Change and Hide wp-login Path with WP Ghost

Hack-preventing your WordPress website is crucial to protect it from potential hacking attempts. One of the first steps you can take is to change and hide the default login paths. By following these steps, you will improve the security of your WordPress CMS and reduce the risk of brute-force attacks.

This tutorial will explore how to change and secure the WordPress login path using the WP Ghost plugin.

What is wp-login path in WordPress?

In WordPress, the wp-login.php path is the default file used to handle the login process for your website. It is the page where administrators, editors, authors, or any registered users can log in.

By default, the path to the login page is: https://domain.com/wp-login.php

The wp-login.php file processes login requests, handles authentication, and redirects users to the WordPress Dashboard or their assigned user roles.It is also used for activation, registration, password recovery, etc.

By following these steps, you can increase the hack-prevention security of your WordPress website and prevent unauthorized access by hacker bots.

Why is it essential to secure the wp-login Path?

• Default target for attackers: Hackers and bots frequently scan websites for the default wp-login path to launch brute-force attacks or exploit vulnerabilities. Since it’s well-known, leaving it unchanged makes your site an easier target.
• Brute-Force Protection: Changing and hiding the wp-login path adds a layer of security by reducing the risk of brute-force attacks, where attackers repeatedly try to guess your username and password.
• Hacker Bots attacks: Many hacking bots are programmed to target the default wp-login path. By renaming and hiding it, you make your website less visible to these automated threats.

How to Secure wp-login with WP Ghost

Activate Safe Mode or Ghost Mode

1. Access your WordPress dashboard after installing and activating the WP Ghost plugin.
2. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Level of Security.
3. Select Safe Mode or Ghost Mode. Safe Mode provides basic protection, while Ghost Mode offers more advanced security features.

Changing wp-login Path

Now that you have activated the desired security mode, it’s time to change WP login path. WP Ghost allows you to customize the login path with your own name. To change the login path, follow these steps:

1. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Login Security.
2. Enter your desired custom name for the wp-login path in the provided field. For example, you can use “customlogin” or any other name.
3. Click the Save button to apply the changes.

Note! Select a custom name that is not easily guessable to improve security.

Note! WP Ghost does not physically change the paths on your server. It uses rewrite rules to prevent any functionality errors.

Hide wp-login Path

By hiding the wp-login path, you increase the security of your WordPress site, protecting it from unauthorized access and brute-force attacks. Take advantage of this powerful feature to keep your website safe and secure.

To hide the wp-login.php, login.php and login paths, follow these steps:

1. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Login Security.
2. Switch on the option Hide “wp-login” to enable the hiding of the wp-login and wp-login.php paths in frontend for not logged users.
3. Switch on the option Hide “login” to enable the hiding of the login path.
4. Click the Save button to apply the changes.

Avoiding Path Conflicts

It’s important to ensure that other plugins have not customized the login path as well.

WP Ghost automatically checks for existing customizations and notifies you if it identifies a different path for the wp-login.

However, it’s crucial to be cautious if you have previously customized the login path using WP Ghost and later installed a different plugin that modifies it. This can potentially lead to conflicts.

Always double-check if multiple customizations have been made to the wp-login path.

Hide the New Login Path

Another security strategy is to not allow any redirects to the custom login path when it’s customized.

Activating this option will allow only direct access to the custom login path. Any redirect will be treated as a hidden path.

Redirect when accessing the hidden paths

When someone accesses a hidden path like wp-login.php, they will receive a 404 Page not Found error by default. If you want to customize the redirect page or show a different error like 403 Forbidden, follow these steps:

1. Go to WP Ghost > Tweaks > Redirects.
2. Select from Redirect Hidden Paths the redirect page or action for instances when a hidden path is accessed.
3. Click the Save button to apply the changes.

Hide Language Switcher

If your website has multiple languages activated in Settings > General or uses a multilingual plugin, you can select the language for the login page.

1. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Login Security.
2. Switch on the option Hide Language Switcher to hide the language switcher from the login page.
3. Click the Save button to apply the changes.

Running a Security Check

After saving the settings, it is recommended that you run a security check to ensure that the wp-login path is hidden.

1. Go to WP Ghost > Security Check.
2. Click the Start Scan button to initiate the security check.
3. The security check will scan your website and verify if the wp-login and custom login paths are properly hidden.

Conclusion

By using the WP Ghost plugin to change the WordPress login path, you can significantly enhance your website’s security and reduce the risk of brute-force attacks.

Remember to activate Safe Mode or Ghost Mode, customize the login path, hide the common login paths, and perform a security check to ensure your modified wp-login path remains hidden.

Implementing these measures will help safeguard your WordPress CMS and prevent potential hacking attempts.

Troubleshooting

While changing and hiding the default login path using the WP Ghost plugin can enhance security, it’s important to note that it may cause specific functionality issues in some cases. Here are a few troubleshooting steps to consider if you encounter any problems after implementing these changes.

Cannot Access the Login Page After Changing Wp-Login Path

Can't Log in Via wp-admin as I am Redirected To the Front Page

If you are experiencing difficulties logging into your WordPress site through the wp-admin path, it may be due to the customized wp-admin path and activating the Hide “wp-admin” option in the WP Ghost plugin.

When you enable the “Hide wp-admin” option in the plugin’s settings, it hides the wp-admin path for better security. However, if you have customized your wp-admin path and the option is active, it can prevent you from redirecting the page to the login page using the traditional wp-admin path.

To resolve this issue and be able to login by accessing the default wp-admin path:

• Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Admin Security.
• Switch off Hide “wp-admin”.
• Save the changes.

By turning off the Hide “wp-admin” option, you should now be able to access the login page by accessing the wp-admin path. The user will be redirected to the login page if the user is not logged in.

Plugin or Theme Conflicts