Managing Your Profile

Your WordPress profile controls personal account details, dashboard preferences, and author information connected to your user account.

What your profile is used for

Your profile helps WordPress manage who you are, how your account works, and how your author information may appear.

Some profile details are only used inside WordPress, such as your email address, password, admin color scheme, and dashboard preferences. Other details may appear publicly on the site, especially if your site displays author names, bios, author archives, or contributor information. Some sites may not use profile details for any public-facing pages at all.

Profile details are commonly used for:

Account management: Update your email address, password, and login-related details
Dashboard preferences: Adjust personal admin options, such as color scheme, toolbar visibility, and language
Content attribution: Control the name, bio, and profile information that may appear with authored content
User identification: Store your username, nickname, and display name
Access management: Reflect your assigned user role and permissions

The exact fields available may vary by site and by your user role. Some sites include additional custom profile fields to support author pages, staff directories, memberships, or other project-specific features.

How to access your profile

You can access your own profile from the WordPress dashboard.

Log in to WordPress
In the dashboard sidebar, go to Users → Profile

You can also access your profile by selecting your name in the toolbar at the top of the WordPress admin area.

Administrators can edit other users’ profiles by going to Users → All Users, selecting a user, and opening their profile screen.

Profile sections and settings

The Edit Profile screen includes several sections. The options you see may vary depending on your user role and site configuration.

Personal options

Personal options control how WordPress behaves for your account while you are working in the dashboard.

These settings may include:

Admin Color Scheme: Changes the color theme of the WordPress dashboard for your account
Toolbar: Controls whether the toolbar appears when viewing the site while logged in

Changing these options affects your own editing experience. It does not change what visitors see on the front end of the site.

Name and display details

This section controls your account name fields and how your name may appear publicly. Common fields include:

Username: Your login username. This cannot be changed from the profile screen.
First name: Your first name.
Last name: Your last name.
Nickname: A required name field for each user.
Display name publicly as: Controls which name format may be shown publicly on the site.

If your site displays author details, the Display name publicly as setting is especially important. Choose the version of your name you want visitors to see.

Contact info

Contact info stores account and profile-related contact details. Common fields include:

Email: The email address connected to your WordPress account. This is required and must be unique for each user.
Website: An optional website URL associated with your profile.

Your email address may be used for account notifications and password resets. An email address is required for administration purposes and is not displayed publicly by default, though site customizations can change what profile information appears on the front end.

About yourself

The About Yourself section includes profile details that may be used for author information.

Common fields include:

Biographical Info: A short description or author bio.
Profile Picture: A profile image connected through Gravatar.

Profile pictures and Gravatar

WordPress uses Gravatar for profile pictures by default. Gravatar stands for “Globally Recognized Avatar,” and it connects a profile image to an email address. When the email address on your WordPress profile matches the email address connected to a Gravatar account, that image can appear automatically as your profile picture.

To update your profile picture, go to Gravatar and manage the image connected to the same email address used for your WordPress account. Changes may not appear immediately because profile images can be cached.

If your site uses a custom profile image field or another avatar system, follow the site-specific instructions instead.

Account management

Account management settings help keep your account secure.

These options may include:

Set New Password or Generate Password: Creates or updates your account password.
Password strength indicator: Shows whether the password is weak, medium, or strong.
Log Out Everywhere Else: Logs your account out of other active sessions.

Use these settings if you need to update your password or make sure your account is not still logged in on another device.

Updating your profile

After making changes, scroll to the bottom of the profile screen and select Update Profile.

Your changes are not saved until you select Update Profile. WordPress displays a confirmation message after the profile has been updated.

Tips for editors

Use a public display name you are comfortable with

If your site displays author information, your display name may appear on posts or author pages. Choose a name format that is clear, professional, and appropriate for the site.

Keep your email address current

Your email address is used for important account activity, including password resets. Make sure it is an inbox you can access.

Only add public bio details you want visitors to see

Biographical information may appear publicly depending on how the site is configured. Keep it accurate, concise, and appropriate for the audience.

Use a strong password

A strong password helps protect both your account and the site. Use the password strength indicator as a guide when setting or updating your password.

Check with an administrator if fields look different

Some sites add custom profile fields or limit profile options based on user role. If you are unsure what a field controls, ask your website administrator before updating it.