How important is it to change the default admin url?

[Robin S]

Every time I do a new PW install I pause at the Admin Login URL field and wonder if I should be doing something here to improve security.

My thinking goes like this:

• I'd like to place some sort of obstacle to discovering the admin URL to keep out nosy-parkers and casual abusers.
• But I don't want to make things unnecessarily difficult for my editors, who shouldn't have to hunt out the URL or end up stuck if they need to edit the site on a device that doesn't have the admin URL bookmarked. In other words, it has to be something that can be remembered by a normal mortal.

In the end I just stick with the default /processwire/ URL because it seems a good trade-off in that it's not as obvious as /admin/ but is memorable. Also, it's a word that isn't a household name to the wider public but familiar to an editor has been working with the site for a while and looking at the PW logo in the admin banner.

Is there a best-practice around setting the admin URL? What are others of you doing with this? Is anyone setting admin URLs like /84tpt28hgs5y/ ?

[cstevensjr]

I always change the admin URL.  I feel that is just as important as ensuring that the admin account is something other than "admin" or "administrator".

[Robin S]

@cstevensjr: Do you always use the same URL or is it different for every site you develop? If it's different do you have a method for deciding what to use for the admin URL? BTW, I'm not requesting you reveal a real admin URL here.

[cstevensjr]

The admin URL is always based on something distinctly or uniquely associated with the client (so it's not hard for them or me to remember).  It's just a matter of knowing detailed information about the client or their business.  

[OrganizedFellow]

The admin URL is always based on something distinctly or uniquely associated with the client (so it's not hard for them or me to remember).  It's just a matter of knowing detailed information about the client or their business.  

I build a PW site for a restaurant/bar and called the admin URL 'office'.

Another was for a friend who operates an auto mechanic shop, called his admin 'toolbox'.

[alxndre]

Is there a best-practice around setting the admin URL? What are others of you doing with this? Is anyone setting admin URLs like /84tpt28hgs5y/ ?

I did this once because I created a whole backend area for the users, and didn't want the user to ever see the processwire admin.

But i usually just leave as it is if the client is okay with it, or like @OrganizedFellow, i change it to something appropriate.