---
title: "How to Set Up a WordPress Auto Password Rotation Script"
description: "Part of regular WordPress maintenance is password rotation. Once in a while, it is best advised to update your WordPress password. In this article, we'll show you how you can create a script to..."
url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/wordpress-auto-password-update/
date: 2017-11-27
modified: 2023-12-22
author: "Christopher Maiorana"
categories: ["WordPress Tutorials"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# How to Set Up a WordPress Auto Password Rotation Script

Part of regular WordPress maintenance is password rotation. Once in a while, it is best advised to update your WordPress password. In this article, we’ll show you how you can create a script to automate **WordPress password rotation** process and send you an email with the new password.

## WordPress Auto Password Rotation Script

In order to complete this tutorial, you will need access to your cPanel. Follow along with the steps below:

1. [Log into cPanel](/support/edu/cpanel/how-to-log-into-cpanel/).![cPanel login screen](/support/images/stories/cpanel/lanternUpdatesMay17/cmPape_03.png)
2. Under *Files* choose **File Manager**
3. Navigate to the [directory that contains your WordPress site files](/support/website/getting-started-guides/where-to-upload-files/)
4. [Create a new file](/support/website/create-new-file/) called *wpass.sh*
5. [Edit](/support/website/how-to-edit-a-file/) the *wpass.sh* file
6. Paste the following into the file: #!/bin/bash EMAIL=joe@example.com RANDPW="$(tr -cd '[:alnum:]' < /dev/urandom | fold -w30 | head -n1)" wp user update 1 --user_pass=$RANDPW && mail -s "New Password for WordPress" $EMAIL <<< $RANDPW
7. Substitute *joe@example.com* with your desired email address (this will be used to receive the new WordPress password)
8. Likewise, be sure to check the number following `wp user update` to make sure it corresponds with the correct [WordPress user ID](/support/edu/wordpress/how-to-find-your-wordpress-user-id/)
9. If you are unsure which number has been assigned to your WordPress user, run this command via [SSH](/support/server/ssh/ssh-advantages/): wp user list (Use the number that corresponds with the user account you are trying to update)
10. [Change file permissions](/support/edu/cpanel/change-file-permissions/) on *wpass.sh* to 755, or, if you are in SSH, you can run the following command to make this script executable: chmod +x wpass.sh

Now, all you need to do is [set up a cron job](/support/edu/cpanel/how-to-run-a-cron-job/) to run this script at your decided interval. Then, you can also [check to see if the cron job is running](/support/edu/cpanel/did-cron-job-run/) correctly.