How to Add a Super Admin User Role in WordPress Multisite

After managing WordPress multisite networks for our own projects, we’ve seen how important it is to set up the right user roles from the start. One of the most powerful — and misunderstood — is the Super Admin.

We’ve helped users who got locked out of their networks or accidentally gave someone too much control.

If you’re running a multisite network, knowing how to safely assign (or recover) Super Admin access is essential. That way, the right people have full control, and the wrong ones don’t.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to add a Super Admin in WordPress multisite. We’ll cover both the easy dashboard method and the emergency manual method — plus how to keep these powerful accounts safe.

Here is a list of topics we will cover in this guide:

What Is a Super Admin User Role in WordPress?

WordPress comes with a built-in set of user roles. They have different permissions to do specific things on a WordPress site. For details, see our beginner’s guide on WordPress user roles and privileges.

A ‘Super Admin’ is a special user role in WordPress only available on websites that have the WordPress multisite feature turned on.

The multisite feature allows you to create multiple websites on a single WordPress installation. Each website can have its own ‘Administrator(s)’ to manage a specific website.

However, a user with the Super Admin user role can manage all websites on that WordPress multisite network. They can install plugins and themes and manage settings that affect all the sites.

Regular Administrators can only manage one site at a time. Super Admins, on the other hand, can make changes that impact every site in the network.

Be cautious when assigning the Super Admin role. Since Super Admins have access to everything, you should only give this role to people you fully trust. One wrong change can affect every site in the network.

Method 1: Adding a New Super Admin User in WordPress Multisite

This method is easy, and if you are already logged in to your WordPress multisite as a Super Admin, then you can use it to add new users with Super Admin user roles.

Simply log in to the WordPress admin area and hover over the ‘My Sites’ menu at the top left corner of the screen.

From there, navigate to the Network Admin » Users page.

Here, you can manage all the users on your site. Go ahead and click on the ‘Add New User’ button at the top.

This will bring you to the Add New User page.

Experienced WordPress users will notice that this page looks different from what you would see on a single site. Here, you can only add a username and email address, and there is no option to select a user role.

For now, you just need to add the username and email address of the user you want to add and click the ‘Add User’ button.

WordPress will now save the information and automatically send an email to the user to set their password.

Next, you need to assign this user ‘Super Admin’ privileges.

To do that, head over to the Users » All Users page and locate the user you just added.

Take the mouse over to the username and then click the ‘Edit’ link.

This will open the ‘Edit User’ page.

Here, you need to scroll down to the ‘Super Admin’ section and check the box next to the ‘Grant this user super admin privileges for the Network’ option.

After that, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Ensure you click the ‘Update User’ button to save your changes.

WordPress will now save the changes you made to the user account and grant them the Super Admin permissions.

You will see a success message that the user has Super Admin privileges.

That’s all. You have successfully added a new user with the Super Admin user role in WordPress.

Method 2: Adding a Super Admin User in WordPress Manually

This method is recommended for users locked out of the WordPress admin area who can’t add Super Admin users using the dashboard.

First, you need to connect to your website using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting control panel.

Once connected, navigate to the /wp-content/themes/ folder and open the folder for the theme you are using on your root site.

Here, you will see several files and templates used by your WordPress theme.

You need to locate the functions.php file and download it to your computer.

You can now open this file using a plain text editor app like Notepad or TextEdit.

After that, add the following code at the bottom of your functions.php file:

function wpb_create_super_admin() {
    $username = 'newuser';  // Replace with the desired username
    $password = 'password123';  // Replace with the desired password
    $email = 'newuser@example.com';  // Replace with the user's email

    if ( !username_exists( $username ) && !email_exists( $email ) ) {
        $user_id = wp_create_user( $username, $password, $email );

        if ( !is_wp_error( $user_id ) ) {
            // Assign the Super Admin role to the new user
            grant_super_admin( $user_id );
        }
    }
}
add_action( 'init', 'wpb_create_super_admin' );

Ensure you fill in the values for $username, $password, and $email with the values you want to use for the new Super Admin user account.

Finally, don’t forget to save your changes and upload the file back to your website.

You can now log in to your root site’s WordPress admin area using the details you added to your functions file.

Important ⚠️: Don’t forget to delete the code you added to the functions file after successfully logging in to your Super Admin account.

How to Remove a Super Admin User in WordPress Multisite

There may come a time when you need to remove Super Admin privileges from a user. For example, maybe they’ve left your team, or you want to reduce risk by limiting access.

We’ve had to do this on our own networks when cleaning up permissions or adjusting access after a handoff. The good news is, it’s quick and easy to do if you’re already logged in as a Super Admin.

First, go to the top menu and hover over My Sites » Network Admin » Users.

Find the user you want to remove Super Admin rights from and click the ‘Edit’ link under their username.

On the Edit User screen, scroll down to the Super Admin section.

Uncheck the box that says ‘Grant this user super admin privileges for the Network’.

Scroll to the bottom and click the ‘Update User’ button to save your changes.

That’s it! This user will no longer have Super Admin access. They’ll still be able to manage their assigned site(s) if they have individual roles set there.

Note: Be careful not to remove Super Admin access from all users. You should always have at least one trusted person with full control of the network.

Troubleshooting Super Admin Setup (Common Issues)

Sometimes, even after following all the steps, things don’t work as expected. We’ve seen a few common issues come up when trying to assign Super Admin privileges in WordPress multisite.

Here are some of the most frequent problems — and how to fix them.

1. The “Super Admin” checkbox is missing

This usually happens if the user hasn’t been added to the network yet. Make sure the person you want to promote already exists in the Network Admin » Users list before trying to edit their role.

2. The user doesn’t appear in the list

Double-check the email address or username you entered. If there was a typo or the user hasn’t completed the setup email yet, they might not show up right away. You can resend the invitation or recreate the user if needed.

3. The “Network Admin” menu is missing entirely

This usually means that multisite hasn’t been enabled correctly. You’ll need to confirm that your wp-config.php file includes the line to activate multisite, and that the network setup was completed properly.

4. The changes aren’t saving

Check for plugin conflicts or caching issues. Sometimes, security or membership plugins can interfere with user role changes. Temporarily disable any user management plugins and try again.

5. Still not working?

If none of the above helped, you can use the manual method shown earlier in this article to assign Super Admin access via FTP and functions.php.

Securing Super Admin Accounts in WordPress Multisite

We have seen many beginners lose access to the Super Admin accounts of their WordPress multisites.

Some people simply forget their login credentials, and others are attacked by hackers who get access to their multisite, causing severe financial and reputational damage.

We recommend all users follow our complete WordPress security guide to protect their websites.

Here are some tips that you can implement right away.

1. Set Up Automated WordPress Backups

Make sure that you are using a WordPress backup plugin to automatically create and store backups for your WordPress site to a remote location.

We recommend Duplicator. It is easy to use and set up, creates secure backups, and safely stores them on the cloud. More importantly, it also makes it easy to restore your website with one click from a backup.

We use Duplicator on our own websites. For more details, see our complete Duplicator review.

Note: A free version of Duplicator is also available with limited features. We recommend upgrading to a paid plan to unlock all features, including multisite support.

For details, see our tutorial on how to back up your WordPress website.

2. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

We use two-factor authentication for all user accounts. It adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress website, making it harder for someone to gain access to your Super Admin accounts.

We have put together a complete step-by-step tutorial on setting up two-factor authentication in WordPress for beginners. Following it will only take a few minutes, but it will make your multisite accounts more secure.

3. Ensure WordPress Emails Are Working

We often hear from users who are unable to receive a password reset email from their WordPress websites. Their WordPress website is not set up to ensure email deliverability.

By default, WordPress sends emails using the PHP mail() function. This function can be abused to send spam, so email service providers like Gmail and Outlook consider these emails suspicious and block them.

To fix this, you need to use an SMTP service like WP Mail SMTP. It allows you to use proper SMTP protocol to send WordPress emails, ensuring all your emails are securely delivered.

Note: A free version of WP Mail SMTP is also available.

We use WP Mail SMTP on all our websites to ensure all users can get their password reset and other important emails. See our WP Mail SMTP review to learn more.

Do you need help setting it up? We have a guide that shows how to set up WP Mail SMTP in WordPress.

FAQs About Super Admins in WordPress Multisite

Bonus WordPress Multisite Resources

The following are some additional guides to help you efficiently manage your WordPress multisite network as a Super Admin:

• Best WordPress Multisite Plugins You Should Use (Expert Pick)
• How to Create a WordPress Multisite with Different Domains (4 Steps)
• How to Move a Site from WordPress Multisite to Single Install
• Should You Network Activate All Plugins on WordPress Multisite
• How to Add / Remove Default Pages in WordPress Multisite

We hope this article helped you learn how to add a Super Admin user role in WordPress multisite. You may also want to see our article on tips on customizing the WordPress admin dashboard or our pick of the best plugins to improve the WordPress admin area.

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