Outline. Managing users
This article covers operations on the user list: creating another user, editing one, temporarily disabling them, getting the access link, and deleting an account. The minimum scenario "install the module and connect the first device" is covered in Outline quick start; here we go into more detail.
User list
The list opens by default on the Outline module page. Each row shows the username (copyable to the clipboard), the comment, and the email if they are filled in, with action icons at the end of the row: connection settings, send link by email, edit, the state toggle, and delete.
Above the list — the "Users" title, the total number of users, and the "Create user" button.
When there are no users yet
Right after the module is installed, the list is empty and the panel invites you to create the first user. Click "Create user" — the next steps are described below.
Create a user
- Click "Create user" in the top-right corner of the list.
- Fill in the form (all fields are optional):
- "Username" — 2 to 32 characters: Latin letters, digits, and a hyphen. If left empty, the panel generates the name itself. If you enter a name that is taken or has the wrong format, the panel highlights the error under the field.
- "Email" — validated for correctness; used only to send the access link by email.
- "Comment" — a label of up to 64 characters.
- "User language" — language of the email with the connection link. Defaults to English.
- "Enabled" — by default the user is created enabled; turn the toggle off if you don't want to activate them right away.
- Click "Create".
The form can be submitted completely empty — the panel picks a username and immediately issues an access key.
⚠️ 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.
Edit a user
In the user row, click the "Edit" icon. In the "Edit user" dialog you can change the email, the comment, the "User language", and the "Enabled" toggle. The username in this dialog is read-only — an existing user cannot be renamed.
The "Save" button is active only if something has changed compared to the current state. To clear the email or the comment, leave the field empty and save: the panel will erase the value on the server.
Enable and disable a user
The user row has a toggle: a single click enables or disables the account without opening a dialog. A disabled user stays in the list, but their access key cannot be used to connect. When the user is re-enabled, the previous key becomes valid again — there is no need to reconfigure the client app. Changes apply immediately.
Get the access link
In the user row, click the "Settings" icon. The "Connection settings" dialog contains a ready link of the form ss://... (the standard Shadowsocks SIP002 URI, understood by any Outline- or Shadowsocks-compatible client), a QR code for scanning with the device camera, and a "Send to email" button. The send button is disabled if SMTP is not configured in the panel or the user has no email set.
The same send action is available right from the user row — without opening the settings dialog.
ℹ️ How to change the access key
If the key needs to be replaced (for example, the link ended up in the wrong hands), create a new user and delete the old one — the new user gets a different key.
ℹ️ If the link did not generate
If the dialog shows the banner "Access link is not available", close the dialog and reopen it. If the problem persists, check that the Outline service is running (see Outline. Managing the module).
Delete a user
In the user row, click the "Delete" icon (red). The panel asks you to confirm the deletion and warns that the access key will be revoked and active connections will be terminated.
‼️ Deleting a user is irreversible
Right after confirmation the account is deleted, and its access key is revoked. The ss://... link added to a client app stops working. The user cannot be restored "as it was" — even if a new user with the same name is created, the access key will be different, and the client app will need to add the server again.
See also
- Outline quick start — installing the module and the first connection.
- Outline. Managing the module — managing the service, updating, and uninstalling.
- How to set up an SMTP relay for sending emails — so the access link can be sent to users by email.