Adding New Users to Edit Your Site

Give people access to edit your website.

Before you can add a new user to your website, that person needs to log into the site with their WUSTL Key. After logging in they’ll see a blank dashboard and won’t be able to make edits. However, they’ve now been added as a user of WashU Sites; all you need to do is upgrade their permissions.

It takes two to tango – and to add a new person to edit your site!

Instructions for the new user

  1. Go to the website you wish to edit, i.e. sites.wustl.edu/example
  2. Add /wp-admin/ to the end of the URL, i.e. sites.wustl.edu/example/wp-admin/
  3. When prompted, log in with your WUSTL Key.
  4. Notify the site owner that you’ve completed steps 1-3
  5. Wait to hear back from the site owner that they’ve completed their steps (below).

You should now be able to log into the website using the URL from step 2 above (sites.wustl.edu/example/wp-admin/) and see the dashboard with all the available tools.

Instructions for the site owner

  1. Wait to receive notice from the soon-to-be user that they’ve completed their part of the process (above).
  2. Go to Dashboard > Users > Add New.
  3. In the field next to Email or Username, begin to type in the person’s @wustl.edu email address or WUSTL Key ID. When the person’s name appears as an option, click it.
    GIF of typing in a user's email or WUSTL key ID

    Troubleshooting: If the person’s username or email address doesn’t populate, ask them to try logging into the site again. Refresh, and repeat. Still no dice? Send us a support request.

  4. Choose a Role from the dropdown menu. Learn about each role’s capabilities.
    GIF of selecting a user role from the dropdown
  5. Click Add Existing User.* Your new user should now be able to log into the website and see all of the available tools in the dashboard.

Editing user roles and deleting users

Need to change an existing user’s permissions or delete a user? Only Administrators have this power, so if you have it, use it wisely, grasshopper.

Editing user roles

  1. Go to Dashboard > Users > All Users.
  2. Check the box next to the name of the person.
  3. Click Change role to… and select the desired role. Click Change.

Deleting users

  1. Go to Dashboard > Users > All Users.
  2. Hover over the person’s name.
  3. Click Remove > Confirm Removal.

*We know it may seem weird that the button and the title at the top of the page say “Add Existing User.” You’re trying to add a new user, right? Well, when your new user logged into your site that very first time (see top half of this page), they became a Subscriber, which is a user role, albeit a useless one without any real powers. So when you go to add your “new user,” you’re technically upgrading an existing user’s role to Editor, Administrator, etc.