Create an admin account on WordPress

To add Amabrik to a WordPress site, someone needs an account with the Administrator role. The Administrator role is the only one that can add code, install plugins, and manage other users on a single site, so it’s what’s needed to either paste the Amabrik snippet or let Amabrik install it for you.

This guide covers how to confirm or create an admin account. If you already sign in to /wp-admin and can see Plugins and Users in the left menu, you’re already an administrator and can skip ahead to giving Amabrik access.

What the admin account is for

A WordPress Administrator can do everything on a single site: edit theme files, install and activate plugins, post unfiltered HTML (the <script> tag the Amabrik snippet uses), and add or remove users. Lower roles like Editor, Author, or Subscriber can’t do any of that, so they can’t add the install code.

You need an administrator for one of two things:

• To paste the Amabrik snippet yourself (a header-scripts plugin or your theme header).
• To create an Administrator user for Amabrik so we add the snippet for you. Creating that user is itself an admin-only action, so you, or whoever owns the site, must be an administrator first.

Self-hosted WordPress (your own hosting)

Most WordPress sites are self-hosted: WordPress runs on hosting you control (for example through your host’s control panel, or a one-click installer). On these sites the first account created during install is already an Administrator.

To confirm you’re an administrator:

1. Go to your site’s admin at yourdomain.com/wp-admin and sign in.
2. In the left menu, look for Plugins and Users. If you can see both, you’re an administrator.
3. To be certain, go to Users > Profile (or Users > Your Profile). Your role shows on the account. An administrator can also open Users > All Users and see the Role column.

If you can sign in but don’t see Plugins or Users, your account isn’t an administrator. Ask whoever set up the site (or your web host) to either change your role to Administrator or create an admin account for you. If nobody can do that, your host’s support can usually reset access or promote an account from their side.

Lost the admin login?

If you have no working admin login at all, your hosting provider’s support can help. Most hosts can reset the admin password or create a new administrator from their control panel or database tools. Contact them directly. Amabrik can’t reset a WordPress login for you.

WordPress.com (hosted by WordPress.com)

If your site lives on WordPress.com rather than your own hosting, the account you use to manage the site is your administrator login. There are two things to know:

1. You still need the Administrator role. On a WordPress.com site, the owner is an administrator. If other people help with the site, only those given the Administrator role can add code or invite users.
2. Adding code needs the right plan. WordPress.com blocks <script> tags on free and lower plans. To run the Amabrik snippet you need a paid plan that allows custom code and has hosting features active (installing at least one plugin activates those features). On a free WordPress.com site you’ll need to upgrade first. Self-hosted WordPress has no such limit.

Not sure which kind you have? If you sign in at wordpress.com and manage everything from there, you’re on WordPress.com. If you sign in at yourdomain.com/wp-admin and your host is a separate company, you’re self-hosted.

Next step

Once you have an administrator account, you can give Amabrik access so we add the snippet for you. The safest way is to create a separate Administrator user for us rather than sharing your own login. See Give Amabrik access to your WordPress site for the exact steps.

FAQ

Which role do I need, exactly?

Administrator. It’s the only single-site role that can add code, install plugins, and create users. Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber can’t.

I can log in but can’t see Plugins or Users. Why?

Your account has a lower role. Ask the site owner or your host to make your account an Administrator, or to create an admin account for you.

Do I need an admin account if Amabrik installs the snippet for me?

Yes. To grant Amabrik access you create an Administrator user for us, and only an administrator can create that user. So you need admin access first.

Is the Administrator role safe to give out?

It has full control of the site, so treat it carefully. That’s why we recommend creating a separate Administrator user for Amabrik instead of sharing your main login, and removing that user once the install is done.

Can I use a WordPress.com free plan?

No. WordPress.com blocks the kind of code Amabrik uses on free and lower plans. You’ll need a paid plan that allows custom code, with hosting features active. Self-hosted WordPress has no restriction.