Changing your WordPress site’s URL isn’t always done from the admin dashboard. Sometimes, especially after a domain change, site migration, or an SSL issue, you may need to manually update the URL directly from phpMyAdmin.
If you’re locked out of your WordPress dashboard or your site is redirecting incorrectly, this step-by-step guide will help you safely change the URL from phpMyAdmin, using only the cPanel provided by your hosting account.

Why You Might Need to Change the WordPress Site URL

Here are common scenarios where you might need to change your WordPress site URL:

• You moved your site to a new domain (e.g., from myoldsite.com to mynewsite.com)

• You transferred your site to a different folder (e.g., from root to /blog)

• The website shows a “Too Many Redirects” error

• You switched from http to https and now have loading or mixed content issues

• You’re restoring a backup on a different domain or server

Changing the site URL and home URL values in your WordPress database helps resolve these.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your hosting account’s cPanel

• phpMyAdmin access (usually available under the Databases section)

• Your new domain or desired URL

Important: Always make a backup before editing the database.

Step-by-Step: How to Change WordPress URL via phpMyAdmin

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

1. Go to https://yourdomain.com/cpanel

2. Enter your hosting login credentials

Step 2: Open phpMyAdmin

1. In the Databases section, click phpMyAdmin

2. phpMyAdmin will open in a new tab

Step 3: Locate the WordPress Database

1. On the left-hand side, click your WordPress database

   • If you’re unsure of the database name:

     • Go to File Manager → public_html/wp-config.php

     • Look for this line:
       define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');

Step 4: Find the wp_options Table

1. Inside your database, click the table called wp_options

   • If you changed the default table prefix, it might be named like abc_options

2. You will now see rows with the following values:

   • siteurl

   • home

Step 5: Change siteurl and home Values

1. Find the row with option_name = siteurl

   • Click Edit

   • In the option_value field, replace the current URL with the new one (e.g., https://yournewdomain.com)

   • Click Go to save

2. Repeat the same for option_name = home

These two values control the primary URL of your WordPress installation.

Step 6: Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies

• After making changes, clear your browser cache or open your site in an incognito window to test

• You may also clear the cache using plugins (once your admin area is accessible)

Optional: Update URLs in Content and Media (if needed)

Changing the siteurl and home values will not automatically update links inside your posts, images, or menus. If you’ve moved domains, you may also need to replace old URLs inside the content.

You can use a plugin like Better Search Replace or Velvet Blues Update URLs after you regain admin access.

In Case You Lose Access After Changing the URL

If you accidentally enter the wrong URL:

• Revert it by repeating the above steps

• Or, edit wp-config.php and force the URL using:

This will override the database settings temporarily.

Best Practices

• Always take a backup of your database before editing it

• Use https if you have an SSL certificate installed

• Make sure both siteurl and home match unless your site is configured to run from a subdirectory

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Conclusion

Changing your WordPress URL from phpMyAdmin is a reliable way to recover your site or finalize a domain migration especially when the WordPress dashboard is inaccessible. As long as you follow each step carefully and back up beforehand, this method is perfectly safe and effective.