How to Change the Table Prefix in WordPress

How to Change the Table Prefix in WordPress

Enhance your WordPress site's security by changing the default database table prefix. Follow this step-by-step guide to safely update the prefix and prevent SQL injection attacks.

🔒 How to Change the Table Prefix in WordPress

By default, WordPress uses the wp_ prefix for all its database tables. While this works just fine, it’s also a known pattern—which makes your site more vulnerable to attacks. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to harden your WordPress security is by changing this default table prefix to something unique.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you change your WordPress table prefix manually and securely.

📌 Step 1: Modify the Prefix in wp-config.php

To begin, we’ll change the prefix setting in WordPress's configuration file.

1. Go to your website files using File Manager or an FTP client.
   
2. Locate and open the wp-config.php file.
   
3. Search for the following line:

🛠️ Step 2: Update the Table Prefix in the Database

Next, we’ll update the actual table names in your database using phpMyAdmin.

1. Open phpMyAdmin and select your WordPress database from the sidebar.
   
2. Check all tables that start with wp_.
   
3. At the bottom, click the dropdown that says "With selected:" and choose "Replace table prefix."
   
4. In the From field, enter wp_, and in the To field, enter your new prefix, e.g., wp_xyz_.
   
5. Click Continue to apply the changes.

📸 See the screenshot below for reference:

🔄 Step 3: Update Prefixes in Meta and Options Tables

Even after renaming the tables, WordPress still stores some internal references using the old prefix. To complete the migration:

1. While still in phpMyAdmin, click on the SQL tab.
   
2. Paste the following queries, replacing OLDPREFIX and NEWPREFIX with your actual values (e.g., wp_ and wp_xyz_):

update wp_xyz_usermeta set meta_key = 'wp_xyz_capabilities' where meta_key = 'wp_capabilities';
update wp_xyz_usermeta set meta_key = 'wp_xyz_user_level' where meta_key = 'wp_user_level';
update wp_xyz_usermeta set meta_key = 'wp_xyz_autosave_draft_ids' where meta_key = 'wp_autosave_draft_ids';
update wp_xyz_options set option_name = 'wp_xyz_user_roles' where option_name = 'wp_user_roles';
Click Go to run the queries.

✅ This ensures WordPress uses your new prefix in all settings and metadata.

🎉 Done!

That’s it! You’ve successfully changed your WordPress table prefix, making your site just a little bit harder for attackers to guess their way in.
Pro Tip: Always take a full backup of your site and database before performing any changes like this.