Your ShiftCode Admin Panel: Refer to any welcoming email message(s) from ShiftCode staff you have likely already received after your ShiftCode licensing purchase.  Look for references to your ShiftCode Admin Panel URL (web location) and login (username and password)  Enter (or copy and paste) your ShiftCode Admin Panel URL into your browser and proceed to that web location.  If all things have gone well so far you should now be viewing a special admin-only page that looks like this in the upper left corner of your screen (below):

 

First things first, you may have noticed that your own special ShiftCode Admin Panel URL contains a series of what looks like gibberish letters and numbers (like this ‘63d130df7xbe167e2’)  This is called a security ‘hash’ (it’s basically a URL with an encrypted section added on) – it is unique to your own particular instance of the ShiftCode script and you should NEVER reveal that web location to anyone else (other than yourself)  The admin URL containing the hash is purposely made hard to guess by hackers or others that may have bad intent with regard to your site.  We’d suggest that you take the time to write down and safely bookmark this URL as this is where most all functions of your site are configured and performed.

Next we’ll address your assigned admin username and temporary password.  Chances are that you’ve been assigned a relatively simple admin username and password.  You’ll want to change these to your own preferences as soon as possible (now?) for increased security purposes!

Use your given admin login to log in to your admin panel.  You should then see a seeming complicated (but really easy to navigate and powerful once you get used to it) screen that looks like this:

Next find the ‘Main’ heading (link box) in the upper right corner of the admin panel just under the ShiftCode logo (as seen below)

Click on Users & Groups.  Notice the top section of that page is for ‘group’ management (which are basically defining roles available to assign to admin(s), staff, and designers, etc)  What we’re interested in now is the ‘User’ management area just below the group management area.  Notice that your own administrator account is listed along with the ‘shiftcode’ admin user account (the shiftcode admin user account is for internal official ShiftCode staff and cannot be edited or deleted because it is necessary and mandatory)

Instead of editing your own administrator account (while also being logged into the same admin user account) then we feel it is much safer to create a secondary new admin account for the time being (after you’ve successfully logged into the newly created admin account then you can delete the original admin account)

Click on ‘Add User’.  Enter your desired new administrator Username and Password (we suggest a strong password that includes a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, at least one number, and at least one symbol character – though strong passwords are not enforced at this time then it is best for your own good)  Make sure that you’re not using a password you have ever used at any other site (past or present)  The new admin account you are creating will have ultimate access to all your sites functions including financial balances, etc. don’t shoot yourself in the foot by specifying an easy to guess or repeated password!

Specify that this new account is part of the ‘Administrator’ group (chances are that at this point you have no other options)  The Description field is totally optional / not crucial and will be explained at a later point in this documentation.   Leave the Description field blank.

Take a moment to write down your new username and password (now!) Click the ‘Add User’ button to finalize your new administrator Username account creation.  You should see a green headed ‘Success!’ message further stating  that ‘The user has been added’  At this point the User management area should be showing your old admin User, your newly created admin User, and the permanent internal ‘shiftcode’ admin user account.  Click on the ‘Logout’ button on the upper red bar on the upper left under the ‘ADMIN PANEL’ heading (as seen below):

Now log back into the admin panel using your new administrator account credentials.  Go back to the Main > Users & Groups  area (the area where you just created your new admin account)   Now click on the blue gear box at the right side end next to your old administrator user account and choose delete.  Confirm that you wish to delete that account and then this mission has been accomplished!  Give yourself a pat on the back safe in the knowledge that your new administrator account is safer than the previous default admin account assigned to you.

Incidentally, that ‘Users & Groups’ area is also the area where you can eventually add a new group of sub-admin privileged staff members or site template installers and when you add a new group you will be able to specify exactly the level of access each new group has.  It is NOT necessary to make any new groups at this point in time (continue the quick start guide and stay focused on the important steps we point out – you can go back and add groups etc. at a later point as needed)