Overview:

Admin access to the MaxCommerce CMS is managed via email address and controlled through security groups. These groups define what areas a member can access and update.

This guide explains:

• How to check if a member exists
• How to grant or revoke admin access
• How to add a new admin (either by self-signup or CMS-created)
• Best practices for managing shared or outgoing user access

Note: Security groups can be found under CMS > Settings > Security Groups. Do not remove any Solutionists accounts from these groups. Removing a member from a security group only revokes their CMS access – the account remains in the system for order and historical reference purposes.

1. Understand Security Groups

• Go to CMS > Settings > Security Groups
• Review your groups and their members
• Most admins will belong to:
  • Administrators
  • Developers

You may see group names like Admin Users depending on your version of MaxCommerce.

2. Check if a Member Already Exists

1. Navigate to CMS > Members
2. Search using the email address
3. If a result is returned:
   • Proceed to Step 3: Grant Admin Access
4. If no result is returned:
   • Proceed to Step 4: Add a New Member

3. Grant Admin Access to an Existing Member

1. In the search results, click the member to open their profile
2. Click Edit Member to open the Lightwindow
3. Go to the Security Groups tab
4. Select the appropriate admin group (e.g. Administrator)
5. Click Save

The member now has CMS access using their existing login.

4. Add a New Member

You can either ask the user to create their account on the front-end or do it for them via the CMS.

Option 1: Member Self-Signup

• Ask the user to create an account from your website’s front-end (like a customer)
• Once created, follow Step 3 to assign them to an admin group

Option 2: Create Account via CMS

1. Go to CMS > Settings > Security Groups > Administrators
2. Click Add New Member
3. In the lightwindow, enter:
   • First Name
   • Last Name
   • Email
   • Password (can be temporary; they'll reset it later)
   • Tick Is an active user
   • Ensure the correct site is selected
4. Click Save

You may need to click the group (e.g., Administrator) again in the left-hand menu to reload the member list.

Send a Password Reset Email

1. Go to CMS > Members
2. Search for the new member
3. Click their name to open the profile
4. Click Send Reset Password
   This will send a reset link to the email address entered.

5. Revoke Admin Access

If a team member no longer needs access:

1. Go to CMS > Settings > Security Groups
2. Click the relevant group
3. Select the member from the list (highlighted in grey)
4. Click Remove

This only removes their CMS access. The member account remains for order and reporting purposes.

Resetting a Password via the CMS

You can also manually reset a member’s password:

1. Go to CMS > Members
2. Locate and edit the member
3. In the Edit Member lightwindow, clear the encrypted password field
4. Enter the new password and click Save

Tip: The password will always show as encrypted after saving, but the newly entered password will be applied immediately.