As the operator of a Sharetribe marketplace, you can log in on behalf of your marketplace's users. This feature is useful for understanding the user experience, solving reported problems, and helping users edit their listings or user profiles. For example, you can log in as a new provider to help them complete their first listing on the marketplace and make the onboarding experience extra smooth.
Logging in as a user works differently in your test marketplace and live marketplace. In a test marketplace, you have full access to user profiles and actions, while in a live marketplace, you have limited rights to user profiles.
How to log in as a user
You can log in as a user through Console. Navigate to the Manage users page in the sidebar navigation (1). You can search for the user you want to log in as (2) or select them from the user list. Open the user profile card, click on the three dots next to the user's profile picture (3), and select "Log in as user" (4).
This takes you to your marketplace’s front page, logged in as that user.
You will see a banner at the top that reminds you of who you're logged in as (5). Depending on your environment (test and live), you will see which rights you have. Learn more about the differences between logging in as a user in a test and live environment below.
From here, you can, for example, create a listing on behalf of the user (6), enter their inbox (7), and access their profile settings (8). All these functions work the same as they do for the actual user.
Steps to access the feature from Console
View as the logged-in user on a live marketplace
Log in as a user in the test marketplace
Your test environment is a sandbox marketplace, where you can test the full functionality of your marketplace. This is why you have more access rights when logging in as a test user as well.
When logged in as a test user in your test marketplace, you can:
Edit the user’s profile
Edit the user’s account settings
Add and edit payout details
Add and edit payment details
Create listings
Edit listings
Initiate transactions
Move transactions forward
Access the inbox
View orders
Send messages
Leave reviews
Since the user is not a real person and all transaction data is test data, you have full access to user profiles, listings, and actions in the test environment. This is different from a live marketplace.
Log in as a user in the live marketplace
On a live marketplace, you have real users, real money, and real listings. This is why your access rights when logged in as a user are limited. You can still help users create great listings and edit their user profiles, but you can’t initiate or move forward transactions.
When logged in as a real user in your live marketplace, you can:
Edit the user’s public profile
Edit the user’s phone number
Create listings drafts
Publish listings (only if the provider has already added their payout details of if the "Payout details required before publishing" setting is disabled)
Edit listings
Access the inbox
View order, booking, or inquiries
When logged in as a real user in your live marketplace, you can't:
Publish listings (unless the provider has already added their payout details or if the "Payout details required before publishing" setting is disabled)
Add or edit payout details
Add or edit payment details
Initiate transactions
Move transactions forward
Send messages
Leave reviews
Instead, you can manage ongoing transactions as an operator through Console. Operator transitions are available for transactions that have transitions from one state to another, such as the default product purchase process.
What can you use log in as user feature to do as an operator
Viewing and using your marketplace with this feature helps you understand and help your users. Here are some examples of how you can use it:
View pages in your marketplace exactly as your user sees them to better understand their experience during an issue or question.
Reproduce a user’s issue to see error messages, broken flows, or confusing steps exactly as the user experiences them.
Test visibility settings — for example, how listings or profiles appear to different types of users (provider vs. customer).
Create listings on behalf of providers to make it easier for new providers to join your marketplace.
Set up a complete profile for a provider who is struggling to get started.
Improve the quality of listings by editing them as a user. You can upload better images, improve descriptions and titles, or fix spelling mistakes.
Add missing information (like photos or fields) for users who can’t upload them due to technical issues.
Review listings before approving them and make any necessary edits.
Adjust availability or schedule for providers when requested.
Create help content for your users to understand how to use your marketplace.