Why this matters for your WordPress site
To change your WordPress user account from Subscriber to Administrator, first log into your cPanel. Then click the "phpMyAdmin" button.
You'll see your list of installed databases at left.
If you are not sure which database your WordPress installation is using, then use your cPanel -> "File Manger" to "Edit" the contents of your WordPress configuration file, wp-config.php file.
Back to phpMyAdmin. Click your database and scroll down until you find the 'usermeta' table.
Step-by-step setup and recommendations
usermeta
My goal here is to change the user lmadmin1 from Subscriber to Administrator.
Doing so is fairly easy. After clicking the 'usermeta' table, all I need to do is scroll down within the table until lmadmin1 appears in the list.
usermeta
Ten or so lines below the user lmadmin1, is the line 'user_level'
Common mistakes to avoid
user_level
To switch my lmadmin1 user from the role of Subscriber to Administrator, I have to do two things:
Change the value from 0 to 10 on the 'user_level' line
user_level
Replace the 'capabilities' meta_key value text with 'a:1:{s:13:"administrator";s:1:"1";}'
capabilities
a:1:{s:13:"administrator";s:1:"1";}
The moment I type or paste in the text and hit the enter key I should be able to jump back into WordPress and log in with full Administrator privileges.
It's really that easy! Locked out completely? See how to reset your WordPress password.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to fix or prevent this issue on my WordPress site?
Can HackGuard.com handle troubleshooting & php for my WordPress site?
