How to Fix the WordPress Login Page Refreshing and Redirecting Issue

In this tutorial, we will explore how to fix the issue of the WordPress login page continuously refreshing and redirecting.

WordPress is an open-source Content Management System (CMS) constructed using PHP and MySQL. While it initially started as a blogging system, WordPress has evolved into a sophisticated CMS that can be used for managing content across websites. It offers a wide range of plugins, widgets, and themes for customization and provides an admin panel to facilitate website management. If you have been using WordPress for some time, you might have encountered the problem of the admin login page constantly redirecting to the homepage. This can be frustrating, as it prevents access to the admin panel.

Backup

There can be several reasons behind this issue. To resolve it, we’ll perform some troubleshooting steps. Before proceeding with the troubleshooting, it is highly recommended to create a backup of your database and website for safety purposes.

Resolving the Login Page Issue

Clear Cookies and Cache

The first troubleshooting step involves clearing the cookies and cache. WordPress uses cookies from your browser for security purposes and login authentication. Clearing the cookies and cache from your browser and restarting it can often resolve this issue. After restarting your browser, try logging in to the admin panel again. This should usually fix the issue.

Deactivate Plugins

WordPress plugins can also cause login page issues, especially if there is a conflict between them. If plugins are not updated properly, they might lead to this problem. Poorly coded plugins can also damage your website and result in login difficulties. To identify if plugins are causing the issue, we need to deactivate them. This can be done by renaming the /wp-content/plugins/ directory to something like /wp-content/plugin.bak or any other name that is easy to remember. You can use FTP/SSH to connect to your hosting or cPanel file manager to deactivate the plugins. Once all the plugins have been deactivated, try logging in to the admin panel. If you can successfully log in, it confirms that one or more of the plugins were causing the issue. To identify the specific plugin causing the problem, reactivate the plugins one by one by renaming them back to their original names. After activating each plugin, try logging in to the admin area to determine the exact plugin causing the problem.

Revert to Default Theme

The WordPress theme being used can also lead to login page issues, particularly if conflicts arise after upgrading WordPress or the theme itself. To check if the theme is causing the problem, deactivate it. This process is similar to deactivating plugins. By using FTP/SSH, connect to your hosting and rename the current theme directory in /wp-content/themes/ to something else. Once the themes are deactivated, WordPress will revert to using its default theme as a fallback. After deactivating the themes, try logging in to the admin area again. If you can successfully log in, it confirms that the current theme was causing the issue. If you were already using the default WordPress theme, try renaming it and logging in to the admin area. If you can log in successfully, it means that the default theme might have been corrupted. To fix this issue, download a fresh default theme from the WordPress repository and upload it to your website.

Delete .htaccess File

The .htaccess file can also cause login page issues if it becomes corrupted. This can result in internal server errors on your website. To resolve this problem, connect to your website using FTP/SSH and create a backup of the .htaccess file from your website’s root directory. Afterward, delete the file. If the .htaccess file exists in the wp-admin folder, delete it as well. Afterward, try logging in to the admin area again. If you can log in successfully, it means that the .htaccess file was preventing you from accessing WordPress. Once you have logged in to the admin area, go to ‘Settings >> Permalinks’ and click ‘Save’. This will generate a new .htaccess file for your WordPress website.

Update Website URL

Updating the WordPress URL in the wp-config.php file can sometimes fix the login page issue. To update the URL, connect to your website using FTP/SSH and add the following lines to your wp-config.php file:

– define(‘WP_HOME’,’http://example.com’);

– define(‘WP_SITEURL’,’http://example.com’);

Replace “example.com” with your own URL. If your website uses “www.”, make sure to include it. Once you have made these changes, save the wp-config.php file and try logging in to the admin area.

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