How to add an Administrator from WordPress MySQL Database

Hello guys today we will learn how to add an Administrator from WordPress MySQL Database in this tutorial article. Actually yesterday my best friend told me that his WordPress website was hacked and her account has been deleted. He asked me what’s the solution how to add new Administrator without accessing WordPress dashboard. So, I gave her satisfying solution that you can add administrator from MySQL.

NOTE: Before we start doing this, make sure that you have taken backup of your website Database.

Add an Administrator from WordPress MySQL Database

Below are the two ways to perform this task, not to worry I’ll tell you both:

1. Run a MySQL query
2. Do it all steps manual in WordPress MySQL Database

1. Run a MySQL query

This method is only for those who want to speed up the process. In this process, we have to make sure to change following things:

• Table prefix( if you are Database table prefix is different ).
• Database name
• Values( like ID, username)

INSERT INTO 'your-database-name'.'wp_users' ('ID', 'user_login', 'user_pass', 'user_nicename', 'user_email', 'user_url', 'user_registered', 'user_activation_key', 'user_status', 'display_name') VALUES ('84', 'username', MD5('your-password'), 'Your Name', '[email protected]', 'http://www.google.com/', '2017-09-08 16:15:25', '', '0', 'Your Name');
INSERT INTO 'your-database-name'.'wp_usermeta' ('umeta_id', 'user_id', 'meta_key', 'meta_value') VALUES (NULL, '84', 'wp_capabilities', 'a:1:{s:13:"administrator";s:1:"1";}');
INSERT INTO 'your-database-name'.'wp_usermeta' ('umeta_id', 'user_id', 'meta_key', 'meta_value') VALUES (NULL, '84', 'wp_user_level', '10');

Now open the wp-admin, log in with username and password you specified for this user. Once you logged in click on Users tab from left sidebar in the dashboard and edit the username you just created. Scroll down and just click the Save/Update button(no need to change anything, just click on save button). This process will allow WordPress to go through and add some more information and clean-up the user we just added.

2. Manual Steps in MySQL

First, you need to Login to your hosting cPanel and access phpMyAdmin and find your WordPress MySQL database, See below screenshots(Source: Godaddy cPanel).

Once you open your WordPress database, we are going to make changes in two tables, one is wp_users and the second one is wp_usermeta. Let us start with the first table wp_users, just click on the table name. We need to insert our new Administrator. Let’s click on insert tab, see below

Once you clicked on insert tab, you have to fill below fields.

• ID: Leave it blank it is an auto-increment field. Its value will be filled automatically.
• user_login: Insert the username from which you access the WordPress dashboard.
• user_pass: Add strong password for the username and make sure that to select MD5 in the function drop-down menu.
• user_nickname: Add your nickname
• user_email: Add your email address to blend with this account.
• user_url: You can add your website URL here.
• user_registered: Here you can select date/time when user registering.
• user_status: By default set as 0.
• display_name: Add your name you wish to display

After all that click on GO button. see below

After inserting the user/admin information in the wp_users table, now we are going to add the value in the wp_usermeta table. Here we follow same steps, just click on table name(wp_usermeta) and again click on insert tab.

Now add following information in the Insert tab:

• unmeta_id: Leave this field blank, it’s auto-generated.
• user_id: In this field, you have to add the ID of the user you created in the wp_users table.
• meta_key: Insert this wp_capabilities
• meta_value: Insert this a:1:{s:13:”administrator”;b:1;}

We have to add few more information in another row:

• unmeta_id: Leave this field blank, it’s auto-generated.
• user_id: again ID of the user you created in the wp_users table.
• meta_key: Insert this wp_user_level
• meta_value: 10

After all, Hit the GO button and you are now admin of the website. Now open the wp-admin, log in with username and password you specified for this user. Once you logged in, click on Users tab from left sidebar in the dashboard and edit the username you just created. Scroll down and just click the Save/Update button(no need to change anything, just click on save button). This process will allow WordPress to go through and add some more information and clean-up the user we just added.