User Switching
The User Switching plugin (plugins/user-switching/) allows administrators to instantly switch the active WordPress session from their admin account to any other user account — and back again — without knowing the user's password.
Plugin Details
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Plugin | User Switching |
| Location | plugins/user-switching/ |
| Author | John Blackbourn |
Use Cases
- Support — Allow admins and support staff to experience exactly what a dealer sees in their account, without sharing credentials.
- Debugging — Reproduce pricing issues, order problems, or access restrictions as a specific dealer.
- QA — Test sub-account behaviour by switching between parent and sub-user accounts.
How to Use
Switch to a User
- Go to WP Admin → Users.
- Hover over the target dealer's username.
- Click Switch To in the action row.
You are now browsing as that dealer. The admin bar shows a "Switch back to [Your Name]" link.
Switch Back
Click Switch back to [Your Name] in the admin bar, or go to /wp-admin/ and click the switch-back link.
Security Notes
- Only users with the
switch_userscapability can use this feature (administrators by default). - All switch events are logged in the WordPress error log for audit purposes.
- Switching into a user does not grant the less-privileged user admin capabilities — your session takes on only the exact capabilities of the target user.
- The switch-back token is stored in a browser cookie and expires when the browser closes.
Capability Management
Use User Role Editor Pro (plugins/user-role-editor-pro/) to grant the switch_users capability to non-administrator roles (e.g., support staff) if needed.