Managing your own profile
Learn how to update your WordPress profile, including your name, email, password, and display preferences.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- You’ll need
- Any WordPress account
Your WordPress profile is your personal account on the site. It controls how your name appears on published content, what email address WordPress uses to contact you, and your login password. Keeping it up to date is good practice.
Quick summary
Go to Users → Profile (or click your name at the top right of the dashboard) to update your display name, email, password, and other personal settings. Click Update Profile when done.
What you'll need
- Any WordPress account (you don't need Administrator access to edit your own profile)
How to open your profile
Log in to WordPress. If you need help with this, see How to log in to WordPress.
Click your name or avatar in the top-right corner of the screen, then click Edit Profile. Or hover over Users in the left sidebar and click Profile. (If you're not an Administrator, there's no Users menu; click Profile in the left sidebar instead.)
What you can change
Your name and display name
WordPress separates your username (which you use to log in and cannot change) from how your name appears publicly.
- First Name / Last Name — Fill these in so WordPress has your full name on record.
- Nickname — An alternative name (defaults to your username).
- Display name publicly as — This dropdown controls how your name appears on your site, for example on your published posts. Choose whichever format looks right: nickname, username, first name, last name, or your full name (first-last or last-first).
Your username is permanent
The Username field is locked. You cannot change it once the account is created. If you need a different username, an Administrator would have to create you a new account.
Your contact information
- Email — This is where WordPress sends your password-reset emails and notifications about new comments on your posts. Make sure it's current. (Site-wide admin notices go to the Administration Email Address under Settings → General, which can be a different address.) After you change it, WordPress will send a confirmation to the new address before the change takes effect.
- Website — Optional. You can leave this blank.
Your bio
The Biographical Info field is a short "about you" blurb. Some themes display this below your blog posts. You can leave it empty if you don't need it.
Language preference
The Language dropdown lets you use the WordPress dashboard in your preferred language, without affecting what visitors see on the public site. If you don't see it, the site has no other languages installed and your account can't add them.
Admin color scheme
Personal, not site-wide
The color scheme only changes how the dashboard looks for you. It has no effect on your website's public appearance.
Pick the color scheme that feels most comfortable in the Administration Color Scheme setting. This is purely a personal preference. Unlike the rest of the page, your choice is saved as soon as you pick it.
How to change your password
Scroll down to the Account Management section near the bottom of your profile page.
Click "Set New Password." (Some older guides, including WordPress's own, call this button "Generate Password.") WordPress will suggest a strong random password. You can replace it by typing your own — but make it long and unique. See How to create strong passwords for tips.
If your new password is weak, WordPress will show a warning. Check the "Confirm use of weak password" box if you still want to proceed (we recommend against weak passwords).
Click Update Profile to save. Your new password is active immediately.
Log out of other devices
Changing your password normally logs you out of your other active sessions (other browsers, your phone), because their saved logins stop working. To log out everywhere else without changing your password, use the Log Out Everywhere Else button in the Sessions row on the same page. (It's greyed out, with the note "You are only logged in at this location.", when there are no other sessions to end.)
Saving your changes
Always click the Update Profile button at the bottom of the page. Apart from the color scheme, nothing saves automatically.
Common questions
Can I change my username?
No. WordPress usernames are permanent. If you need a different one, an Administrator must create a new account with the right username, then delete the old one. Your existing content can be reassigned to the new account.
Why did I get a confirmation email after changing my email address?
WordPress sends a verification link to the new email address before switching it over. This protects your account. Click the link in that email to confirm, and the change will take effect.
My display name is still showing my username on posts — why?
Check the "Display name publicly as" dropdown on your profile. Make sure it's set to the name format you want, then click Update Profile.
Can other people see the bio I write?
Possibly. WordPress notes that this field "may be shown publicly," and whether it appears on your pages depends on your theme. Most Chykalophia-built sites don't show bios publicly. If you're unsure, ask us.
Related guides
- WordPress user roles explained
- How to add a new user
- How to change someone's role
- How to reset your WordPress password
- How to create strong passwords
- Help, I can't log in
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