User Switching

About User Switching

This plugin allows you to easily switch between user accounts in WordPress, making it convenient for tasks such as helping customers on WooCommerce sites or testing environments. It is compatible with various plugins and has security measures in place to protect user information. It also maintains accessibility standards and does not send data to third parties.

Screenshots

Frequently asked questions

What does this plugin do?

This plugin allows you to quickly swap between user accounts in WordPress at the click of a button. You'll be instantly logged out and logged in as your desired user. This is handy for testing environments, for helping customers on WooCommerce sites, or for any site where administrators need to switch between multiple accounts.

What are the features of this plugin?

The features of this plugin include: n- Switch user: Instantly switch to any user account from the Users screen. n- Switch back: Instantly switch back to your originating account. n- Switch off: Log out of your account but retain the ability to instantly switch back in again. n- Compatible with Multisite, WooCommerce, BuddyPress, bbPress, and most two-factor authentication plugins.

Is this plugin secure?

Yes, this plugin is secure. Some of the security measures implemented in this plugin include: n- Only users with the ability to edit other users can switch user accounts. By default this is only Administrators on single site installations, and Super Admins on Multisite installations. n- Passwords are not (and cannot be) revealed. n- Uses the cookie authentication system in WordPress when remembering the account(s) you've switched from and when switching back. n- Implements the nonce security system in WordPress, meaning only those who intend to switch users can switch. n- Full support for user session validation where appropriate. n- Full support for administration over SSL (if applicable).

How do I use this plugin?

To use this plugin, follow these steps: n1. Visit the Users menu in WordPress and you'll see a Switch To link in the list of action links for each user. n2. Click this and you will immediately switch into that user account. n3. You can switch back to your originating account via the Switch back link on each dashboard screen or in your profile menu in the WordPress toolbar.

Is there a privacy statement for this plugin?

Yes, there is a privacy statement for this plugin. User Switching makes use of browser cookies in order to allow users to switch to another account. Its cookies operate using the same mechanism as the authentication cookies in WordPress core, which means their values contain the user's user_login field in plain text which should be treated as potentially personally identifiable information (PII) for privacy and regulatory reasons (GDPR, CCPA, etc). The names of the cookies are: n- wordpress_user_sw_{COOKIEHASH} n- wordpress_user_sw_secure_{COOKIEHASH} n- wordpress_user_sw_olduser_{COOKIEHASH} nUser Switching does not send data to any third party, nor does it include any third party resources, nor will it ever do so.

Changelog

1.11.0 (15 October 2025)

Adds a Switch Back link to all wp_die() screens when you’re switched into another account.

1.10.0 (27 July 2025)

When the user is switched, display all of User Switching’s messages in the language of the original user

1.9.2 (16 April 2025)

Confirms support for WordPress 6.8
Minor code quality improvements

1.9.1 (5 December 2024)

Fixes the wp_login and wp_logout parameter usage which could cause a fatal error when passed an unexpected value.

1.9.0 (21 November 2024)

Introduces a confirmation message when a user attempts to switch into an account which somebody else is already switched into. Helpful for teams of support engineers who switch into customer accounts.
Confirms support for WordPress 6.7.
Confirms support for PHP 8.4.
Various code quality improvements.

1.8.0 (22 July 2024)

Adds a ‘Switch back’ link to some access denied messages within the admin area.
Confirms support for WordPress 6.6.

1.7.3 (21 February 2024)

Confirms support for PHP 8.3
Fixes compatibility with BuddyPress version 12
Adds configuration for the Live Preview feature on wordpress.org

1.7.2 (16 November 2023)

Confirm support for WordPress 6.4
Reinstate the missing plugin readme file

1.7.1 (16 November 2023)

Fix the redirect type parameter passed to the user_switching_redirect_to filter
Increase the minimum supported version of PHP to 7.4

1.7.0 (30 July 2022)

Redirect to the current post, term, user, or comment being edited when switching off
Clean up some user-facing messages
Apply basic styling to the Switch Back link that appears in the footer
Use a better placement for the Switch To menu on bbPress profiles
Use a more appropriate HTTP response code if switching off fails
Exclude .editorconfig from dist ZIP

Earlier versions

For the changelog of earlier versions, refer to the releases page on GitHub.