You must have come across some type of login issue if you ever used a WordPress site. One of the most common types of errors that users face is that your login page keeps on refreshing and redirecting you back to the default login screen. This is very time consuming and frustrating so today we will ease your pain and help you fix this type of error quickly and easily.
Here are some common ways to help you fix the WordPress login refresh and redirect loop issue:
Clear Your Browser’s Cookies
The first thing to do to get to the root of the problem is to see if it is your web browser’s fault or WordPress itself. Start with clearing the browser’s cookies whether you are using Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge.
Usually, websites store login information through cookies. Many times the login problems arise due to these cookies so you should clear them to see if the problem is solved.
To help you understand better let’s explain a few things in detail.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small files of data that store the website information on your browser. They are mostly used to store information about the user’s login credentials, user’s browser activity, shopping cart items, et cetera.
Thus, any problem revolving around such issues can be resolved through clearing cookies.
How to Clear Cookies?
Each website offers its own settings menu so clearing cookies in every browser is a bit different. Let us tell you how you can clear cookies in three popular browsers.
Clearing cookies in Chrome
Follow these steps to clear cookies in Chrome:
- Click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of your browser
- Click on the settings menu
- Scroll down the window to “clear browsing data” and click on the “clear data” option
Clearing cookies in Firefox
Here are some simple steps to clear cookies in Firefox browser:
- Click on the horizontal lines in the top right corner of your browser window
- Click on “Options” in the menu
- Now, click on “Privacy and Security” on the left side
- Scroll down the window to “Cookies and Site Data”
- Now click on “Clear Data”
Clearing Cookies in Edge
Follow these steps to clear cookies in Edge:
- Click on the three horizontal dots in the top right corner of your Microsoft Edge browser window
- Click on Settings and go to “Privacy and Security”
- Click on “Choose what to clear” and select “Cookies and saved website data”
- Now hot the “Clear” button
Once you have cleared the cookies in your respective browser, refresh your website and try to login again. However, if you can still not log in to your WordPress website then try troubleshooting the file system.
Troubleshoot File System Installation
You have made it this far because clearing your browser’s cookies did not help. Troubleshooting the file system for your installation sounds bothersome and scary but it’s not as complicated as you might think.
With that being said, it’s always good to be on the safe side so we recommend you create a backup of your website before starting – in case you don’t already have one.
Now, let’s begin!
Download an FTP Client
If you can edit your WordPress installation files from the control panel of your host then you do not need an FTP program. However, if you can’t then use the FTP software to browse and sort the files.
Locate Login Credentials in Web Hosting Control Panel
Simply login using your FTP credentials that include the domain name or hostname and a password and username provided by the host. Download all the WordPress files first to start the trouble shooting.
Testing Plugins
Plugins are specific features added to different software and websites. WordPress plugins are what makes this platform so useful and versatile for users. However, frequent plugin updates may cause conflict and affect how they perform. To find out if you are facing login issues due to plugins, you should test them.
The simplest way of doing so is by deactivating all the plugins. Now refresh your WordPress website and check if the problem persists. If it doesn’t then start deactivating the plugins one by one until the problem starts again. Once you identify the corrupt plugin, you should replace it.
Deactivating plugins with FTP
Using your preferred FTP client, go to the plugins folder, for example:
/wp-content/plugins/
And rename it to something else. For example:
/wp-content/plugins-backup/
All the plugins will cease to function.
Testing the Theme
Sometimes updates in WordPress conflict with the themes. Thus, shifting back to the default theme will resolve your login issues. In such cases, you can contact the theme developer to help you debug the problem. You can also use another theme to quickly get rid of the login problem.
Deactivating WordPress theme with FTP
Using your preferred FTP client, go to your themes folder, for example:
/wp-content/themes/
And rename it to something else. For example:
/wp-content/themes-backup/
WordPress will fail to find your current theme and use the default theme instead.
Delete .htaccess File
This file is very useful and performs several great functions, however, sometimes it can cause problems if it gets overwritten. In case you can’t log in to WordPress because of this file then you can check so by deleting it and logging in again. If you successfully login then you will have to generate a new .htaccess File.
You can do this by going to the Admin dashboard and clicking on the Settings Menu. Now, Select Permalinks and click the “Save” button. A new .htaccess File will be generated.
Update the URL of Your WordPress Website
In case you have made changes to your website URL or recently installed a new SSL certificate then you may face problems while logging into your WordPress website. You can easily resolve this issue by manually adding these lines (with your site’s URL in place of example.com) to your wp-config.php file:
define(‘WP_HOME’,’http://example.com’);
define(‘WP_SITEURL’,’http://example.com‘);
Save the new URL and see if it resolved the problem!
Conclusion
These were some simple ways to help you manage different login related issues in WordPress. We hope this article was useful for you.