OpenVPN. Managing users

This article covers operations on the VPN user list: how the list is organised, how to grab the .ovpn file for the connection, edit a user, temporarily disable, or delete one. The minimum "install the module and connect the first device" scenario is described in OpenVPN quick start; here we go into more detail.

Unlike Amnezia and Xray, OpenVPN in BeAdmin has no licence limit on users — create as many as you need, no slot top-ups required. The accounts are independent of each other; each gets its own certificate and its own .ovpn file.

The user list

The list opens on the OpenVPN module page by default and contains every created user with its current state. A new user is created with the Create user button above the list.

Each user is a row that expands on click. In its collapsed form, it shows the name, optionally the email address, and an Enabled toggle for temporary deactivation. Per-user actions — downloading the .ovpn, sending it by email, editing, and deletion — appear when the row is expanded: click the row to expand it.

When there are no users yet

Right after install the list is empty: the panel shows a Nothing here yet card with a prompt to create the first user and a Create user button. Once the first user is created the card disappears, and the usual list takes its place.

Expanded user row

The expanded row is where the user gets a configuration for the device and where the per-user actions live. With OpenVPN the configuration is delivered as a file, not a link or a QR code: the panel says so right in the expanded row — to connect, hand the user the .ovpn file.

The .ovpn file

The Download .ovpn button saves the .ovpn file — a single file with embedded PEM certificates and keys; the file name matches the user name. Connecting to OpenVPN happens by importing this file into a client app — no other configuration formats are available for OpenVPN, and a QR code is not issued either.

Sending by email

The Email button sends the .ovpn file to the address from the user's card. It is available when SMTP is configured in the panel and the user has an email address. Otherwise the button is inactive — the tooltip says exactly what is missing: SMTP is not configured or the address is empty.

Editing and deletion

The Edit button opens the dialog with the user's settings (details in the Editing a user section). The Delete button starts deletion — details in the Deleting a user section.

Email and comment tiles

Below the buttons there are tiles with the user's email and comment (when they are filled in). The fields themselves are edited in the Edit user dialog.

When SMTP is not configured

When SMTP is off, the expanded row shows the note Email sending is not configured on the server. with a Go to settings link — it leads to the panel's system settings, where the SMTP relay is enabled. Until the relay is configured, the Email button stays inactive; downloading the .ovpn file works regardless. Details on configuring the relay — in How to set up an SMTP relay for sending email.

Creating a user

The minimum scenario is described in OpenVPN quick start: open the dialog with the Create user button in the list header and fill in the Username, Email, Comment, User language fields; the Enabled toggle in the footer controls the user's state right after creation. The username is optional — leave the field empty and the panel will generate a name itself; otherwise 2–32 characters from Latin letters, digits, and hyphens are allowed, and it must be unique among the existing accounts.

⚠️ ISP restrictions

Traffic encryption makes a VPN a reliable way to protect a connection, but in some countries and regions internet providers actively interfere with VPN protocols. Because of this, full availability of the service cannot be guaranteed — regardless of the connection type. If one protocol does not work for you, try another VPN module available in the panel. If none of them work on your network, contact support and we will issue a refund for the license.

Editing a user

In the expanded row click Edit — the Edit user dialog opens.

The dialog lets you change:

• Email and Comment — edited under the same rules as on creation. To clear a value, leave the field empty and save: the panel will wipe it on the server.
• User language — the language of the configuration email. Default — English.
• Enabled — a toggle in the dialog footer; lets you temporarily disable the account without deleting it.

The username is read-only in this dialog — an existing user cannot be renamed. The Save button is active only when something in the form has changed compared to the current state.

Enabling and disabling a user

There is a toggle in the user row — one tap enables or disables the account without opening a dialog. When disabled, the user's certificate is added to the revocation list (CRL), and new connections under it are blocked automatically — no OpenVPN service restart is needed for this. Already established sessions keep working until their term ends; to drop them immediately, restart the service from the module header.

If you later re-enable a disabled user, the panel issues a new certificate for them — the old .ovpn file saved in the client app will not work. Download a fresh .ovpn from the expanded row and re-import it into the user's app; the panel will remind you of this right after re-enabling.

ℹ️ Why disable instead of delete

Disabling is handy if the .ovpn file may have fallen into the wrong hands or the user's device is temporarily unavailable: the account stays in the list, and the old certificate stops working immediately. If you don't plan to bring the user back — pick delete; it also revokes the certificate, but for good.

Deleting a user

In the expanded row click Delete. The panel asks you to confirm the action in the Delete user dialog with a note that the associated certificate will be revoked. After confirmation the account disappears from the list, its certificate is added to the CRL, and new connections under it are blocked automatically — no service restart is needed. Active sessions only drop when the OpenVPN service is restarted.

‼️ Deleting a user is irreversible

There is no way to restore the user "as it was". Even if you create a new one with the same name, the panel will issue a new certificate for it — the old .ovpn file imported into the client app will not work, and the client will have to import a fresh .ovpn.

What's next

• OpenVPN quick start — installing the module and the first connection.
• OpenVPN. Managing the module — managing the service, updating, and uninstalling the module.
• How to set up an SMTP relay for sending email — so you can email users their .ovpn file.