Documentation
Login as User documentation
How to set up and use Login as User: install, settings and fixes for common problems.
Overview
Login as User lets an administrator log in as another user in one click to see what they see, then switch back.
Where to find it: Users → Login as User.
What you need
- WordPress 6.2 or newer
- PHP 7.4 or newer
Install
- With The Vault (easiest): open The Vault in your WordPress menu, find Login as User and click Install. It is installed and activated for you.
- By hand: download it free from the plugin page, then go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the zip and activate it.
Updates arrive automatically from wpwizards.com, like plugins from WordPress.org.
Quick start
- Log in as someone. Go to Users, hover a user and click Log in as. The same button is on each user’s profile.
- From a WooCommerce order. Click Log in as customer on the order, or use the link on each row of the orders list.
- Switch back. Click the red Switch back button in the admin bar, or the bar at the bottom of the page when the theme hides the admin bar.
Settings
Settings
| Who can log in as others | The roles allowed to use it. They also need permission to edit the user, so a Shop Manager can only log in as users they could already edit. |
|---|---|
| Allow logging in as other administrators | Off by default. Only administrators can do this, even when it is on. Super admins on multisite are always protected. |
| After logging in as someone, go to | Automatic (dashboard for staff, My Account or home for customers), Home page, WooCommerce My Account, or Dashboard. |
| Keep a log of the last 100 switches | Shown under Users → Login as User → Activity. |
Troubleshooting and questions
Does the user know?
No. They are not notified and their password is not changed. The switch is recorded in the activity log.
Does it log the user out of their own session?
No. Your switched session is separate and is removed when you switch back.
The order says “Guest order, no account”.
The customer checked out as a guest, so there is no account to log in as.
Is it safe?
Every switch needs a security token, and the way back is a one-time token tied to your account in a secure, HTTP-only cookie. Logging out ends the switch.
For developers
wpwlau_can_switch |
Filter whether the current user may log in as a given user. |
|---|---|
wpwlau_redirect |
Filter where the admin lands after switching. |
wpwlau_switched |
Action fired after logging in as a user. |
wpwlau_switched_back |
Action fired after switching back. |
Get help
Stuck on something this page does not cover? Contact us and tell us which plugin and version you are on. Need it to do something it does not do yet? We build custom plugins too.
