wp-admin

Every WordPress site has a private control room for its owner, and its address ends with /wp-admin/. wp-admin is the admin area of WordPress, the back end where you write posts, install plugins and change settings.

The name has two meanings. It is the address of your dashboard, and it is also a core folder on your server that holds the files behind it.

How to access wp-admin

Getting into the admin area is pretty simple:

1. First, type your site address followed by /wp-admin/, for example example.com/wp-admin/.
2. Next, WordPress sends you to the login screen at wp-login.php if you are not logged in.
3. Now, enter your username or email address and your password.
4. Finally, click Log In to reach the Dashboard.

On the left, you will see menus such as Posts, Media, Pages, Comments, Appearance, Plugins, Users, Tools and Settings. What you see depends on your user role. For example, a Subscriber only sees the Dashboard and Profile. Our article on how to access the WordPress admin section covers a few more ways to log in.

The wp-admin folder on your server

The folder sits in the root of your installation, right next to wp-content and wp-includes. It holds the PHP, CSS and JavaScript files that build every admin screen.

These are core files, so you should never edit them. Every WordPress update replaces them, and your changes would be lost anyway.

Keeping wp-admin safe

Since everyone knows the address, bots try to break in all day long. Here are a few simple habits that help:

• Use a strong, unique password for every admin account.
• Add two-factor authentication with a plugin.
• Limit login attempts or allow admin access only from your own IP address.

To try the last idea, see our guide on creating a WordPress admin IP restriction.

So, wp-admin is both your control room and a folder you should leave untouched. Got a question about it? Ask us in the comments below.