Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

Why Does Wordpress Admin Login Download?

When trying to access the Wordpress admin page, users might sometimes encounter a strange behavior where trying to login triggers a download of the login page instead of actually logging in. This issue can be frustrating, but fortunately, it has some straightforward solutions.

The first thing to understand is that this issue usually arises from conflicts with web servers, specifically Apache. In Apache, automatic download of PHP files can be activated as a security measure to prevent unauthorized script execution. In some cases, this setting can be activated for the Wordpress admin login file by mistake or through a security plugin.

To fix this issue, users can disable automatic downloads in Apache. This can usually be done by editing the .htaccess file at the root of your Wordpress installation and adding the following line:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

This should instruct Apache to recognize PHP files as actual code instead of downloadable files. If the .htaccess file does not exist, users can create it themselves using a text editor and saving it in the root directory.

Alternatively, users can also try adding this line to their php.ini file:

cgi.force_redirect = 0

This should also disable the automatic download feature.

If neither of these solutions work, users can try checking if their security plugins or firewall are blocking the admin login page. This can be done by temporarily disabling or whitelisting the login URL and seeing if the issue persists.

In conclusion, the Wordpress admin login download issue is a common but solvable problem. By editing server settings or disabling security features, users can regain access to their admin page and continue managing their Wordpress website without further interruption.