Temporary Login

Generate secure temporary login links that expire automatically. Perfect for giving developers, support staff, or contractors time-limited access without sharing passwords or creating permanent accounts.

Use Cases#

• Give a developer 24-hour access to fix a bug without sharing your password
• Let support staff access an account to troubleshoot an issue
• Provide temporary admin access to a client for approval
• Create demo accounts that automatically expire
• Allow a freelancer to work on your site for a specific timeframe

How It Works#

1. Select an existing user or create a new temporary user
2. Set how long the link should remain active (1-168 hours)
3. Generate a secure, unique login link
4. Share the link with the person who needs access
5. They click the link and are logged in as that user
6. After the time expires, the link stops working

Where to Find It#

Go to Switchboard → User Management and find the Temporary Login module. Click the settings/gear icon to open the temporary login generator interface.

Creating a Temporary Login#

For an Existing User#

1. Open the Temporary Login settings panel
2. Stay on the “Existing User” tab
3. Select a user from the dropdown
4. Set expiration time (1-168 hours, default is 24)
5. Optionally check “One-time use only”
6. Click Generate Login Link
7. Copy the link and share it

Creating a New User + Link#

1. Open the Temporary Login settings panel
2. Click the “Quick Create User” tab
3. Enter their email address
4. Enter a display name
5. Choose their role
6. Set expiration time
7. Click Generate Login Link

This creates a new WordPress user AND generates a temporary login link in one step. The user account remains even after the link expires.

Settings#

One-Time vs. Multi-Use Links#

• One-time - Link works once. After someone uses it, it’s invalidated. Good for single access needs.
• Multi-use - Link works repeatedly until it expires. Good for ongoing access within the time window.

Managing Active Links#

Below the generator, you’ll see a table of all active (non-expired) links:

Copying a Link#

Click Copy next to any active link to copy its URL to your clipboard. You can then paste and share it.

Revoking a Link#

Click Revoke to immediately invalidate a link. This is useful if you shared a link but no longer want it to work (even if it hasn’t expired yet).

Security Features#

Cryptographically Secure Tokens#

Each link uses a 256-bit random token - practically impossible to guess or brute force.

Rate Limiting#

After 5 failed login attempts from the same IP address, further attempts are blocked for 15 minutes. This prevents brute-force attacks on tokens.

Admin Email Notifications#

When someone uses a temporary login link, the site admin receives an email notification with:

• Who logged in (user name and email)
• When they logged in
• Their IP address and browser info
• Who created the link
• When the link expires

Session Expiration#

Even during an active session, the user is automatically logged out when the link’s expiration time passes. They can’t stay logged in beyond the expiration, even if they’re actively using the site.

Administrator Protection#

You cannot create temporary login links for Administrator accounts unless you’re already an Administrator yourself.

FAQ#