Cannot Log Into WordPress After Domain Transfer – Fix Guide

After a domain transfer, it’s common to lose access to your WordPress site. You may see:

Login page keeps refreshing
“Too many redirects” error
Wrong URL redirect
White screen or error

Don’t panic—this is usually caused by URL, DNS, or cookie issues. Here’s how to fix it step by step.

🔍 Why You Can’t Log In After Domain Transfer

Common reasons:

Old domain still stored in WordPress
DNS not fully updated (propagation delay)
HTTPS / SSL mismatch
Cookie/session issues
Cache or CDN conflict

✅ Step-by-Step Fixes

1. Update Site URL in Database (Most Important Fix)

After domain change, WordPress may still use the old domain.

Method: Using phpMyAdmin

Login to hosting → open phpMyAdmin
Open your database
Go to table: wp_options
Edit these values:

siteurl
home

👉 Replace old domain with new domain:

https://newdomain.com

2. Update wp-config.php File

Open wp-config.php and add:

define('WP_HOME', 'https://yournewdomain.com');
define('WP_SITEURL', 'https://yournewdomain.com');

This forces WordPress to use the correct domain.

3. Clear Browser Cookies & Cache

Your browser may still use old login cookies.

Do this:

Clear cookies
Open site in Incognito mode
Try login again

4. Check DNS Propagation

After domain transfer, DNS takes time to update.

You can check using:

“What’s My DNS” tool

👉 If not fully propagated:

Wait 24–48 hours

5. Fix Redirect Issues (.htaccess)

Replace .htaccess with default:

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress

6. Disable Plugins Manually

Some plugins (especially redirect or security plugins) may block login.

Steps:

Go to /wp-content/
Rename:

plugins → plugins-old

Try logging in again.

7. Check SSL / HTTPS Settings

If your domain changed, SSL may not be active.

👉 Make sure:

SSL certificate is installed
Site uses https://

If not:

Install SSL from hosting
Update URLs to HTTPS

8. Disable Cache / CDN

If you use Cloudflare or caching plugins:

Purge cache
Temporarily disable CDN
Try again

9. Reset Password (If Needed)

Sometimes login issues are simple.

Click:
👉 “Lost your password?”

Or reset via database if needed.

10. Check Database Prefix

Make sure the table prefix in wp-config.php matches your database:

$table_prefix = 'wp_';

⚠️ Common Problems & Fixes

Problem	Fix
Redirect loop	Update site URL
Login refresh	Clear cookies
Old domain showing	Update database
SSL error	Install SSL
Cannot access admin	Disable plugins

🔥 Quick Fix Checklist

✔ Update siteurl & home
✔ Edit wp-config.php
✔ Clear cookies
✔ Wait for DNS
✔ Fix SSL
✔ Disable plugins
✔ Reset .htaccess

✅ Final Thoughts

After a domain transfer, login issues in WordPress are very common. The main fix is to update your domain everywhere:

Cannot log into WordPress after attempt at domain transfer