How to add users to WordPress Multisite

What is different in Multisite?

WordPress Multisite runs many websites from one install. A user account lives at the network level. That means one login can work on many sites. On each site, the user gets a role. A role is a set of rules about what the person may do there.

Imagine a school with many classrooms. A visitor has one badge for the school. Each classroom decides what the visitor may do inside.

Roles you can give on a site are Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor and Subscriber. A Super Admin is the top boss of the whole network. Only a Super Admin can add users at the network level.

Way 1: Add a user from the Network Admin

1. Log in as the Super Admin.
2. In the top bar, click My Sites, then Network Admin, then Dashboard.
3. Click Users, then Add New.
4. Type a Username. Use lowercase letters and numbers.
5. Type the person's Email.
6. Click Add User.

WordPress emails the person a link to set their password. At this point they exist on the network, but they have no role on any site yet.

Way 2: Add a user to one site

1. Go to the dashboard of the site you want. Use My Sites in the top bar and pick the site.
2. Click Users, then Add New.

   

3. Under Add Existing User, type the person's email or username.
4. Pick a Role.
5. Keep Skip Confirmation Email unticked if you want the person to get a message and accept first. Tick it to add them right away.
6. Click Add Existing User.

If the person is new to the network, use Add New User on the same page. A Super Admin can add them directly. A normal site administrator may be limited by network settings.

Give the same user a role on more sites

1. In the Network Admin, click Sites, then All Sites.
2. Click Edit under the site you want.
3. Open the Users tab.
4. Under Add Existing User, type the username, pick a role and click Add User.

Remove a user

Warning: deleting a user from the network can remove their content. Back up first.

1. In the Network Admin, click Users.
2. Point at the user and click Delete, then confirm.

Quick recap

• A Multisite user has one network login and a role per site.

  

• Super Admins add users in Network Admin, then Users, then Add New.
• Give a role on a site with Add Existing User.
• Remove from one site or delete from the whole network.