How to Recover a Hacked WordPress Website

Table of Contents

• Check for Signs of a Hack
• Take Your Website Offline
• Scan Your Website for Malware
• Reset All Passwords
• Restore a Backup
• Remove Suspicious Users
• Reinstall WordPress Core Files
• Update Plugins and Themes
• Check for Security Vulnerabilities
• Set Up Security Measures
• Monitor Your Website
• Faq

1. Check for Signs of a Hack

• Unusual website behavior, slow performance
• Redirects to unknown sites
• Unknown admin users
• Google warning about your site being hacked

2. Take Your Website Offline

• Use a maintenance mode plugin
• Notify your hosting provider

3. Scan Your Website for Malware

• Use tools like Wordfence, Sucuri, or MalCare
• Check for modified core files

4. Reset All Passwords

• Change WordPress admin, database, and hosting passwords
• Enforce strong password policies

5. Restore a Backup

• Use a clean backup if available
• Verify backup integrity before restoring

6. Remove Suspicious Users

• Check the user list in WordPress admin
• Delete unknown accounts with admin access

7. Reinstall WordPress Core Files

• Download a fresh copy from WordPress.org
• Replace core files while keeping wp-content intact

8. Update Plugins and Themes

• Remove outdated or unused plugins
• Download from trusted sources only

9. Check for Security Vulnerabilities

• Scan with security plugins
• Review file permissions

10. Set Up Security Measures

• Install a security plugin like Wordfence or iThemes Security
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Use a firewall to block malicious traffic

11. Monitor Your Website

• Enable security alerts
• Regularly scan for vulnerabilities
• Schedule automated backups

FAQ