# Add 'stop impersonating' link to user avatar dropdown when impersonating
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** completed, impersonate
**Created:** [17 maart 2014 om 16:35 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806 "2014-03-17T16:35:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [17 maart 2014 om 16:35 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/1 "2014-03-17T16:35:33Z")
As far as I’m aware, there is currently no way to ‘stop impersonating’ a user. In order to do this now, you have to log out, and then log back in as yourself.
It’d be nice if there were a link to ‘stop impersonating’ the user in the user avatar dropdown menu:
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [18 maart 2014 om 05:01 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/2 "2014-03-18T05:01:58Z")
We would need to start tracking that you are impersonating for that to work 🙂
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### Author:  [@Sander78](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sander78)
#### Post date: [18 maart 2014 om 10:59 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/3 "2014-03-18T10:59:54Z")
Well, wouldn’t mind that Discourse would track that. 😄
> [@Don't change 'last seen' when impersonating a user](https://meta.discourse.org/t/don-t-change-last-seen-when-impersonating-a-user/5764):
>
> When - as an admin - you impersonate a user, their last seen is updated. That is of course because you completely impersonate the user as if he were behind the keyboard. But… you’re not the user. You might use that option to quickly check something from the point of view of the user. So, is it possible to skip updating the last seen? And maybe there are other things that should not be updated when logged in through the admin account.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [18 maart 2014 om 11:15 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/4 "2014-03-18T11:15:35Z")
Totally for fixing this, its just a bit hairy.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [18 maart 2014 om 18:49 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/5 "2014-03-18T18:49:05Z")
Are you really impersonating users so much that this is a problem? Seems like a lot of work for little benefit.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [18 maart 2014 om 18:56 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/6 "2014-03-18T18:56:23Z")
No, its a very minor issue. Consider this documentation for the workaround until such a time its deemed worthy of attention.
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [2 februari 2015 om 19:12 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/7 "2015-02-02T19:12:52Z")
Ran into this myself right now. Still corner-case, but it _is_ rather annoying when it does happen, just for the record ^^
Even a “secret” URL shortcut to get you back would be a great first step. I could be made aware of such a trick via the admin guide.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [8 april 2015 om 15:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/8 "2015-04-08T15:00:53Z")
Would the mechanics for switching out of anonymous mode be applicable to this feature?
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [8 april 2015 om 21:47 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/9 "2015-04-08T21:47:49Z")
I can implement it, but I don’t want to gold plate impersonation, logging when someone impersonates has to come first
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### Author:  [@lisajill](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lisajill)
#### Post date: [8 september 2015 om 17:18 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/10 "2015-09-08T17:18:05Z")
Looking forward to having this option. I end up impersonating folks quite a lot as we develop features/test things out and it is a huge hassle to get out of it since I have to go through multiple screens to re-login (due to SSO).
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### Author:  [@robbyoconnor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbyoconnor)
#### Post date: [3 juli 2016 om 19:09 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/11 "2016-07-03T19:09:26Z")
Was this ever implemented?
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [3 juli 2016 om 22:52 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/12 "2016-07-03T22:52:51Z")
Nope, did not happen, I feel odd adding more polish around impersonation
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [11 januari 2019 om 22:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/16 "2019-01-11T22:53:22Z")
> [@mcwumbly](#):
>
> Consider this documentation for the workaround until such a time its deemed worthy of attention.
So what is the workaround?
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### Author:  [@jtbayly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jtbayly)
#### Post date: [11 januari 2019 om 23:04 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/17 "2019-01-11T23:04:08Z")
I think he was referring to this:
> [@mcwumbly](#):
>
> log out, and then log back in as yourself
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### Author:  [@sau226](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sau226)
#### Post date: [22 januari 2019 om 08:27 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/18 "2019-01-22T08:27:58Z")
@Sam Sorry for reviving this old post but since impersonations are now logged could this feature be built in the future or is it in your list of things to work on?
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [29 januari 2019 om 09:26 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/19 "2019-01-29T09:26:12Z")
Still not tracked per auth token, we would need a new column for that.
Over the years I have had so little motivation to do anything here short of adding tracking, I feel like impersonation is simply something to be avoided, the friction here can be seen as a feature.
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### Author:  [@jtbayly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jtbayly)
#### Post date: [29 januari 2019 om 12:07 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/20 "2019-01-29T12:07:06Z")
Though I understand your reticence to improve it, I hardly think trapping people in a mode you want them to avoid makes sense as a feature. It has legitimate uses, which is why it was added and why I use it.
I don’t really mind being forced to logout to quit impersonating though. The problem is that I can’t figure out how to logout without clearing their notification count (because I have to click on their profile menu to get to the logout menu item.) This is confusing and unhelpful for the user being helped via impersonation.
Is there a url I can visit to logout directly? Or is there some other way to avoid this problem?
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [29 januari 2019 om 13:19 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/21 "2019-01-29T13:19:03Z")
> [@jtbayly](#):
>
> The problem is that I can’t figure out how to logout without clearing their notification count
Simplest workaround is:
- Open a new browser
- Head to `/u/USERNAME/preferences/account`
- Find culprit device in “Recently Used Devices”
- Click wrench
- Log it out
If you are in the habit of always impersonating from an incognito session this should be fairly easy.
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### Author:  [@jtbayly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jtbayly)
#### Post date: [29 januari 2019 om 13:40 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/22 "2019-01-29T13:40:47Z")
Thanks for the solution as well as the tip about using incognito mode.
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### Author:  [@John\_Lehmann](https://meta.discourse.org/u/John_Lehmann)
#### Post date: [27 april 2019 om 14:40 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806/23 "2019-04-27T14:40:03Z")
A loud banner at the top to indicate impersonation, with a button on it to release the account would be a great way to round out this functionality.
This is what [django-hijack](https://github.com/arteria/django-hijack) looks like:
[Volgende pagina](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-stop-impersonating-link-to-user-avatar-dropdown-when-impersonating/13806.md?page=2)