# Impersonation

> Learn how to log in as another user to test permission controls and access private resources.

## Introduction
**Impersonation mode** allows Admins and Analysts to log in as another user, and access the personal items of that user (including folders, dashboards, and reports). 

This feature is useful for:
- Test your permission control setup
- Troubleshoot reporting problems that your end-user was facing

<!-- The **Impersonating** feature can help you do just that. Impersonators can view and edit your impersonatee’s private resources given that you have access permission to those resources in your original account. -->

:::warning Note
This feature only works for Admin and Analyst accounts.
:::

## How to impersonate another user
- Simply click on the top-right menu > **View and Edit as**, you will see a list of users that you can impersonate. 
- Select a user, and the system will log you in as that user.

## Impersonator's permissions
### When impersonator is an admin
The impersonator can **do anything as if they were the impersonatee** (with all of their privileges and abilities), including editing the personal workspace.

:::info Note
Admins are **unable** to impersonate other admin users. 

However, admins can [directly access and manage personal content of any user](/docs/admin/manage-users-personal-content), including other admin accounts.
:::

<!--As an Admin, you may need to *impersonate* other users on various occasions, for examples:
- When you want to check you have correctly implemented some permission controls.
- When you cannot reproduce a reporting problem that your end-user was facing.

The **Impersonating** feature can help you do just that. If you have an Admin account, when clicking on the top-right menu -> **View and Edit as...** you will see a list of users that you can impersonate:

Select a user, and you will be able to view Holistics reports/dashboards as if you are that user.-->

### When impersonator is an analyst
An Analyst can only impersonate an Explorer or a Business User. Impersonating another Analyst is not allowed.

The impersonator's permissions will be **the intersection of their original permissions and the impersonatee's permissions**.

For example, if Analyst A is not allowed to view report X but Explorer B is, although Analyst A impersonates the account of Explorer B, Analyst A is still unable to view report X.

<!-- ## FAQ

### Why an admin account has full access to all objects but can’t access some of the dashboards & reports?
This is because the dashboards & reports that you’re visiting is a private dashboard that belongs to other Admin user. 

Admin cannot impersonate another Admin. Holistics hasn't supported accessing private items if it belongs to an Admin.

If you want to access the dashboard, there're 2 ways:

- Ask the Admin to move the dashboard from the private workspace to the company workspace.
- Or, demote that Admin to an Analyst, then use **"Log In As Another User"** with your Admin account, to view the private workspace of that Analyst. -->