Introduction

You try to log in to your WordPress dashboard…
And something goes wrong.

• Wrong password error

• Login page keeps refreshing

• “Too many attempts” message

• Or worse — you’re completely locked out 😩

Don’t worry. Login issues are one of the most common WordPress problems, and most of them are easy to fix.

Let’s go step by step.

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1️⃣ Incorrect Password (Even When It’s Right)

This happens more often than people admit.

Why it happens:

• Caps Lock is on

• Password was changed

• Browser auto-fill is wrong

• Database issue

Quick Fix:

• Click Lost your password?

• Reset via email

• Try logging in from an incognito/private browser

If reset emails don’t arrive → see problem #4 below.

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2️⃣ WordPress Login Page Keeps Refreshing

You enter your details…
It refreshes…
But you’re still not logged in.

Why this happens:

• Cookie issues

• Corrupted cache

• Wrong site URL in database

Fix:

• Clear browser cache and cookies

• Try another browser

• Clear hosting cache

• Check wp-config.php for correct site URL

You can also add this temporarily in wp-config.php:

Replace with your real URL.

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3️⃣ Too Many Login Attempts Error

This usually appears when:

• You entered the wrong password multiple times

• A security plugin blocked you

• Bot attacks triggered login protection

Fix:

• Wait 15–30 minutes

• Login via FTP and disable security plugin

• Rename the plugin folder inside:

  wp-content/plugins

After renaming, try logging in again.

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4️⃣ Password Reset Email Not Sending

You click “Lost password” but no email arrives.

Common reasons:

• Hosting email issues

• WordPress not configured with SMTP

• Email going to spam

Fix:

• Check spam folder

• Use an SMTP plugin

• Contact hosting to enable email sending

This is very common on shared hosting.

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5️⃣ White Screen After Login

You enter credentials successfully…
And then you see a blank white page.

This is usually:

• A plugin conflict

• PHP memory issue

Fix:

• Disable plugins via FTP

• Increase memory in wp-config.php:

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6️⃣ 403 Forbidden Error on Login

This means the server is blocking access.

Causes:

• Security plugin

• Corrupted .htaccess

• Wrong file permissions

Fix:

• Rename .htaccess

• Regenerate it from Settings → Permalinks

• Check file permissions (usually 644 for files, 755 for folders)

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7️⃣ Admin Locked Out After Site Migration

If you recently:

• Changed domain

• Migrated hosting

• Installed SSL

Login issues may happen due to incorrect URLs.

Fix:

Update site URL in database (phpMyAdmin):

• siteurl

• home

Make sure both match your current domain.

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8️⃣ Login Redirect Loop After SSL Install

If login keeps redirecting between HTTP and HTTPS:

Fix:

Force HTTPS properly:

• Update site URL

• Set SSL correctly in hosting

• Add this in .htaccess if needed:

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Quick Troubleshooting Checklist

If locked out, try in this order:

1. Clear cache & cookies

2. Reset password

3. Disable plugins

4. Switch to default theme

5. Regenerate .htaccess

6. Increase memory limit

7. Check hosting support

One of these almost always works.

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How to Prevent Login Problems

• Use strong passwords

• Install a reliable security plugin

• Limit login attempts properly

• Keep WordPress updated

• Take regular backups

Prevention saves stress later.

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Final Thoughts

WordPress login problems feel scary — especially when you can’t access your dashboard.

But in reality, most login issues are caused by:

• Plugin conflicts

• Cache problems

• URL mismatches

• Simple configuration errors

Stay calm. Fix one step at a time.