John Blackbourn

<p>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 helping customers on WooCommerce sites, membership sites, testing environments, or for any site where administrators need to switch between multiple accounts.</p>
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Switch user: Instantly switch to any user account from the <em>Users</em> screen.</li>
<li>Switch back: Instantly switch back to your originating account.</li>
<li>Switch off: Log out of your account but retain the ability to instantly switch back in again.</li>
<li>Compatible with Multisite, WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and bbPress.</li>
<li>Compatible with most membership and user management plugins.</li>
<li>Compatible with most two-factor authentication solutions (see the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-switching/faq/" rel="ugc">FAQ</a> for more info).</li>
<li>Approved for use on enterprise-grade WordPress platforms such as <a href="https://www.altis-dxp.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Altis</a> and <a href="https://wpvip.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress VIP</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Note: User Switching supports versions of WordPress up to three years old, and PHP version 7.4 or higher.</p>
<h3>Security</h3>
<ul>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Passwords are not (and cannot be) revealed.</li>
<li>Uses the cookie authentication system in WordPress when remembering the account(s) you’ve switched from and when switching back.</li>
<li>Implements the nonce security system in WordPress, meaning only those who intend to switch users can switch.</li>
<li>Full support for user session validation where appropriate.</li>
<li>Full support for HTTPS.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Usage</h3>
<ol>
<li>Visit the <em>Users</em> menu in WordPress and you’ll see a <em>Switch To</em> link in the list of action links for each user.</li>
<li>Click this and you will immediately switch into that user account.</li>
<li>You can switch back to your originating account via the <em>Switch back</em> link on each dashboard screen or in your profile menu in the WordPress toolbar.</li>
</ol>
<p>See the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-switching/faq/" rel="ugc">FAQ</a> for information about the <em>Switch Off</em> feature.</p>
<h3>Other Plugins</h3>
<p>I maintain several other plugins for developers. Check them out:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/" rel="ugc">Query Monitor</a> is the developer tools panel for WordPress</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-crontrol/" rel="ugc">WP Crontrol</a> lets you view and control what’s happening in the WP-Cron system</li>
</ul>
<h3>Thanks</h3>
<p>The time that I spend maintaining this plugin and others is in part sponsored by:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://automattic.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Automattic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://servmask.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">ServMask</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wp-staging.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WP Staging</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/sponsors/johnbillion" rel="nofollow ugc">All my kind sponsors on GitHub</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Privacy Statement</h3>
<p>User Switching does not send data to any third party, nor does it include any third party resources, nor will it ever do so.</p>
<p>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 <code>user_login</code> 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:</p>
<ul>
<li><code>wordpress_user_sw_{COOKIEHASH}</code></li>
<li><code>wordpress_user_sw_secure_{COOKIEHASH}</code></li>
<li><code>wordpress_user_sw_olduser_{COOKIEHASH}</code></li>
</ul>
<p>See also the FAQ for some questions relating to privacy and safety when switching between users.</p>
<h3>Accessibility Statement</h3>
<p>User Switching aims to be fully accessible to all of its users. It implements best practices for web accessibility, outputs semantic and structured markup, adheres to the default styles and accessibility guidelines of WordPress, uses the accessibility APIs provided by WordPress and web browsers where appropriate, and is fully accessible via keyboard.</p>
<p>User Switching should adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 at level AA when used with a recent version of WordPress where its admin area itself adheres to these guidelines. If you’ve experienced or identified an accessibility issue in User Switching, please open a thread in <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/user-switching/" rel="ugc">the User Switching plugin support forum</a> and I’ll address it swiftly.</p>


User Switching

Right out of the box, this plugin is a major time saver for development. But, finding the 'current_user_switched' took this to a whole other level.

Deeply powerful

Thanks for the great plugin, it always works as intended and recommend it to everyone needing to test client side facing stuff!

My go to User Switching Plugin!

This plugin is a time saver and is developer friendly; allowing you to create dynamic user switching links when needed.

Time saver

Useful tool


I love User Switching when I'm building systems with complex permissions and membership. It helps me to impersonate another user and make sure the permissions I've given them are correct. Super plugin!


Great Help


I don't want to have to go to the users list every time, this falsifies the one click claim.  I want a button on the top WP bar.  I also can't switch back unless I'm in the admin menu which I'm mostly not.  I will see if I can add my own options up there...


Good BUT Not so fast as claimed - No Top Bar buttons


Works flawlessly. Has for years. I install this on every site with users. Nothing beats seeing exactly what they see.


I use this plugin on every site


An excellent plugin which is very easy to use and a must for sites with multiple types of users when you need to test things.



Well written too and good for developers to work with if needed.



Highly recommended.


Easy to use and well written


Very happy with this plugin! It’s simple to use and works flawlessly, making my tasks easier and more efficient.


Super helper


I integrate this plugin with BuddyBoss, WooCommerce, and some of my custom dashboards. It’s a very handy plugin and has saved me a lot of time by providing features that I would otherwise have to develop from scratch.


Perfect simple user switch plugin


Super great plugin for any WordPress site using members, portal, or similar experience.


Super Useful for sites with Members/Portal/etc

Instant switching between user accounts in WordPress and WooCommerce.

Mahbub

<p>A quick demo of User Switcher in action:</p>
</p>
<p><strong>User Switcher</strong> lets administrators instantly switch to any WordPress user account without logging out or knowing their password. Search, filter, and switch in seconds — then jump back to your admin account with one click.</p>
<p>Whether you are debugging a permissions issue, testing a new user flow, checking how content looks for a specific role, or managing accounts for a client — User Switcher gives you a faster, cleaner way to do it.</p>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<p>Click <strong>Switch User</strong> in the WordPress admin bar. A polished modal opens with all your site’s users ready to browse. Search by name, email, or username. Filter by role. Click a user to select them, then hit <strong>Switch Now</strong> — or double-click any card to jump straight in. A persistent bar stays at the bottom of every page while you are switched so you can always get back in one click.</p>
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<p><strong>Smart User Picker</strong><br />
A beautiful modal with avatar, display name, email, and color-coded role badge for every user. Scroll the full list or search to narrow it down — results appear as you type with no minimum character requirement.</p>
<p><strong>Role Filter Tabs</strong><br />
Filter users by WordPress role with one click. See only Editors, only Subscribers, or all users at once.</p>
<p><strong>Recent Users</strong><br />
Your last five switched accounts are saved and shown at the top of the modal so you can return to a frequently tested account in one click.</p>
<p><strong>Select Then Switch</strong><br />
Click a card to preview the user in the footer, then click Switch Now. Or double-click any card to switch immediately without an extra step.</p>
<p><strong>Persistent Switch-Back Bar</strong><br />
While switched to another account, a fixed bar is visible at the bottom-left of every page — admin and front-end alike — showing who you are currently viewing as, with a one-click button to return to your own account.</p>
<p><strong>Keyboard Shortcuts</strong><br />
Open the modal with Alt+S from anywhere in the admin. Close it with Esc. Navigate and select cards with the keyboard.</p>
<p><strong>Zero Configuration</strong><br />
Install and activate. The Switch User button appears in the admin bar immediately — no settings page, no API keys.</p>
<p><strong>Fully Secure</strong><br />
All actions are verified with WordPress nonces. Login URLs are encrypted — no passwords are ever transmitted or stored. Only administrators with the manage_options capability can switch accounts.</p>
<h4>Perfect For</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>WordPress Developers</strong> — Test your code as different user roles without managing multiple browsers.</li>
<li><strong>Agencies</strong> — Quickly access client accounts to troubleshoot issues without resetting passwords.</li>
<li><strong>QA Testers</strong> — Move between user types rapidly when running through test cases.</li>
<li><strong>Site Administrators</strong> — Verify that new users see the right content and have the right permissions.</li>
<li><strong>Theme and Plugin Authors</strong> — Check role-restricted features from inside a single browser session.</li>
</ul>


User Switcher

Switch between any WordPress user account in one click — no password needed. Built for developers, agencies, and site administrators.

User Switching vs User Switcher