Renaming your WHMCS admin directory can significantly increase security by making it harder for bots and malicious users to locate the login URL. This guide walks you through the process of creating a custom admin directory and updating your WHMCS configuration accordingly.
Pre-requisites
- Access to your WHMCS installation directory.
- FTP/SFTP or terminal access to your server.
- Basic knowledge of file management and configuration files.
Steps to Rename the Admin Directory
1. Update the configuration.php File
Open the configuration.php file located in your WHMCS installation's root directory. Add the following line at the bottom of the file, just before the closing ?> tag. Replace geronimo with your desired admin directory name:
$customadminpath = "geronimo";Ensure that the admin directory name contains only alphanumeric characters (a-z, 0-9), hyphens (-), or underscores (_).
2. Rename the Admin Directory
Next, rename the existing admin directory to the new name specified in the $customadminpath value. This new directory should reside within the WHMCS installation's root directory.
Applying Upgrades and Patches
After customizing the admin directory, be aware that applying updates or patches requires an additional step. You must manually upload any updated files from the default admin directory found in the WHMCS distribution's .zip files to your new custom admin directory.
By renaming the admin directory, you add an extra layer of security to your WHMCS installation. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please reach out to our hosting support team.
