Changing your login URL is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make your website more secure.
Whilst it’s just a small piece of a larger puzzle, it does help to make your website’s login page less discoverable, especially to automated bots.
In this article, we’re showing you some of the best free plugins you can use to change the login page URL for your WordPress website.
How to Find Your Login Page URL
When you login to WordPress to edit a post or install a plugin, you have to go through the WordPress login page. After signing in, you can then access and manage everything from the dashboard.
By default, your WordPress website’s login URL is /wp-admin/ (e.g. www.yoursite.com/wp-admin/), or /wp-login.php (e.g. www.yoursite.com/wp-login.php) at the end of your website’s URL (the former redirects you to the latter, either way they’re both fine).
You only need a username and password to access the backend of your site, which is usually enough to keep it secure. However, for additional security against bots, it can be a good idea to change your WordPress login url on your website, and the easiest way to do this is with a plugin.
WPS Hide Login
WPS Hide Login is a lightweight plugin that redirect users to your custom login page while making the default wp-login.php and wp-admin directory inaccessible. Rather than modifying core WordPress files or adding complicated rewrite rules, it works through request interception, maintaining compatibility with your existing setup.
The plugin plays nicely with other login-related features like registration forms, password reset functionality, and login widgets. It is compatible with popular plugins like BuddyPress, bbPress, and Jetpack, though it won’t work with themes that have hardcoded the default login URL. It also offers multisite support.
The plugin’s straightforward functionality means most users won’t encounter complications. When you need to revert changes, simply deactivating the plugin returns everything to its previous state.
Once you download and activate the plugin, all you need to do is Go to Settings > General, and then scroll down to the WPS Hide Login area.
Type the new URL depending on your needs.
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- Login URL field: input your new Login URL path.
- Redirection URL field: input a specific URL where users will be redirected to.
Click on the Save Changes button. You can then use your new custom WordPress login URL to sign into your website.
For the average person looking to change their WordPress admin login, WPS Hide Login will get the job done – though, there are other alternatives available.
Solid Security
Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security) offers an alternative way to create a custom login URL for your WordPress website. But unlike WPS Hide Login, it’s offers much more than just the ability to change your WordPress URL, as it comes with pre-configured security templates for different website types – from eCommerce to portfolios.
The free version has features like two-factor authentication, password requirements, brute force protection, and file change detection. For those needing enhanced security, the Pro version adds impressive capabilities like reCAPTCHA, passwordless logins, trusted devices, and automated vulnerability patching through Patchstack integration – which can fix vulnerabilities before plugin developers release official patches.
To change your login URL with Solid Security, simply go to Settings and then Hide Backend, where you can enter your chosen alternative;
As mentioned, changing your login URL is a good idea, but there’s a lot more you can do to ensure the security of your website. And overall, Solid Security has most of the things WordPress site owners need – powerful protection that’s easily implemented without requiring security expertise.
Admin login URL Change
Another good lightweight plugin you could opt for if you want to use a custom URL for your login page is the aptly named Admin Login URL change. This is as simple as it gets, with no other features except the ability to change the login URL of your website.
After installation, you can simply go to Settings > Admin Login URL where you can specify your new login path. You enter your desired URL slug, save the changes, and you’re done. No complicated configuration screens or excess options to wade through. For site owners who already have security measures in place but just need to change their login URL, this choice works.
Conclusion
The most common (and probably easiest) way to change your default WordPress login URL is using a free plugin like WPS Hide Login. If you want to make your website even more secure, then a plugin like Solid Security will be an even better choice. Those with good technical knowledge may opt to do it themselves without a plugin, but this probably isn’t the best option unless you’re confident in your abilities.
