User Management Guide¶

How to approve, manage, and configure users as an admin.

👥 User Management Overview¶

As an admin, you control: - User registration approvals - Role assignments (Manager, Student, etc.) - User deactivation/removal - Account management

📝 Registration Flow¶

How Students Register¶

1. User goes to login page
2. Clicks "Register"
3. Fills form:
4. Email
5. Password
6. Full name
7. College ID
8. Room number
9. Phone
10. Submits → Status: Pending

Your Role (Approval)¶

You (as admin) must: 1. Review pending registrations 2. Verify they're legitimate mess members 3. Approve or reject

✅ Approving Users¶

Find Pending Registrations¶

Method 1: Dashboard 1. Go to Dashboard 2. See "Pending Approvals" widget 3. Click to review

Method 2: User Management 1. Go to Settings → User Management 2. Filter: Status = "Pending" 3. See list of pending users

Review User Details¶

For each pending user: - Email - Full name - College ID - Room number - Phone - Registration date

Approve User¶

1. Click user → "Details"
2. Review information
3. Click "Approve" button
4. Confirm

Result: - Status changes to "Approved" - Email sent to user - User can now login

Reject User¶

1. Click user → "Details"
2. Click "Reject" button
3. Optionally add rejection reason
4. Confirm

Result: - Status changes to "Rejected" - User cannot login - Can re-register later

🔄 Managing Existing Users¶

View All Users¶

Go to: Settings → User Management

See all users with: - Email - Full name - Role (Student, Manager, Admin) - Status (Approved, Pending, Rejected) - Join date

Filter Users¶

By Status: - Approved - Pending approval - Rejected

By Role: - Students - Managers - Admins

By Activity: - Active (recent login) - Inactive (no recent activity) - New (joined < 30 days)

Search Users¶

Search by: - Email - Full name - College ID - Room number

🔑 Role Management¶

Understand Roles¶

Assign Role to User¶

For pending registration: 1. When approving, you can assign role 2. Default: "Student" 3. Change if needed (e.g., "Manager")

For existing user: 1. Go to User Management 2. Click user 3. Click "Change Role" 4. Select new role 5. Confirm 6. User notified of change

Common Role Changes¶

Student → Manager - When: They volunteer to manage expenses - How: Click Change Role → Manager - They gain: Expense add/edit, Menu edit, Analytics

Manager → Student - When: They step down from responsibilities - How: Click Change Role → Student - They lose: Add/edit permissions

Any → Admin - Careful: Admins have full access - Only when: Super trusted person - Recommend: Training first

🚫 Deactivating Users¶

When to Deactivate¶

• User left hostel/college
• Inactive for long period
• Request to leave
• Expelled from institution

How to Deactivate¶

1. Go to User Management
2. Click user
3. Click "Deactivate"
4. Reason (optional)
5. Confirm

Result: - User cannot login - Their data remains - Fair share still calculated if records exist

Reactivate User¶

1. Go to User Management
2. Filter: Inactive
3. Click user
4. Click "Reactivate"
5. Confirm

🗑️ Removing Users¶

Permanent Deletion¶

⚠️ Warning: Cannot be undone

1. Go to User Management
2. Click user
3. Click "Delete"
4. Confirm (type "DELETE" to confirm)

What happens: - User account deleted - All their records removed - Analytics recalculated - Fair share adjusted

Better Alternative: Deactivate¶

Instead of delete: - Keeps historical records - Can reactivate later - Fair share stays accurate - Recommended for most cases

📊 User Statistics¶

View in Dashboard:

• Total Members
• New registrations this month
• Pending approvals
• Inactive members
• Active managers

🔐 Password Management¶

Reset User Password¶

Currently: User must use "Forgot Password"

1. User clicks "Forgot Password" on login
2. Enter email
3. Check email for reset link
4. Click link
5. Create new password

Admin Password Reset (Future)¶

Currently not available. If needed: - Contact super-admin - Database manual reset (advanced)

📧 Communication with Users¶

Auto-Generated Emails¶

Users receive emails for: - Registration confirmation - Approval notification - Rejection notification - Role change notification

Manual Communication¶

Send messages: - (Feature not yet available) - Alternative: Use external email/messaging

Bulletin Board¶

• (Feature not yet available)
• Current: Post in group chat/WhatsApp

👥 Inviting Members¶

Current Invite Process¶

Users must self-register: 1. Send them login URL 2. They click "Register" 3. Fill form 4. You approve

Better Approach¶

1. Create a registration form (Google Forms)
2. Collect email, name, room, phone
3. Share results with students
4. They register on MessWala
5. Approve in batch

Bulk Invite (Future)¶

Not yet available: - Admin-generated invite links - Bulk user creation from CSV - Email invitations

🎯 Best Practices¶

For Registration¶

✅ Review carefully (prevent fake accounts)
✅ Verify college ID matches institution
✅ Check email format (college domain preference)
✅ Approve within 24 hours of registration
✅ Keep records of rejections

For Role Management¶

✅ Start all as "Student"
✅ Promote based on participation
✅ Confirm responsibilities before Manager role
✅ Monitor manager activity
✅ Rotate managers periodically

For User Removal¶

✅ Deactivate instead of delete (preserve history)
✅ Document reason for removal
✅ Notify user of deactivation
✅ Archive their final fair share amount

⚠️ Common Issues¶

User Can't Login After Approval¶

Check: - Status is "Approved" (not pending) - They're using correct email - Password is correct - Clear browser cache

Role Change Not Taking Effect¶

Solution: - User must logout and login - Browser may cache permissions - Try incognito/private mode

Rejected User Can Re-Register¶

Yes, they can: - They can submit registration again - You can re-approve or reject again - Consider email rules if they're repeat spammers

Can't Find a User¶

Try: - Search by email instead of name - Check if user was deleted - Check different status filters - Scroll through full list

🔒 Admin Responsibilities¶

Remember: - Admins have full system access - Be careful when managing others - Document important actions - Follow fair policies for approval - Treat all users equally

📞 Support¶

Issues with user management? - See Troubleshooting - Contact higher-level admin - Check system logs

Last Updated: March 17, 2026
Version: 2.0