Masquerading As Another User

Security Note: This Feature Requires Special Access

To access the System Settings views, your 25Live user must be in the System Administrator (-1) security group OR have a masquerade mapping permission set in System Settings > General Settings > Masquerade > Administration

If you would like any of the described settings changed for your instance of 25Live, contact your 25Live administrator.

The feature to log in as another user (masquerade) is conveniently available from within the System Settings menu in 25Live. This login functionality is limited to CollegeNET domain names and will not affect Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication (SAML, Shibboleth, LDAP, etc.).


Why Log In as Another User?

  • Support: Troubleshoot user issues or fix user issues
  • Testing: Check permissions for what objects and functions the user/group can view and access
  • New User Setup: Set new user preferences, customize the dashboard, and select starred favorites
  • Generic User Login: Masquerade as generic users, such as the viewer25 or publisher

Setting Masquerade Permissions for Non-Admin Users

Please see Setting Masquerade Administration Rights.

How to Masquerade As Another User For Non-Admins

1. Choose a User Under Switch Roles

Masquerading is easy for users outside of the System Administrator security group. Simply choose the user you'd like to masquerade as under the Switch Roles section of the 25Live More Menu.

Switch roles options in the 25live more menuImage: Switch Roles options in the 25Live More menu. 

If you don't see the user you want to masquerade as, you may need contact your 25Live administrator to configure your masquerade permissions.

Note: About the Permissions Warning

Because you will be logged in as your target user, after 25Live refreshes you may see a warning to let you know the target user doesn’t have permission to access the System Settings area. Go to the home dashboard as instructed in the next step to continue.

2. Go to the 25Live Home Dashboard First

Banner that reads Image: A banner will indicate which user you are masquerading as once you have successfully entered a masquerading session.

Use the link on the 25Live logo in the top navigation bar to go to the home dashboard before performing any other actions.

A banner will show that you are successful. Verify that you are now logged in as the intended target contact.

3. Continue Through 25Live As Target User

You may now continue through the application as the target user to troubleshoot support issues, check permissions, or set up a new user.

Reminder: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Any action you take in 25Live will be logged as being performed as the target user you are masquerading as. Use your responsibility with caution. The audit trail will show that your own user logged in as the target user.

How to Masquerade As Another User For System Administrators (-1)  

1. Go to the System Settings View, and Access the General Settings Section

The System Settings section is accessible from the More menu in the top navigation bar.

More menu in the top navigation barImage: The More menu in the top navigation bar has a link to the System Settings view.
System settings is located under the More menuImage: The System Settings link in the More menu.
Best Practice Tip: Use Your Browser’s Incognito or Privacy Mode

It’s recommended that you open an incognito or private browsing tab/window in your browser to avoid overwriting your own saved user credentials, interfering with other open 25Live tabs/windows, or affecting your experience with SSO authentication.

In the left-hand menu of the General Settings section, select Masquerade > Switch Users.

System Settings General Settings sectionImage: The setting to log in as another user is in the General Settings section of the System Settings.

Begin masquerading by going to masquerade > switch usersImage: Search for a 25Live contact in the Select a User field.

2. Search for Target User

Select the 25Live contact you wish to login as via the Select a user dropdown search menu. 

Use the Masquerade as User button to confirm your choice, then wait for the application to refresh automatically.

Note: About the Permissions Warning

Because you will be logged in as your target user after 25Live refreshes, you may see a warning to let you know the target user doesn’t have permission to access the System Settings area. Go to the home dashboard as instructed in the next step to continue.

3. Go to the 25Live Home Dashboard First

Banner that reads Image: A banner will indicate which user you are masquerading as once you have successfully entered a masquerading session.

Use the link on the 25Live logo in the top navigation bar to go to the home dashboard before performing any other actions.

A banner will show that you are successful. Verify that you are now logged in as the intended target contact.

4. Continue Through 25Live As Target User

You may now continue through the application as the target user to troubleshoot support issues, check permissions, or set up a new user.

Reminder: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Any action you take in 25Live will be logged as being performed as the target user you are masquerading as. Use your responsibility with caution. The audit trail will show that your own user logged in as the target user.

How to Return to Your Own 25Live User

1. When You Are Finished, Exit Masquerade

Exit Masquerade button in the top navigation bar.Image: Use the Exit Masquerade button in the top navigation bar to end the session.

Use the Exit Masquerade button in the top navigation bar to leave the masquerade session.

2. Log In With Your Own Username

Sign back into 25Live with your own user credentials or Single Sign-On authentication. You may then continue with your own actions in the application or go back to System Settings to masquerade as a different user.

Viewing Contact Sign-in Audit Trails

Contact sign-in history is available to view in System Settings > General Settings > User Activity > Signed-In Users.

When a user masquerades as another user, the user's audit trail will show they logged in as the target user.

Troubleshooting

A user who could masquerade as others cannot anymore