Understanding admin users in Strapi

Last updated: April 16, 2026

Enterprise Edition licenses are based on the number of administration panel users (soft-cap), subject to your specific license terms. In licensing and pricing discussions, these administration panel users are commonly referred to as seats. One seat corresponds to one admin user who can access the Strapi admin panel.

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 access the admin panel in production, 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