🧐 What Is This Message?
When configuring the Search Atlas WordPress plugin, you may see the following notice at the top of your screen:
"You are currently impersonating another user. Changes made may affect their account."
This message is a standard WordPress security notice — it is not an error, and it does not mean anything has gone wrong. It simply lets you know that the currently active session in your browser is operating under a different user account than your own.
💡 Why Does This Happen?
This notice typically appears in one of the following situations:
- Support or agency access: A Search Atlas support team member, agency administrator, or colleague has temporarily logged into your WordPress site to assist with configuration or troubleshooting.
- User-switching plugins: Your WordPress site has a user-switching plugin installed (such as the popular "User Switching" plugin), and an admin on your site has used it to switch into another account.
- Shared admin sessions: You or another admin on your team switched user accounts without fully logging out first.
In all cases, WordPress displays this banner as a transparency measure so that any active user is aware of who is performing actions on the site.
⚙️ Does It Affect the Plugin Configuration?
It can — but only if you or another person actively makes changes while the impersonation session is active. Here is what to keep in mind:
- Any settings saved inside the Search Atlas WordPress plugin during an impersonation session will be saved under the impersonated account's permissions.
- If the impersonated account has the correct WordPress role (Administrator), plugin configuration will proceed normally.
- If the impersonated account has insufficient permissions, some settings may not save correctly.
To avoid any unintended changes, do not modify plugin settings while this banner is visible unless you are confident about which account is active and what permissions it holds.
✅ What Should You Do?
- Check who is impersonating: The banner usually includes a link or name indicating which account is active. Review this information before making any changes.
- End the impersonation session: If you did not intend to be in an impersonation session, look for a "Switch back" or "Return to your account" link within the banner or your WordPress admin bar and click it to restore your original session.
- Re-open the plugin settings: Once you are back in your own account, navigate to the Search Atlas plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard and verify that your configuration is correct.
- Disable user-switching if not needed: If no one on your team intentionally uses account switching, consider deactivating any user-switching plugins on your site to prevent this banner from appearing unexpectedly.
🔒 Is My Account Safe?
Yes. This message is a built-in WordPress protection feature, not a sign of a security breach. It exists specifically to make impersonation visible so that site owners are always informed when actions are being taken under a different account. If you did not authorise anyone to access your WordPress site and you see this message unexpectedly, we recommend reviewing your WordPress user accounts and resetting passwords as a precaution.
🛠️ Still Have Questions?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.