Creating and Managing Vendor Accounts

VendorHearth Pro uses WordPress user accounts to give vendors secure access to their VendorHearth information.

Vendor accounts use the Vendor role, which keeps vendor access separate from organizer and staff permissions.

How Vendor Accounts Work #

A vendor account connects the vendor to the front-end VendorHearth system.

After signing in, vendors can access the Vendor Dashboard and the information available to their account.

Vendors do not need normal WordPress administrative access to use VendorHearth.

Vendor Registration #

VendorHearth includes a front-end registration page that can be used by new vendors.

The Vendor Registration page uses:

[cmn_vendor_register]

This page allows the vendor registration process to take place on your website rather than through the standard WordPress administration area.

Vendor Login #

VendorHearth also provides a dedicated vendor login page using:

[cmn_vendor_login]

Vendors can use this page to sign into their account and continue to the VendorHearth front-end experience.

Vendor Dashboard #

After signing in, vendors can access the Vendor Dashboard.

The dashboard page uses:

[cmn_vendor_dashboard]

The dashboard serves as the vendor’s primary access point for VendorHearth.

Depending on their activity, vendors may see information related to applications, events, payments, agreements, documents, and event participation.

Vendor Role #

VendorHearth includes a dedicated Vendor WordPress role.

This role is designed to separate vendor access from organizer and staff access.

A normal vendor should not need to be made an Administrator, Editor, or other elevated WordPress role simply to use VendorHearth.

Creating a Vendor Manually #

There may be situations where an organizer needs to create or associate a vendor account manually.

When doing so:

1. Check whether the vendor already has an account.
2. Verify the vendor’s email address.
3. Create or associate the appropriate user account.
4. Make sure the account has the correct Vendor role.
5. Verify that the account is associated with the correct vendor information.

Avoid creating multiple accounts for the same vendor unless there is a specific reason to do so.

Existing WordPress Users #

If the person already has a WordPress account on the site, review that account before creating another one.

Creating duplicate accounts can make it more difficult to keep applications and vendor information connected to the correct user.

Vendor Accounts and Vendor Profiles #

The WordPress user account provides login access.

The VendorHearth vendor profile contains the business-related information used throughout the vendor-management system.

These work together, but they serve different purposes.

For example:

User Account: Provides login credentials and permissions.

Vendor Profile: Stores business and vendor information.

Protect Organizer Access #

Do not give vendors organizer-level permissions simply because they need access to VendorHearth.

VendorHearth’s front-end system is designed to provide vendors with the features they need while keeping administrative functions restricted.

Staff Roles Are Different #

VendorHearth also includes roles intended for organizational staff, including:

• Vendor Relations Manager
• Event Staff

These roles should not be assigned to ordinary vendors unless that person genuinely performs that role for your organization.

Troubleshooting Vendor Access #

If a vendor cannot access their VendorHearth account, check:

• The vendor is using the correct email/account.
• The WordPress user exists.
• The correct role is assigned.
• VendorHearth’s front-end pages exist.
• The Vendor Login and Vendor Dashboard pages are configured correctly.
• The vendor is actually signed in.

You can also review VendorHearth Pro → System Readiness if you suspect a problem with the site’s VendorHearth configuration.

Keep Accounts Connected to the Correct Vendor #

Accurate user-to-vendor relationships are important throughout VendorHearth.

Applications, payments, documents, agreements, and event participation should remain associated with the correct vendor.

Before creating a new account to solve an access problem, first check whether the vendor already has an existing account that should be used instead.

Next Step #

Continue to Managing Vendor Business Information to learn how business names, contact details, descriptions, categories, social information, logos, and product images are maintained.