Understanding admin users in Strapi

Last updated: November 4, 2026

Enterprise Edition licenses are based on the number of administration panel users (soft-cap), subject to your specific license terms. Each user is one email address that can log in to a project's Strapi admin panel, and it counts once across all of the project's environments.

What is an admin user?

A Strapi "admin user" is anyone who can log in to your Strapi CMS admin panel, regardless of their role assignment.

Examples of admin users include:

  • Super admins (default role with full access)

  • Content managers

  • Content editors

  • Localization managers

  • Anyone who can log in to the admin panel in any of the project's environments, including via SSO

The following are not counted as admin users:

  • Automation accounts in any environment (API Tokens)

  • End users (accessing content via REST or GraphQL APIs)

Admin users vs. end users

Strapi has distinct authentication systems for different purposes:

  • Admin core package

    • Handles admin panel authentication

    • User counts are limited by license

    • Admin users have access to the control panel / back office / admin panel

  • Users-permissions plugin

    • Manages end-user authentication

    • Controls access to REST and GraphQL endpoints (content API)

    • End users do not count toward license limits

  • API token feature

    • Available in Strapi v4 and Strapi 5

    • Provides authentication without registering specific users

    • Cannot be used for admin panel access

For detailed information about user licensing, contact our sales team.

📄 Key licensing definitions for Strapi Enterprise Edition