How to Troubleshoot WordPress Backend Access Errors

How to Troubleshoot WordPress Backend Access Errors

Description:
A comprehensive guide for HostPresto shared hosting customers to resolve common WordPress login issues, 403 forbidden errors, and general access problems with the admin dashboard.

Contents

• Common WordPress Backend Access Issues

• Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

  • 1. Check Your Login Credentials

  • 2. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

  • 3. Verify .htaccess File

  • 4. Disable WordPress Plugins

  • 5. Check File and Folder Permissions

  • 6. Review Security Plugins and IP Blocking

  • 7. Unblock Your IP Address

  • 8. Enable Debugging for Error Messages

• Troubleshooting Specific Errors

• Further Assistance

Common WordPress Backend Access Issues

• Login page not loading

• 403 Forbidden error when accessing /wp-admin

• Incorrect username or password

• White screen of death (blank page after login)

• Redirect loops or unexpected redirection

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

1. Check Your Login Credentials

• Ensure you are using the correct username and password.

• If you have forgotten your details, you can reset your password:

  1. Go to your WordPress login page (/wp-login.php).

  2. Click Lost your password? and follow the instructions.

  3. If you do not receive a reset email, check your spam folder or update your email address in the database via phpMyAdmin.

2. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

• Sometimes, cached data or cookies can prevent access.

• How to clear:

  • In your browser, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data.

  • Select Cookies and Cached images and files.

  • Reload the login page.

3. Verify .htaccess File

A misconfigured .htaccess file can cause 403 errors or block access.

To check or reset:

1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager.

2. Navigate to your site’s root directory (usually public_html).

3. Locate .htaccess and download a backup.

4. Replace its contents with WordPress defaults:

   # BEGIN WordPress
   <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteBase /
   RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
   RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
   </IfModule>
   # END WordPress
   

5. Save and test your site.

4. Disable WordPress Plugins

A faulty plugin can lock you out of the admin dashboard.

To disable all plugins:

1. In File Manager (public_html/wp-content/), rename the plugins folder to plugins_disabled.

2. Try accessing your site. If access is restored, one of the plugins is causing the issue.

3. Rename the folder back to plugins and reactivate plugins one by one via the WordPress dashboard.

5. Check File and Folder Permissions

Incorrect permissions can cause forbidden errors.

• Folders should be set to 755

• Files should be set to 644

How to check:

1. In File Manager, right-click a file or folder and select Change Permissions.

2. Update permissions as above.

6. Review Security Plugins and IP Blocking

Security plugins (like Wordfence or Sucuri) may block your IP.

• Check if you are locked out by a plugin.

• Disable the plugin as described in Step 4.

7. Unblock Your IP Address

If you’re blocked from the server:

• Visit the I've Been Blocked From The Server knowledge base article.

• You can also check your IP at What Is My IP.

• Contact support if you continue to be blocked.

8. Enable Debugging for Error Messages

Debugging can reveal the cause of access errors.

To enable debugging:

1. In File Manager, open wp-config.php in your site root.

2. Find this line:

   define('WP_DEBUG', false);
   

3. Change it to:

   define('WP_DEBUG', true);
   define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
   define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
   

4. Save the file and check the wp-content/debug.log file for errors.

Troubleshooting Specific Errors

403 Forbidden on Login

• See our guide: WordPress is showing Forbidden 403 on login

• Common causes:

  • Bad .htaccess rules

  • Incorrect file/folder permissions

  • Security plugins or server firewall

Login Redirects to Homepage

• Possible plugin/theme conflict.

• Disable plugins and switch to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) to test.

"Error Establishing a Database Connection"

• Check your database credentials in wp-config.php.

• Verify that the database user has the correct permissions via cPanel > MySQL Databases.

White Screen After Login

• Enable debugging (see above).

• Disable plugins and switch themes to isolate the issue.

Further Assistance

If you’ve followed all steps and still can’t access your WordPress backend:

• Review our WordPress Troubleshooting articles.

• If you are blocked from the server, see the I've Been Blocked From The Server guide.

• For persistent or complex issues, please submit a support ticket via your client area with details of your problem, affected domain, and steps already tried.

Tip: Regularly back up your website and keep WordPress, plugins, and themes up to date to minimise issues in the future.