new username we wish to change to.

You can also send an email with this update to the email assigned to the user in which you’re changing the username. This is optional.

Use WP Edit Username To Change Your WordPress Admin Username

The second plugin is WP Edit Username. It does the same but works a bit differently.

Again you want to click on plugins in the menu and search for WP Edit Username. Install the plugin and activate it.

After you’ve activated the plugin, you head over to users in the menu and click edit on the user you wish to change the username.

Then you click on “Edit” next to the username, and you will be shown this modal. Simply fill out the new username you wish to change to, and press “Update Username”. Your username has now been changed.

3. Change Your WordPress Admin Username Using PHPMyAdmin

Once you’re signed into your PHPMyAdmin, go to the wp_users table. Be aware that your prefix might be something different than “wp_”. You’re in the right table if you find the table named {prefix}users.

Once in the wp_users table, you need to find the user to whom you want to change the username. Then you simply just double-click on the username and write the new username. To keep the data uniform, you must change the user_login and the user_nicename.

What solution is right for you?

If you’re experienced using PHPMyAdmin, then it’s by far the fastest method. Otherwise, I recommend you go with the first solution to create a new admin user and delete the old one. Lastly, if you want to avoid any mistakes and ensure it’s done correctly, then take your time with solution 2 and install a plugin to change your admin username.

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