Most things have a quick fix. Find what you see below and follow the steps. If yours is not here, see the end of this article.
If you see "Not saved" when you save:
The address broke one of the rules, and the message says which. Nothing on the form was saved, so change it and press Save settings again.
- Use at least 4 characters: make it longer.
- WordPress already uses that address: pick another word. The full list is in Choosing Your Secret Login Address.
- A page or post on your site already has that address: pick another, or change that page's address.
- That is the address of the "email me my login address" page: pick another.
- That is one of the first addresses a robot tries: pick something only you would think of.
- The login address cannot be empty while "Hide my login" is on: to use the normal login again, switch Hide my login off instead. See The Hide My Login Switch.
- No published page or post on your site is at that address: the page you typed in the Anyone who tries box is not there or not published. Type another page, or 404.
- That address is on another website: type a page on your own site, or 404.
- Blocked visitors cannot be sent to your login address: pick any other page, or 404.
- The help page address needs at least 4 letters, numbers or dashes, cannot be a word WordPress already uses, and cannot be the same as your login address: pick another word, or leave it empty for login-help.
If your secret address shows "page not found":
- Check the spelling against the Dashboard tab, or your latest login address email.
- If your permalinks are set to Plain, your address is yoursite.com/?your-address, with the question mark.
- If the emergency switch is on in wp-config.php, your secret address does not answer: wp-login.php does. Take the line out when you are finished.
- If Hide my login is switched off, your hidden address is resting. Tick it on the Settings tab.
- A page cache may be serving an old copy. Clear the cache and add your login address to its never-cache list.
- Another plugin that moves the login may be answering too. Check the Other login plugins section on the Diagnostics tab.
I have forgotten my address:
Follow Forgot Your Login Address? Every Way Back In. There are four ways back.
The login address email never arrived:
Check your spam folder, then press Email it to every administrator again on the Dashboard tab. If the screen says the email could not be sent from this site, or the email still does not arrive, your site's email sending needs setting up. See The Emails Login Guard Sends.
If the help page says "Too many requests from here":
Each visitor gets three tries an hour. Wait an hour and try again, or use another way back.
If the help page says "That form had expired":
Reload the page and try again.
If the help page says the address is on its way, but nothing came:
The page gives the same answer whatever is typed, on purpose. Check that you typed the email of an administrator account on this site, and check your spam folder. Also check that the help page is switched on in Settings.
If the help page points to the normal login page:
Hide my login is switched off, or the emergency switch is on. Press Go to the login page and sign in at wp-login.php.
The Login Guard menu only shows the free key screen:
No free key is active on this site. Your login stays hidden and your address keeps working, and it is shown at the top of that screen. Press Get my free key and activate, or paste your key, to open the other screens. See Getting Login Guard Free.
Activating the key shows a message:
- This license has no available sites left. Deactivate it on another site first: all 3 sites are in use. Press Remove next to a site you no longer use in the License panel on any site where the key is active, then try again.
- License key not recognized: check the key was pasted in full, or press Get my free key and activate with your email instead.
- Could not reach the license server. Please try again in a moment: wait a minute and press the button again.
- Too many attempts. Please wait a minute and try again: wait a minute, then try once more.
Another hide-login plugin is active again:
The Dashboard tab tells you, with a link to the Plugins screen. Deactivate the other plugin: your address has already come across.
If /wp-admin/ shows one of your pages instead of "page not found":
You have chosen a page for blocked visitors. Type 404 in the Anyone who tries wp-login.php or /wp-admin/ without signing in sees box, and press Save settings.
If your login is not hidden any more:
- Is Hide my login switched off? The Dashboard tab says so, and the Settings tab shows the switch. Tick it and press Save settings.
- Is the emergency switch on in wp-config.php? The Diagnostics tab shows ON: login not hidden. Take the line out.
- Has another plugin taken over the login? Check the Other login plugins section on the Diagnostics tab.
Visitors can still see my address in a login link:
Your theme or a widget shows a login link. See Working With Your Theme, Other Plugins And Page Caches.
Still stuck?
- Open the Diagnostics tab and press Copy Report for Support. The button says Copied. The report never includes your login address, a password or a key.
- Press Open Support, or go to https://kevinfahey.org/contact-support/
- Paste the report into your ticket, with a line about what you see.