Skip to content

Moodle Admin Guide

1. Site Administrator

Role Definition:

The Site Administrator is the highest-level role in Moodle. This person has unrestricted access to all areas of the Moodle site and is responsible for configuring, managing, and maintaining the Moodle system.

Main Responsibilities & Capabilities

A. Site Configuration

  • Set the site name, front page settings, default language.
  • Enable or disable features like messaging, forums, blocks, etc.
  • Customize themes, logos, fonts, and branding.
  • Configure timezone, calendar settings, file upload limits.

B. Plugin and Extension Management

  • Install, update, or remove:

  • Themes (design)

  • Activity modules (e.g., Quiz, Assignment, VPL)
  • Blocks, Reports, and other plugins
  • Enable/disable features site-wide based on plugin configurations.

C. User Management

  • Add users manually or bulk upload via CSV.
  • Reset passwords, edit profiles, or suspend accounts.
  • Assign roles (e.g., Manager, Teacher, Student).

  • Configure and manage user authentication:

  • Manual

  • Email-based
  • External systems (LDAP, SAML, Google login, EduID, etc.)

D. Course & Category Management

  • Create/edit/delete course categories.
  • Add courses and assign managers, teachers, and students.
  • Manage default course settings (format, layout, enrollment methods).

E. Enrollment Methods

  • Enable enrollment plugins:

  • Manual

  • Self-enrollment
  • Cohort sync
  • LDAP enrollment
  • Configure enrollment duration, start/end dates, and roles.

F. Roles and Permissions

  • Create and customize new roles (e.g., "Guest Lecturer", "Faculty Manager").
  • Change what each role can or cannot do.
  • Apply permissions to specific contexts (site-wide, category, course).

G. Backup and Restore

  • Set up automated backups for all courses.
  • Manually back up and restore courses.
  • Transfer courses between servers or test environments.

H. System Maintenance

  • Upgrade Moodle core and plugins.
  • Run scheduled tasks (cron).
  • Monitor system performance and logs.
  • Troubleshoot errors and server issues.

I. Security & Privacy

  • Set site-wide password policy.
  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (if available).
  • Manage data retention, user consent, and privacy policies.
  • Restrict IP access or access times if needed.

J. Reports and Logs

  • View site-wide logs:

  • User activity

  • Course access
  • Login attempts

  • Access system reports:

  • Course statistics

  • Logs, participation, and activity completion

K. Messaging and Notifications

  • Send mass messages to users.
  • Customize email templates.
  • Configure notifications (email, popup, mobile app).

Access Area Summary

Area Access
Site administration (Dashboard) Full
All courses and categories Full
All users and roles Full
All settings (plugins, appearance, language) Full
System-level reports and logs Full
File system and server tasks Full