diff --git a/doc/api/users.md b/doc/api/users.md
index 333998dffb2f4955679ebd0cd8d8e1226cf3bae1..a76539c375b1d5f17420b8cbc32e35fad2a038cc 100644
--- a/doc/api/users.md
+++ b/doc/api/users.md
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ GET /users?without_project_bots=true
 
 ### For administrators **(FREE SELF)**
 
-> The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `created_by` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/93092) in GitLab 15.6.
 
 ```plaintext
 GET /users
@@ -161,7 +162,8 @@ GET /users
     "private_profile": false,
     "current_sign_in_ip": "196.165.1.102",
     "last_sign_in_ip": "172.127.2.22",
-    "namespace_id": 1
+    "namespace_id": 1,
+    "created_by": null
   },
   {
     "id": 2,
@@ -196,7 +198,8 @@ GET /users
     "private_profile": false,
     "current_sign_in_ip": "10.165.1.102",
     "last_sign_in_ip": "172.127.2.22",
-    "namespace_id": 2
+    "namespace_id": 2,
+    "created_by": null
   }
 ]
 ```
@@ -269,6 +272,13 @@ You can include the users' [custom attributes](custom_attributes.md) in the resp
 GET /users?with_custom_attributes=true
 ```
 
+You can use the `created_by` parameter to see if a user account was created:
+
+- [Manually by an administrator](../user/profile/account/create_accounts.md#create-users-in-admin-area).
+- As a [project bot user](../user/project/settings/project_access_tokens.md#bot-users-for-projects).
+
+If the returned value is `null`, the account was created by a user who registered an account themselves.
+
 ## Single user
 
 Get a single user.
@@ -315,7 +325,8 @@ Parameters:
 
 ### For administrators **(FREE SELF)**
 
-> The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `created_by` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/93092) in GitLab 15.6.
 
 ```plaintext
 GET /users/:id
@@ -378,7 +389,8 @@ Example Responses:
   "plan": "gold",
   "trial": true,
   "sign_in_count": 1337,
-  "namespace_id": 1
+  "namespace_id": 1,
+  "created_by": null
 }
 ```
 
@@ -419,6 +431,13 @@ see the `group_saml` option and `provisioned_by_group_id` parameter:
 }
 ```
 
+Administrators can use the `created_by` parameter to see if a user account was created: 
+
+- [Manually by an administrator](../user/profile/account/create_accounts.md#create-users-in-admin-area).
+- As a [project bot user](../user/project/settings/project_access_tokens.md#bot-users-for-projects).
+
+If the returned value is `null`, the account was created by a user who registered an account themselves.
+
 You can include the user's [custom attributes](custom_attributes.md) in the response with:
 
 ```plaintext
@@ -630,7 +649,8 @@ Users on [GitLab Premium or higher](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) also see
 
 ### For administrators **(FREE SELF)**
 
-> The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `namespace_id` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/82045) in GitLab 14.10.
+> - The `created_by` field in the response was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/93092) in GitLab 15.6.
 
 ```plaintext
 GET /user
@@ -683,6 +703,7 @@ Parameters:
   "current_sign_in_ip": "196.165.1.102",
   "last_sign_in_ip": "172.127.2.22",
   "namespace_id": 1,
+  "created_by": null,
   "note": null
 }
 ```
diff --git a/lib/api/entities/user_with_admin.rb b/lib/api/entities/user_with_admin.rb
index f9c1a646a4fa98dbb750781958f7761458cf31c8..53fef7a46e2f3fb1a0fa659d9ea01d38a507438e 100644
--- a/lib/api/entities/user_with_admin.rb
+++ b/lib/api/entities/user_with_admin.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ class UserWithAdmin < UserPublic
       expose :admin?, as: :is_admin
       expose :note
       expose :namespace_id
+      expose :created_by, with: UserBasic
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
index 96e23337411995fc5481a2e7cfe44b0d8532a447..66a18b9783856fbcdfcf81107b203a01efde7b23 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@
 
           expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('note')
           expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('namespace_id')
+          expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('created_by')
         end
       end
 
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@
 
             expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('note')
             expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('namespace_id')
+            expect(json_response.first).not_to have_key('created_by')
           end
         end
 
@@ -186,6 +188,26 @@
             expect(json_response.first).to have_key('note')
             expect(json_response.first['note']).to eq '2018-11-05 | 2FA removed | user requested | www.gitlab.com'
           end
+
+          context 'with `created_by` details' do
+            it 'has created_by as nil with a self-registered account' do
+              get api("/users", admin), params: { username: user.username }
+
+              expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:success)
+              expect(json_response.first).to have_key('created_by')
+              expect(json_response.first['created_by']).to eq(nil)
+            end
+
+            it 'is created_by a user and has those details' do
+              created = create(:user, created_by_id: user.id)
+
+              get api("/users", admin), params: { username: created.username }
+
+              expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:success)
+              expect(json_response.first['created_by'].symbolize_keys)
+                .to eq(API::Entities::UserBasic.new(user).as_json)
+            end
+          end
         end
 
         context 'N+1 queries' do