Adding an admin user to WordPress from the Command Line

20 March 2012

Ever wanted to know how to add a WordPress administrator from the command line? Here’s how to do it…

Insert a user into the ‘wp_users’ table and get that user’s ID

INSERT INTO wp_users (user_login, user_pass, user_nicename, user_email, user_registered, user_status, display_name)
VALUES ('nickh', MD5('someRandomPassword'), 'Nick', 'nickh@someemail.com', NOW(), 0, 'Nick Henry');

SET @lid := LAST_INSERT_ID();

Make the user that you just inserted an administrator

INSERT INTO wp_usermeta(user_id, meta_key, meta_value)
VALUES (@lid, 'wp_capabilities', 'a:1:{s:13:"administrator";b:1;}');

INSERT INTO wp_usermeta(user_id, meta_key, meta_value)
VALUES (@lid, 'wp_user_level', '10');