The site opens, but the admin dashboard does not. Either it asks for the password in an endless loop, or it says the details are wrong when you are sure they are not. These are the causes, from the most common to the rarest.
1. Wrong password — or wrong user
Start with the obvious, because that is where most cases are. The WordPress user is not the same as your cPanel user or your My MozOut one — they are three independent accounts, and people often try the wrong password with total conviction.
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Use Lost your password? on the sign-in screen. An e-mail arrives with a link to set a new one.
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If the e-mail never comes, the problem is now the site’s ability to send mail, not the password.
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With no access to that mailbox, you can still change the password in the database through phpMyAdmin — see databases and phpMyAdmin. In the wp_users table, edit user_pass and pick the MD5 function from the list beside it. Without choosing that function, the password will not work.
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2. Locked out for too many attempts
If you run a security plugin, it counts failed attempts and blocks the address for a while. That is a sign it is doing its job, but it is inconvenient when the one blocked is you.
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How to recognise it. The site opens normally, but wp-admin refuses even with the right password — and it works from another network, such as mobile data. If so, wait the block out, or disable the plugin by renaming its folder in wp-content/plugins through File Manager.
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If what blocked you was the server firewall rather than a plugin, the route is different — see how to unblock your IP address.
3. The site address is wrong in the database
This is the one that wastes the most time, because the symptom misleads: wp-admin redirects somewhere else, or loops, or the dashboard opens with no styling at all. It happens after changing domain, or after moving from http to https.
WordPress stores its own address in the database. If what is stored does not match the real address, it redirects to the old one — and never reaches the dashboard.
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Open phpMyAdmin and the site’s database.
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In the wp_options table, find the siteurl and home rows.
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Set both to the correct, full address, with https:// and no trailing slash.
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The prefix may not be wp_ . Many installations use a different prefix for security — you will see xyz_options instead of wp_options. It is the same table; use whichever is there.
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4. Certificate trouble or a redirect loop
If the browser warns that the connection is not secure, or the page says it redirected too many times, the problem is the SSL and not the password. See what an SSL certificate is and why it matters.
If you changed domain recently, it may simply be propagation still finishing — see how long DNS propagation takes.
5. Browser cache and cookies
Signing in to WordPress relies on cookies. If they are corrupted, the dashboard refuses without explaining why.
Try a private window or another browser. If that gets you in, the site is fine — clear the cache and cookies in your usual browser and try again.
6. Database connection error
If you see Error establishing a database connection, the dashboard is not the issue — the whole site has lost its database. Check in wp-config.php that the database name, user and password match what exists in cPanel; and that the user is added to the database with full privileges. See databases and phpMyAdmin.
If none of it works
Restore an earlier backup — see how to restore your data. And if the dashboard opens but throws a critical error or a white screen, that is a different article: common WordPress errors.
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What we can do for you. We do not hold your WordPress password — it is yours and it never passed through us. What we do is confirm the server, the SSL and the database are healthy on our side, and unblock your address if it was the firewall. See how far our support goes.
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