Change the Default Magic Login User
Magic Login takes you straight into your site's WordPress admin — no username or password to type. By default it logs you in as the site's main administrator, but on an InstaWP-hosted site you can choose which WordPress admin account that is. Pick the user once and every Magic Login for that site uses it.
In this documentation, we will explore:
- What Is the Default Magic Login User?
- How to Change the Default Magic Login User
- How Magic Login Uses This Setting
- Troubleshooting
- FAQs
Let's get started 🚀
What Is the Default Magic Login User?
Every InstaWP site has one or more WordPress administrator accounts. When you click Magic Login, InstaWP signs you into wp-admin as one of them automatically.
The Default Magic Login User setting decides which admin account that is. Change it when you want to:
- Log in as a specific admin — for example your own account rather than a shared one
- Match a client's account — hand a client a Magic Login that lands on their own user
- Switch away from a removed or renamed user — if the previous default no longer fits
Note: This setting only changes which existing WordPress admin Magic Login uses. It does not create a new user — the account you pick must already exist on the site as an administrator. To add one first, use the Web Terminal (
wp user create …) or WordPress' Users screen.
How to Change the Default Magic Login User
Step 1: Go to your Sites page and open the site you want to change.
Step 2: In the site menu, expand Advanced and click Settings.
Step 3: Find the Default Magic Login User card at the top of the Settings page.
Step 4: Open the dropdown and select the WordPress admin account you want Magic Login to use. The list shows the administrator accounts that exist on the site.
Step 5: Click Save. That's it — the next Magic Login for this site will sign you in as the account you chose.
Tip: You can confirm the change straight away — click Magic Login (top-right of the site page) and check the account name in the top-right corner of the WordPress admin bar.
How Magic Login Uses This Setting
The default user applies everywhere you launch Magic Login for that site:
- The Magic Login button at the top of the site page
- The Magic Login button in the site's Login Details pop-up
- Any Magic Login link you generate and share for that site
Each of these opens wp-admin signed in as the default user you saved. Change the setting and every future Magic Login follows it — you don't need to update it in more than one place.
Troubleshooting
The user I want isn't in the dropdown
Problem: The account you want to use doesn't appear in the list.
Solutions:
- The dropdown only lists administrator accounts. Give the user the Administrator role in WordPress (Users → All Users) and reopen the page.
- The user must already exist on the site. Create it first — via the Web Terminal with
wp user create <login> <email> --role=administrator, or from WordPress' Users screen. - Reload the Settings page so the account list refreshes.
Magic Login still logs in as the old user
Problem: After saving, Magic Login opens the previous account.
Solutions:
- Make sure you clicked Save — the change isn't applied until you do.
- You may still be signed into WordPress as the old user in that browser. Log out of
wp-admin(or use a private window) and click Magic Login again.
FAQs
Does this change the site's admin password?
No. It only chooses which existing admin Magic Login signs in as. To view or update the stored WordPress credentials, use Login Details.
Can each team member get their own Magic Login user?
Set the default to whichever admin account suits your workflow. Anyone with dashboard access to the site uses the same default user when they click Magic Login — so if people need to act as different WordPress users, create separate admin accounts and switch the default when needed.
Is the user I pick used for SSH or SFTP too?
No. This setting is only for Magic Login into wp-admin. SSH and SFTP use your site's system user — see Enable SFTP & SSH.
Where do I see who logged in and when?
Every Magic Login and admin action is recorded in your site's Activity Log.
Related Articles
- Site Credentials - View, copy, and update your WordPress admin login
- Site Activity Log - See every action performed on your site and by whom
- Web Terminal - Run WP-CLI commands, including creating new admin users
- Enable SFTP & SSH - Connect to your site's files over SFTP or SSH