Test user account switches to superuser when I log into the admin

Using Django
1

I’m testing my Django site locally right now.

When I log in as a test user, then go to the Admin site in another tab, Django makes me log in there as the Superuser. After doing that, I go back to the site and refresh the page (which should still be the test user account), and it immediately switches me to the superuser account.

Is this normal for local testing? Will this affect me in production?

I’m pasting what I feel are the relevant parts of my settings.py, but I’m happy to share anything else if someone is willing to help.

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
]

ROOT_URLCONF = 'django_project.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [BASE_DIR / "templates"],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'django_project.wsgi.application'

# Database
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#databases

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}

CACHES = {
    'default': {
        'BACKEND': 'django.core.cache.backends.locmem.LocMemCache',
        'LOCATION': 'unique-snowflake',
    }
}

# Password validation
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators

AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
    },
]

# Internationalization
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/topics/i18n/

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'

TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'

USE_I18N = True

USE_TZ = True

# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/howto/static-files/

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'staticfiles'
STATICFILES_DIRS = [
    BASE_DIR / "static",
]

# Default primary key field type
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#default-auto-field

DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'

AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
    'django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend',
]

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'accounts.CustomUser'

# redirect users to a subsequent page for Login and Logout
LOGIN_REDIRECT_URL = 'home'
LOGOUT_REDIRECT_URL = 'home'
LOGIN_URL = '/accounts/login/'

# tell Crispy that only bootstrap5 template pack is allowed
CRISPY_ALLOWED_TEMPLATE_PACKS = 'bootstrap5'

# set default template pack to be used
CRISPY_TEMPLATE_PACK = 'bootstrap5'

EMAIL_BACKEND = "django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend"

# configure Email provider for production
# EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend'
# EMAIL_HOST = 'smtp.your-email-provider.com' Ex: smtp.gmail.com
# EMAIL_PORT = 587
# EMAIL_USE_TLS = True
# EMAIL_HOST_USER = 'your-email@example.com'
# EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = 'your-email-password' - use Env var for security
# DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = 'your-email@example.com'

SESSION_COOKIE_AGE = 1209600 # two weeks, in seconds
SESSION_EXPIRE_AT_BROWSER_CLOSE = False
SESSION_SAVE_EVERY_REQUEST = True
SESSION_ENGINE = 'django.contrib.sessions.backends.db'

Any help / advice is GREATLY appreciated.

2

This is expected (and will be the same in prod). The session is shared among tabs. When you’re done with your admin business, log out and back in as your test user, or just do your admin business in a private browsing window.

1 Like
3

Thanks so much!! I thought something was seriously wrong. Ha ha. I really appreciate the help.