## **🧐 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?**

1. **Check who is impersonating:** The banner usually includes a link or name indicating which account is active. Review this information before making any changes.
2. **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.
3. **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.
4. **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.