# Update User

<!-- meta: type=update-user; location=Users; category=Step (action); platforms=Joomla and WordPress (where applicable) -->

## Overview

Update User is a **Step (action)** in **Users**. Updates a user by User ID or username lookup.

When the flow reaches this step, JOrchestrator executes **Update User** against your linked site or an external integration, using the field values you set on **General** and **Design**. Downstream steps can read the output payload fields defined for this node.

## Why use this node

Update User is a **action step** in the **Users** group. Action steps run in the middle or end of a flow. They perform work on your CMS, call external services, or transform data for the next step.

Typical reasons teams add **Update User** to a flow:

- Update User on your linked Joomla site when the flow reaches this step
- Update user based on webhook, schedule, or CMS event data
- Integrate Users operations with messaging, AI, or database steps in one canvas

## Example workflows

Common patterns on the canvas:

1. **Trigger or Webhook** → upstream steps → **Update User** → **Send Email** or CMS update
2. **Scheduled trigger** → **Update User** → **Debug** (while testing) → production action

## How to set it up

Leave New password blank to keep current password. User groups: empty keeps assignments; otherwise selected groups replace them.

## Good to know

Super user (id 1) cannot be blocked or deleted via related nodes.

## Properties panel

The designer shows these tabs for this node:

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Info** | Plain-language description and output payload fields for downstream steps |
| **General** | Canvas label and read-only node ID |
| **AI** | Optional assistant to help draft settings from plain language |
| **Design** | Node-specific configuration fields |

### System (automatic — not edited by the user)

These fields are managed by the designer or runtime — you do not type into them directly:

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `_nodeId` | Node ID | `node-id` | No | — | — |
| `_payloadFields` | Available Fields | `payload-panel` | No | — | — |

### User-configured — General tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `label` | Label | `text` | No | — | Node label |

### User-configured — Design tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `userId` | User ID | `payload-text` | **Yes** | — | Numeric user id, or leave empty and set Username below |
| `username` | Username (lookup) | `text` | No | — | Find user by login name if User ID is empty |
| `password` | New password | `payload-secret-text` | No | — | Leave blank to keep current password |
| `name` | Full Name | `text` | No | — | Leave blank to keep current |

### CMS-backed or hybrid (loaded from the linked site at design time)

These fields can pull live options or values from the Joomla/WordPress site linked to the flow:

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `email` | Email | `email-recipient` | No | — | Leave blank to keep current, type address, or select user… |

### CMS-backed (options from the linked site)

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `groups` | User Groups | `user-groups-multi` | No | — | Leave empty to keep current; select groups to replace assignments |

### CMS site configuration (not on this node's properties panel)

Credentials, API keys, mailers, SMTP, and integration defaults are configured in the CMS plugin under **Node Configuration**, not per step on this node. Link the flow to a domain before testing CMS-backed fields.

## Output payload fields

After this step runs, later nodes can reference these fields using placeholders such as
`{{update_user.id}}`.

| Field key | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| `id` | string | Primary record identifier. |
| `username` | string | Text value from this node's output. |
| `email` | string | Text value from this node's output. |
| `name` | string | Display name of the record. |
| `password_changed` | boolean | Whether the user password was updated. |
| `groups` | array | User group IDs assigned to the account. |

## Validation rules

- **User ID** (`userId`) must be filled before the flow can be saved.

## Related nodes

Other steps in the same area of the palette:

- **Block User** (`block-user`) — Users
- **Create User** (`create-user`) — Users
- **Create User** (`wp-create-user`) — Users
- **Delete User** (`delete-user`) — Users
- **Delete User** (`wp-delete-user`) — Users