Wordpress: Login does not work - possible causes

If the login to WordPress suddenly stops working, there can be several reasons. Here we show you the most common sources of error and how you can get back into the backend.

Solve login problems WordPress

You log in with the correct user and password. Instead of the backend, you end up on the login page again. You will often see only a blank white page instead of the dashboard.

• Sometimes it helps to delete all cookies and clear your browser's cache. Then try to log in again.
• If that didn't work, rename your .htaccess file. To do this, log in to the server via FTP.
• The file can be found immediately on the user interface, usually directly under the wp-includes folder. Name the file z. B to .hatcess_old and try again to log in.
• If this works, navigate to "Settings"> "Permalinks" and click on "Apply changes". WordPress then creates a new .htaccess file. Then delete the renamed version.
• If this does not solve the problem, rename the .htaccess_old file back to .htaccess.
• Now copy the file named wp-config.php from the server to your computer. You can then open the file in a text editor.
• Enter over the entry "That's it, finish editing! Have fun blogging." enter the following lines including the semicolons: define ('WP_HOME', '// yourwebadresse.de'); define ( 'WP_SITEURL', '// IhreWebadresse.de') ;. Insert your URL in "YourWebadresse.de". Save the file.
• Now rename the file on the server to "wp-confi.php_old". Copy the wp-confi.php back to the server and start a new login attempt.
• If you have recently installed or updated new plugins, they can also cause the error.
• Therefore, in the next step you should deactivate all existing plugins. Navigate to "/ wp-content / plugins" on the server and give the plugin folder the name "Plugins_1". You should now be able to log in.
• Then rename the "Plugins_1" folder to "Plugins" again. Navigate to plugins in the backend and activate one extension at a time. Log out each time and try to log in again.
• If you do not succeed, you have found the annoying plugin. Rename this and log in again. Then delete the extension directly from the server.

For security, you should always create a WordPress backup. In the next practical tip, we will explain the backup step by step.