Manual:Setting user groups in MediaWiki

By default MediaWiki has several 1>Special:MyLanguage/Help:User rights and groups|user groups that can grant a user a set of user rights. See also 1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:User_rights#List_of_groups|the list of groups.

Special:UserRights
There is a simple interface (Special:UserRights) for adding a user to or removing a user from one or more user groups. To do this the acting user must have the   user right, which by default is granted to the  user group. You can access Special:UserRights directly or via Special:SpecialPages in the toolbox on the left. You can also view the rights an individual group has by accessing the Special:UserGroupRights special page.

For help in using Special:UserRights, refer to .

From API
If you are developing a 1>Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets</>|gadget, a 2>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Bots</>|bot (an admin bot) or other stuff that should be able to change user's groups through the API, see the page <tvar|3></>.

From the command line
The 1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Maintenance scripts</>|maintenance script <tvar|2></> can add groups to a user from the command line:

There is no way to remove a group from a user from the command line, without directly modifying the database.

From source code
If you are developing a MediaWiki 1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Extensions</>|extension such as a 2>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:SessionManager and AuthManager</>|custom authentication manager or other stuff that should be able to change user's groups, you can have a look at these methods:



As documented into the <tvar|url>https://doc.wikimedia.org/mediawiki-core/master/php/User_8php_source.html</> page.

Related pages

 * — Explanation of the different “rights” which can be assigned to a group