Step 1: Access your MySQL database

Before you add new user, you’ll need to access phpMyAdmin – it’s not a plugin, but rather a free software tool written in PHP – and edit your database. You can usually do so via a link in your WordPress hosting account dashboard.

The exact name varies depending on the host, but look for options such as:

• phpMyAdmin
• Database Manager

Here’s what it looks like in cPanel:

Step 2: Go to the wp_users table

Now, select your WordPress site’s database from the list of databases on the left. Then, click on the wp_users table.

Note – some hosts change the prefix of the wp_users table for security. For example, you might see it as wpud_users. Just open the table that says [something]_users.

Step 3: Insert a new WordPress admin user in the users table

In the wp_users table, click on the Insert tab.

On the next screen, you’ll see a form:

Fill in the following details:

• user_login: Insert the username you want to use for your new admin user.
• user_pass: Add a password for the account and select MD5 in the Function drop-down.
• user_email: Add the email address you want to use.
• user_registered: Select the date and time for when this user should be registered.
• user_status: Set this value to zero.

Don’t worry about the other fields; leave them empty for now. Once you’ve filled out the fields, scroll to the bottom and click Go:

After clicking Go, you should see a success screen confirming the activation of the above sequence. If you go back to the wp_users table, you should see your new user. Pay attention to the value in the ID column, as you’ll need this in the next step:

Step 4: Insert user meta values

To finish things out, go to the wp_usermeta table and click on Insert. Again, the name might be slightly different – just look for the table that says [something]_usermeta.

Then, fill in the following values (again, leave the other fields empty):

• user_id: Fill in the ID of the user you created in the previous step.
• meta_key: Enter wp_capabilities
• meta_value: Fill in the field with a:1:{s:13:"administrator";s:1:"1";}