If you have ever dealt with a membership site, a WordPress multisite, or BuddyPress, then you know that there are always users who want to make your life difficult by registering usernames that contain foul language, trademark words, official sounding names, etc. In this article, we will show you how to restrict usernames in WordPress.
First thing you need to do is install and activate the Restrict Usernames plugin. Upon activation, you will notice a new menu option under the Users tab called “Name Restrictions”.
Simply add a list of restricted usernames. You can also add keywords in partial matching. It would be really nice if the plugin actually came with a database of restricted username that would include all the common ones.
If a user tries to register with a name that is restricted, then they will see an error. It is important to remember that this plugin does not modify any existing users. So if someone already has a username “admin” then it will not be affected. Admins always have the ability to bypass these restrictions. So if microsoft wants to create an account on your website, you can easily create it for them.
