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How to change database prefix in WordPress

October 1, 2021

Category: How To

Almost everything that you do in WordPress is stored in databases. Your new plugins will use a database as well as the core WordPress system. Since databases contain all your information, it is important that you do everything you can to make it more secure.

Because more often than not, hackers use bots to search for security flaws in your website, it is not a good idea to have a default database name and prefix for your WP database.

If you had installed WordPress by yourself, you will remember that you had to input database information like the name of your new database, username, and a database prefix. Standard WordPress prefix for databases is wp_ and that is the one you want to change.

iThemes Security Tool

To apply a new prefix, you just need to verify that the wp-config.php is writable and that the Alter rights of the database are enable.

A single entry is need : the new database prefix. The plugin will generate a new one for you. You only have to press the button if you are ok with the generated prefix. Of course, the prefix will be added randomly.

  1. Go to the WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to the ‘plugins’ tab and click on ‘add new.’
  3. Search iThemes Security in WordPress plugin repository.
  4. Click the Install button to install iThemes Security on your site.
  5. Click the Activate button to activate this plugin.

https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-wp-security/

Now, go to Dashboard > Security and after you do the onboarding, go to Security > Settings > Tools and Run a database prefix change and you’re done.