WordPress troubleshooting

Cannot sign in to wp-admin: check before resetting

A sign-in refusal can result from a password, lockout, deleted account, security plugin or compromise. Repeated resets can hide useful clues.

Separate denied access from an unavailable site.
Keep the message, address used and time. If the entire site is unavailable, address that outage first; if only wp-admin is blocked, avoid repeated attempts.

Safe first actions

  1. Check the exact sign-in address and make one password-reset request.
  2. Review the recovery address and host logs; never send a password by email.
  3. Back up before changing the database or files.
  4. Use Free for an assessment or Saver to review accounts, files, tasks and settings during recovery.

After the site is back online

Saver helps review accounts and settings during recovery. Full then adds administrator-login monitoring, a firewall and rolling backups to reduce the time to detect another issue.

A log or alert is a signal to review, not automatic proof of compromise. No tool replaces renewing compromised access and keeping an independent backup.

Frequently asked questions

Should I edit the database directly?

Only if you know why and after a backup. A rushed change can make the incident harder to diagnose.

Can I recover without wp-admin?

Yes. Saver runs from an engine separate from WordPress when server access remains available.

What does Full add to Saver?

Full includes Saver, then adds the WordPress plugin, WAF, rolling backups, local telemetry and administrator-login monitoring.

Free

Check files without touching the site.

Free

Saver

Recover, then review access and settings.

Saver