Contents
Overview
Super Admins and HR Admins (within scope) will have the ability to impersonate other users within their organization. This tool can be helpful in situations where users report an issue or discrepancy that administrators cannot otherwise see on their end.
Note: If you'd like to limit access to this feature so that it can only be used by Super Admins, simply contact your Program Architect or Customer Success Manager and they will make the necessary change on their end.
Accessing the Admin Proxy
Administrators can access the Admin Proxy feature by going to:
Admin → Program Management → Impersonate → Admin Proxy
Once there:
1. Select the user that you wish to impersonate.
2. Click "Impersonate".
3. Accept the prompt:
During impersonation, you'll see a banner at the bottom of the page that indicates which user you're impersonating and the remaining time in the session. To end the session immediately, simply click "Stop Impersonation":
If you do not manually end the session, it will eventually timeout. The timeout default is 1 hour, but this can be increased (by your Program Architect or Customer Success Manager) from 1 hour up to 24 hours. If no action is taken, you'll be prompted again via a pop-up:
Note: Administrators cannot impersonate users who are above them in the Betterworks role hierarchy. An HR Admin (scope applied) cannot impersonate a Super Admin.
Additional Resources
Visit the Impersonation course in Betterworks University (our Learning Management System).
Note: You may need to log into Betterworks University before being taken to the course page.
FAQs
If I'm impersonating a user and I generate a report, who is the report sent to?
The report is sent to the email address associated with the user that you're impersonating.
Why don't I see a user in the impersonation list?
- If a user has never logged in, they will be required to accept the Betterworks Privacy Policy in order to access the Betterworks application. This step cannot be bypassed via the Admin Proxy feature and the user will not show up in the list until they have accepted the privacy notice by logging in at least once.
- An HR Admin cannot impersonate another HR Admin.
What do I do if I'm impersonating a user and a guide pops up?
It's best practice not to click on or dismiss a guide. We recommend working around the guide (if possible) so that the user who the guide is intended for can see it when they log in.
What data is available to me when I am impersonating?
When impersonating, the administrator will have the same view as the user would and can see & do whatever the user can.
Does impersonation affect a genuine user's active session?
Actual users will not be kicked out if an administrator is impersonating them.
Will users receive a notification?
Users may receive notifications when someone impersonates and makes changes on their behalf based on your organization's settings. This notification can be managed (on/off) under Admin → Program Management → System Notifications →Impersonate Notifications.
Will impersonation activity be tracked?
Yes, impersonation activity will be tracked in the Audit Logs Report.