Restrict or Block Users: Group Changes, Account Bans, and IP Blacklisting
This article explains how to update a user's group, ban a user account, or ban a user's IP address through the Admin Dashboard.
All actions must be performed within the user’s profile.
You will find step-by-step instructions below, including screenshots to guide you.
Why Prioritize Group Updates Before Banning?
In many cases, adjusting a user's permissions by changing their User Group can be enough to correct inappropriate behavior or limit access without completely banning the user. Banning an account or an IP address should be considered only when necessary, such as for severe violations or security threats. By following this progressive approach, you maintain fairness, minimize disruption, and preserve good users while protecting your platform when needed.
Sometimes, you may need to change a user's group to modify their permissions, access levels, or roles.
To update a user's group:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Settings tab.
Under You are..., select the new group from the dropdown list and save the changes.
- This will define the permissions and access rights the user will have upon their next login.
After changing the group, it is mandatory to click "Force user logout" to apply the changes immediately.
- This will ensure that the user is disconnected and must log back in, loading the new permissions tied to their updated group.
Note: If the user remains logged in without being logged out, they will still operate under their old permissions until they manually log out or their session expires.
To ban a user from accessing their account:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Settings tab.
Under Account Authorization, select Banned from the dropdown list and save the changes.
- This will prevent the user from logging into their account.
To immediately apply the ban, click the link "Force user logout".
- This will terminate any active sessions the user might have and apply the new ban status immediately.
Note: If you do not click "Force user logout," the user will remain logged in until they manually log out or their session expires. Always force logout after banning.
If you want to restrict access from a specific IP address associated with the user:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Activities tab.
Locate the IP address you wish to ban (displayed in the list of login or activity records).
Hover over the IP address, and a tooltip will appear.
Click on "Blacklist this IP".
This will automatically add the IP address to the platform's blacklist, blocking any future access attempts from that IP.
- In the Admin Dashboard, you can view and manage all banned IP addresses manually by going to:
Settings > Security.
- In this section, you can:
- Review blacklisted IPs
- Remove IPs from the blacklist
- Document the ban reason
- Add new IPs manually for preventive restrictions.
Note: IP banning is effective immediately after it is added to the blacklist. However, be aware that some users may have dynamic IPs (which change over time) or use a VPN, so banning an IP might not be sufficient to permanently block a user.
- Always document why an account or IP was banned (e.g., in an admin only user attribute)
- Use account bans for behavioral issues (e.g., policy violations) and IP bans for technical/security issues (e.g., bot attacks, repeated abusive logins).
All actions must be performed within the user’s profile.
You will find step-by-step instructions below, including screenshots to guide you.
Why Prioritize Group Updates Before Banning?
In many cases, adjusting a user's permissions by changing their User Group can be enough to correct inappropriate behavior or limit access without completely banning the user. Banning an account or an IP address should be considered only when necessary, such as for severe violations or security threats. By following this progressive approach, you maintain fairness, minimize disruption, and preserve good users while protecting your platform when needed.
1. Update a User’s User Group
Sometimes, you may need to change a user's group to modify their permissions, access levels, or roles.
To update a user's group:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Settings tab.
Under You are..., select the new group from the dropdown list and save the changes.
- This will define the permissions and access rights the user will have upon their next login.
After changing the group, it is mandatory to click "Force user logout" to apply the changes immediately.
- This will ensure that the user is disconnected and must log back in, loading the new permissions tied to their updated group.
Note: If the user remains logged in without being logged out, they will still operate under their old permissions until they manually log out or their session expires.
2. Ban a User Account
To ban a user from accessing their account:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Settings tab.
Under Account Authorization, select Banned from the dropdown list and save the changes.
- This will prevent the user from logging into their account.
To immediately apply the ban, click the link "Force user logout".
- This will terminate any active sessions the user might have and apply the new ban status immediately.
Note: If you do not click "Force user logout," the user will remain logged in until they manually log out or their session expires. Always force logout after banning.
3. Ban a User's IP Address
If you want to restrict access from a specific IP address associated with the user:
Go to the user's profile in the Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to the Activities tab.
Locate the IP address you wish to ban (displayed in the list of login or activity records).
Hover over the IP address, and a tooltip will appear.
Click on "Blacklist this IP".
This will automatically add the IP address to the platform's blacklist, blocking any future access attempts from that IP.
Additional IP Management
- In the Admin Dashboard, you can view and manage all banned IP addresses manually by going to:
Settings > Security.
- In this section, you can:
- Review blacklisted IPs
- Remove IPs from the blacklist
- Document the ban reason
- Add new IPs manually for preventive restrictions.
Note: IP banning is effective immediately after it is added to the blacklist. However, be aware that some users may have dynamic IPs (which change over time) or use a VPN, so banning an IP might not be sufficient to permanently block a user.
Best Practices
- Always document why an account or IP was banned (e.g., in an admin only user attribute)
- Use account bans for behavioral issues (e.g., policy violations) and IP bans for technical/security issues (e.g., bot attacks, repeated abusive logins).
Updated on: 28/04/2025
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