Typically, new users will register for accounts via Vanilla's basic registration form to access your Higher Logic Vanilla (Vanilla) community, or through single sign-on (SSO), if it's been configured. In these cases, users complete the process for themselves, requiring no assistance on your part (other than perhaps approving their account request, if that feature is enabled).
However, there may be instances when you need to manually create user accounts, such as when new people are added to your team or when a developer needs API access.
Create user account
1. Access the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Moderation > Site > Users.
3. Click Add User to display the Add User dialog.
4. Enter the individual's username and email address.
📝 NOTE: Vanilla recommends not using spaces or periods in usernames. By default, this capability is disabled on Vanilla Registration, but this limitation can be overridden if SSO is enabled.
5. Choose the appropriate Role(s) for this account (more on Roles below).
6. Set a password for the account; you can either manually enter one or click Generate a Password to have the system create one for you.
📝 NOTE: This password is only relevant when signing in directly to Vanilla; if SSO is enabled, the user can log in through your SSO provider using their regular password.
7. Depending on your community configuration, you may have other options to configure, such as assigning a Rank and defining custom profile fields.
8. Click Save to create the user account.
After you've created the account
The user will receive a system-generated email containing their login credentials and a link they can click to log in.
Assigning a Role
Roles are one of the most important aspects of a user's account, as they (and their associated permissions) determine what users can and cannot do across your Vanilla community. You will typically assign the Member Role for standard user accounts, and the Administrator or Moderator Roles for team member accounts.
- Administrators - The Administrator Role can perform most, if not all Administrator actions. This includes: editing all community settings; creating, editing, and deleting Categories; enabling and disabling addons; and adding, managing, and deleting user accounts.
- Moderators - The Moderator Role can perform actions pertaining to moderation, including curating content (i.e., moving, merging, and editing posts); flagging and warning users for abuse and spam, and approving or rejecting reported posts.
For more information about Roles and their permissions, check out the article below:
