When building a WordPress site, it is common to use a user with the “Administrator” role for everything: writing posts, updating plugins, moderating comments.
At first it seems convenient. But if you always use the same admin account for everything, you are exposing your site to avoidable risks.
Why using the admin account for everything is a problem
- It is the first target of brute force attacks
Bots constantly try to force their way in using common names such asadmin,administrator,webmaster. If you use one of these, you are already at risk. - A single mistake compromises everything
If you click a malicious link, paste the wrong code or use insecure Wi-Fi while logged in as admin, you can compromise the entire site. - You cannot track who did what
On a site managed by several people (even two), sharing the same user makes it impossible to know who made a change or installed a plugin. - It exposes a privileged account in every interaction
If you also use the same user to write posts or reply to comments, you are showing an account with full permissions every time you interact with the site.
What you should do
- Create a user with the “Editor” role for writing posts or managing content
- Use the admin user only for technical tasks (installing plugins, updates and so on)
- Deactivate or rename users called “admin”
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) at least for accounts with administrator privileges
- Install a user activity plugin (e.g. WP Activity Log) to keep track of what is done and by whom
Bonus: change your username, not just your password
Even though you cannot change the username from the back end, you can do it in the database (wp_users) or with plugins such as Username Changer.
A custom, hard-to-guess username is a first line of defence.
Conclusion: always using the same admin user is like leaving your house keys in the lock.
Organise roles, limit permissions and protect your main account: a few minutes are enough to really improve the security of your WordPress site.