When it comes to WordPress security, failed login attempts are often the first warning signs of a potential attack. Whether it’s a brute-force attempt or someone trying to guess passwords, monitoring and managing these attempts is critical. As a website owner or client using WordPress, understanding how to view and clean up failed login attempts helps strengthen your site’s security and avoid unnecessary clutter in your logs.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to locate failed login attempts, how to interpret them, and how to clean up logs regularly to maintain performance.

Why Failed Login Attempts Matter

Each failed login attempt is recorded by WordPress and your server. Repeated failures could indicate:

• Hackers using automated tools to guess passwords.

• Forgotten or incorrect credentials by real users.

• Vulnerable login forms targeted by bots.

Keeping track of these attempts helps you:

• Spot malicious activities early.

• Protect user accounts and admin access.

• Optimize server performance by cleaning bloated logs.

Where Are Failed Login Attempts Logged in WordPress?

There is no built-in feature in WordPress core to log failed logins explicitly, but they can be tracked in different locations:

1. Server Access Logs (Apache or Nginx)

Most hosting environments log every HTTP request. You can find failed logins by searching for wp-login.php with POST requests that return status codes like 401 (Unauthorized) or 403 (Forbidden).

For Apache (example path):

For Nginx (example path):

Use this command to filter failed login attempts:

2. WordPress Debug Logs (If Enabled)

If debugging is enabled, WordPress can write errors to a file called debug.log.

To enable it:
Edit your wp-config.php file and add:

Then check:

While this doesn’t directly show failed logins, it may help you trace back errors triggered during login.

3. Security Plugin Logs (Optional)

If you use any security plugin like Wordfence or iThemes Security, they log failed login attempts in their own dashboard or in the database. While plugins aren’t necessary to view logs, they can help non-technical users.

However, this blog will focus on manual and native server-side methods to keep your site lightweight.

How to Interpret Failed Login Attempts

Once you have access to the logs, pay attention to:

• IP Address – Is the same IP trying multiple times?

• Usernames Attempted – Are they common usernames like “admin”?

• Frequency – Are there login attempts every second?

• User-Agent Strings – Bots usually have strange or blank user agents.

Example log entry:

This tells you:

• IP: 123.456.789.101

• Request: Failed POST request to login

• Status Code: 403 Forbidden

If you see the same IP repeatedly, it might be part of a brute-force attack.

How to Clean Up Login Attempt Logs

Over time, logs can become large and impact storage or performance. Here’s how to clean them:

1. Rotate or Clear Server Logs

Use logrotate (common in Linux) to automate log cleanup.

Manual log clean:

This truncates the file but keeps it in place.

2. Clear WordPress Debug Log

If the debug.log file is large:

Or delete the file completely:

Then re-create it with:

3. Optimize Database (If Plugins Store Logs There)

If you’ve previously used plugins and uninstalled them, log data might still be in your database. You can clean this up using:

• phpMyAdmin (via your hosting panel)

• WP-CLI:

Or delete entries manually if you know the table name, e.g., wp_itsec_logs.

Best Practices to Reduce Failed Login Attempts

• Use Strong Usernames and Passwords

• Disable XML-RPC if not needed

• Restrict login attempts using .htaccess

• Enable CAPTCHA on login pages

• Whitelist IP addresses (for admin use)

Example .htaccess rule to limit login access:

Final Thoughts

Failed login attempts are not just annoying they’re warning signs. As a WordPress site owner, checking your logs regularly and cleaning them up keeps your site secure, fast, and lean.

While plugins may make this easier, understanding where and how WordPress logs login activity manually gives you full control over your site’s security and performance.

FAQ: Failed Login Attempts in WordPress

1. Can I see failed logins from the WordPress dashboard?
Not by default, but some plugins can provide this feature.

2. Will clearing logs affect site performance?
Yes — positively. Large logs can slow down disk I/O and use more server resources.

3. Are failed login attempts always malicious?
Not always. Sometimes it’s a genuine user entering wrong credentials.

4. Can I block IP addresses trying to brute-force login?
Yes. You can block them via .htaccess or firewall rules at the server level.

5. Is enabling debug mode safe on live sites?
Only temporarily. Disable it once you’re done to avoid exposing sensitive data.

6. Do failed login logs include passwords?
No. Logs do not include attempted passwords for security reasons.

7. How often should I review or clean logs?
At least once a month, or more frequently if your site is under attack.

8. What if the attacker changes IP addresses?
Use rate limiting or CAPTCHA-based login protection.

9. Is there a performance benefit in disabling logging?
Only if logs are excessively large. Controlled logging is important.

10. Can hosting support help with analyzing failed logins?
Yes. Most managed hosts can provide access logs or help analyze them.