Table of contents

Why create an admin user in Magento?From the Magento Admin PanelUsing the Magento CLITroubleshooting tipsBest practicesFAQsHow to get started

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Magento Guide → Admin → Create User

How to create an admin user in Magento

Adding a new admin user in Magento is a common task, whether you’re onboarding a team member or recovering from a locked account. You can do it through the Admin Panel or the command line—whichever method works best for your workflow.

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Why create an admin user in Magento?

Magento admin users control the backend of your ecommerce store, so creating and managing them properly is crucial. Here are some scenarios where you’ll want to create a new admin account:

Onboarding new team members. Developers, marketers, and store managers often need access to different parts of the admin area. A dedicated account gives each person the right permissions.
Improving security. Sharing logins makes it hard to track changes or restrict access. Creating separate accounts with individual roles helps secure your store.
Working with agencies or contractors. Instead of giving them your main admin credentials, assign a new user with limited access based on their role.
Recovering access. If you’re locked out of your main account but still have SSH access, you can use the command line to create a new admin and get back in.
Auditing activity. Individual user accounts allow you to monitor who did what in the backend through system logs.

Create an admin user from the Magento Admin Panel

The Admin Panel offers a user-friendly interface for setting up new accounts if you already have access to your Magento backend.

1. Log in to your Magento Admin Panel

Use your browser to log in with an existing admin account.

2. Go to “System” > “Permissions” > “All Users”

In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down to “System.” Under “Permissions,” click “All Users.”

3. Click “Add New User”

You’ll be taken to a form where you can enter the new user’s information.

4. Fill in account details

Enter the following:

User Name – Must be unique.
First Name and Last Name – For display and logging purposes.
Email – Required for account communication and password recovery.
Password – Must meet Magento’s strength requirements.

Set the account as “Active” before saving.

5. Assign a user role

After entering the main account info, click the User Role tab on the left. Choose an existing role (like Administrator) or create a new one under “System > Permissions > User Roles.”

6. Save the new admin user

Click Save User in the top right corner to finish.

Create an admin user using the Magento CLI

If you’re locked out or prefer a faster method, the command line lets you create a new admin user in seconds.

1. Log into your server using SSH

Use an SSH client like Terminal or PuTTY to connect to your Magento server.

ssh your-user@your-server-ip

2. Navigate to your Magento installation directory

Usually something like:

cd /var/www/html/magento

3. Run the admin:user:create command

Use the following format:

php bin/magento admin:user:create \
--admin-user="newadmin" \
--admin-password="SecureP@ss123" \
--admin-email="[email protected]" \
--admin-firstname="First" \
--admin-lastname="Last"

Replace values as needed. Passwords must include at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and one special character.

4. Check the success message

If successful, Magento will return:

Created Magento administrator user named newadmin

Troubleshooting tips for new admin users

If you’re having trouble with access or permissions, check these common pitfalls.

User can’t log in

Clear browser cache and cookies.
Make sure the account is marked “Active.”
Verify the assigned role has backend access.

CLI command not recognized

Make sure you’re in the Magento root directory.
Confirm you’re using PHP 7.4 or newer.
Try running php bin/magento list to test Magento CLI availability.

Password not accepted

Magento enforces strong password rules. Try a longer password with a mix of symbols, numbers, uppercase, and lowercase characters.

Best practices for managing admin accounts

For better security and manageability, follow these tips when creating admin users.

Use role-based access control (RBAC). Only give full admin rights to users who truly need them.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Magento supports 2FA out of the box as of version 2.4.
Audit admin logins regularly. Review login attempts in “System > Security > Locked Users” or via logs.
Avoid shared accounts. Every team member should have a unique login for tracking and accountability.

FAQ

Yes. Use the admin:user:change-password command with the –admin-user and –admin-password flags.

php bin/magento admin:user:change-password –admin-user=”newadmin” –admin-password=”NewP@ss123″

Use the CLI method to create a new user. As long as you have SSH access, you can still create an admin without needing to log into the backend.

No. Inactive or unmonitored admin accounts are security risks. Always disable or delete accounts that are no longer in use.

Next steps for creating an admin user in Magento

Creating admin users in Magento is essential for team collaboration and secure access control. Whether you use the GUI or the command line, both methods are straightforward once you know where to look.

If you’re running into access issues or setting up a team of admins, make sure you’re also reviewing roles, permissions, and password policies.

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