Login As User

Switch to any user account instantly for testing, troubleshooting, or support. See exactly what your users see without asking for their password, and switch back to your admin account with one click.

Use Cases#

• Test what subscribers, editors, or custom roles can actually access
• Troubleshoot “I can’t see this page” issues by experiencing them firsthand
• Verify that permissions are set up correctly before going live
• Help users by seeing the exact problem they’re describing
• Test WooCommerce customer views, member dashboards, or restricted content

How It Works#

1. From the Users list, click “Login As” next to any user
2. You’re instantly logged in as that user
3. A red banner and floating button remind you that you’re impersonating
4. Click “Switch Back” to return to your admin account
5. All switches are logged for security auditing

Where to Find It#

Go to Users → All Users. Hover over any user row and you’ll see a “Login As” link in the row actions (alongside Edit, Delete, etc.).

Switching to a User#

1. Go to Users → All Users
2. Find the user you want to impersonate
3. Hover over their row to reveal action links
4. Click Login As
5. You’re now logged in as that user

You’ll be redirected to the WordPress dashboard as that user. The admin interface will show exactly what they see based on their role and capabilities.

Visual Reminders#

When you’re logged in as another user, you’ll see prominent reminders:

Top Banner#

A red banner appears at the top of every page (admin and frontend) showing “You are logged in as another user” with a switch back link.

Floating Button#

A red floating button in the bottom-right corner shows:

• The current user’s name and role
• A “Switch Back” link

These reminders ensure you don’t forget you’re impersonating someone and accidentally make changes as the wrong user.

Switching Back#

You can switch back to your admin account in three ways:

1. Admin Bar - Click “← Switch Back” in the WordPress admin bar (when visible)
2. Top Banner - Click the “Switch Back to [Your Name]” link in the red banner
3. Floating Button - Click the red floating button in the bottom-right corner

All methods return you to your original admin account immediately.

Security Features#

Admin-Only Access#

Only users with the manage_options capability (typically Administrators) can use the Login As feature. Regular editors, authors, and subscribers cannot impersonate other users.

Session Timeout#

Switch-back sessions expire after 1 hour. If you don’t switch back within that time, you’ll remain logged in as the impersonated user but won’t have an easy way back - you’ll need to log out and log back in with your own credentials.

Audit Logging#

Every “Login As” action is logged with:

• Who switched (original user ID)
• Who they switched to (target user ID)
• When it happened (timestamp)
• IP address

Logs are stored in the database and the most recent 100 entries are kept.

Viewing the Audit Log#

The login-as audit log is stored in WordPress options. To review it, you can query it directly or use a database tool:

// Get the audit log
$log = get_option('switchboard_login_as_log', []);

// Each entry contains:
// - 'from' => original user ID
// - 'to' => target user ID
// - 'time' => MySQL datetime
// - 'ip' => IP address

Limitations#

• Only administrators (users with manage_options capability) can use this feature
• You cannot use “Login As” on yourself (the link won’t appear)
• The switch-back session expires after 1 hour
• Frontend admin bar must be visible to use the admin bar switch-back link (the floating button works regardless)

FAQ#