Summary: How To Change Your Default WordPress Admin Username? When you first installed WordPress (**Fantasico) via your CPanel you were given the chance to choose your own username and password. ** Fantastico is a commercial script library that automates the installation of web applications to a website. Fantastico scripts are executed from the administration area of a website control panel such as cPanel. Fantastico's web site claims that they are installed on ten thousand servers, with a million users worldwide. Fantastico scripts are usually executed when a new website is created, or a new application is added to an existing website. The scripts typically create tables in a database, install software, adjust permissions, and modify web server configuration files. Although Fantastico primarily targets open-source software, a handful of scripts are also available that install proprietary products. Wikipedia In my experience the majority just opted for the default username settings of “Admin” as it is was the easiest option. If you are one of those blog or website owners who fit this scenario then I am afraid that I am a harbinger of bad news. You have just handed a potential hacker 50% of your log in details. Yep! That’s right, 50%. All he needs to do now is just work out your password and he can gain entry to your blog or website and cause considerable damage. Now before you start sending me emails about this, I too was one of those people in my early forays with Wordpress all those years ago. So in this short and to the point WordPress Tutorial, I will show you how can change your username and at the same time make it harder for a hacker to access your site. There are only 8 simple steps involved: 1. Log into your WordPress dashboard and on the left hand side click on the ‘Users’ tab. 2. Next, you need to click on add new. 3. Fill in your details making sure that you choose a username other than ‘admin’. Perhaps you can use your own name or a nick name followed by some numerals e.g. John_Smith, JoHnSmiTH or even JohnSmith123-456. Now before I forget, make sure that you make your password as strong as possible. I recommend at least 15 characters made up of letter, numerals and those special characters that sit atop of your numbers (#,$, % etc.) 4. When you have completed, scroll down to where it allows you to select the role of this new user and set the option to ‘administrator.’ 5. When you have filled in all the details, set the role to ‘administrator just click add new use and when the screen refreshes sign out. 6. All you need to do now is sign in with your new username and password, go to users and delete your old account details. Just click the box on the left hand side of your old account followed by delete. 7. You will now be asked what you wish to do with any posts associated with this account. You will have a chance to associate these posts with your new username and then all you have to do next is click ‘delete’ and confirm the action. 8. Last but no means least, make sure that your “display name” differs from the actual username, particularly if you as the administrator posts any articles or blog entries. Remember that we still want to make it as hard as possible for the hacker. So instead of using your actual username as also your ”display name”, go back into your user profile and select a nick name which can be displayed instead if you haven’t already done so. Now your initial set up default WordPress admin username has been effectively deleted and the hacking vulnerability of your account has been greatly decreased. Here's to your wordpress success.
