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eginner’s Guide to WordPress User Roles
and Permissions
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WordPress comes with a user role management sstem which defines what a
specific user can and cannot do on our wesite. Knowing these user roles
and permissions are essential as our WordPress site grows. In this eginner’s
guide to WordPress user roles, we will compare each WordPress user roles
and permissions in an eas to follow infographic.
Out of the ox when ou install WordPress, there are five default user roles:
1. Administrator
2. ditor
3. Author
4. Contriutor
I need help with ...
5. uscrier
You can see a full comparison etween each user role viewing the
infographic elow:
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 1/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
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WordPress WordPress
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Alternativel, ou can read the summar of each user role permissions elow.
We will also cover how to create new user roles and/or customize existing Useful WordPress Guides
WordPress user roles.
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1. Administrator
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On a regular WordPress install, Administrator is the most powerful user role.
most powerful WordPress
Users with the administrator role can add new posts, edit an posts an plugin that makes design
users on the site, and even delete those posts. customization eas for
eginners.
The can install, edit, and delete plugins as well as themes. Most importantl
an administrator user can add new users to the site, change information aout
existing users including their passwords as well as delete an user (es other
administrators too).
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 2/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
This role is asicall reserved for site owners and gives ou the full control of
our WordPress site. If ou are running a multi-user WordPress site, then ou
need to e ver careful who ou assign an administrator user role.
We also recommend that ou read this article: hould You Give Admin Access
to Plugin Developers for Fixing ugs?
2. ditor
Users with the editor role in WordPress have full control on the content
sections our wesite. The can add, edit, pulish, and delete an posts on a
WordPress site including the ones written others. An editor can moderate,
edit, and delete comments as well.
ditors do not have access to change our site settings, install plugins and
themes, or add new users.
3. Author
As the name suggests, users with the author role can write, edit, and pulish
their own posts. The can also delete their own posts, even if the are
pulished.
When writing posts, authors cannot create categories however the can
choose from existing categories. On the other hand, the can add tags to their
posts (ee: Categories vs Tags – Which one is etter for O?).
Authors can view comments even those that are pending review, ut the
cannot moderate, approve, or delete an comments.
The do not have access to settings, plugins, or themes, so it is a fairl low-risk
user role on a site with the exception of their ailit to delete their own posts
once the’re pulished.
4. Contriutor
Contriutors can add new posts and edit their own posts, ut the cannot
pulish an posts not even their own. When writing posts the can not create
new categories and will have to choose from existing categories. However,
the can add tags to their posts.
The iggest disadvantage of a contriutor role is that the cannot upload files
(meaning the can’t add images on their own article).
Contriutors can view comments even those awaiting moderation. ut the
cannot approve or delete comments.
The do not have access to settings, plugins, or themes, so the cannot
change an settings on our site.
5. uscrier
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3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
Users with the suscrier user role can login to our WordPress site and
update their user profiles. The can change their passwords if the want to.
The cannot write posts, view comments, or do anthing else inside our
WordPress admin area.
This user role is particularl useful if ou require users to login efore the can
read a post or leave a comment.
onus: uper Admin
This user role is onl availale on a WordPress Multisite Network. Users with
the super admin user role can add and delete sites on a multisite network.
The can also install plugins and themes, add users, and perform network
wide actions on a WordPress multi-site setup.
Customizing xisting User Roles
Default WordPress user roles are designed to have capailities that fits the
requirement of most wesites. For example if ou run a magazine site, then
ou can assign ditor user role to our senior staff and author user role to the
junior staff. You can assign contriutor user role to our guest authors and
suscrier user role for our site visitors.
ut what if ou wanted to modif the permissions of an existing WordPress
user role?
One thing we do not like aout the author role is that not onl can the pulish
their own posts, ut the can also delete them after it’s pulished. This can
undermine our entire editorial workflow. Also can e disastrous if a paid
author leaves on ad terms and decides to delete all the posts the wrote (the
ones ou paid them for).
Let’s suppose that ou want to modif the author user role, so that the authors
cannot delete their posts once the’re pulished.
First thing ou need to do is install and activate the Capailit Manager
nhanced plugin. Upon activation, go to Users » Capailities to modif user
roles.
Next, select the user role ou want to edit from the top ox in the right column
and then click the load utton. This will load users capailities in the oxes on
the left.
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All ou need to do is uncheck the capailities that ou want to remove from
that user role. For example, in this case we want to remove the capailit to
delete pulished posts from authors. We will uncheck ‘Delete Pulished’
capailit. Once ou are done, scroll down to the ottom of the page and click
on the save changes utton to store our settings.
Creating Your Own Custom User Roles in WordPress
You can create our own custom user roles in WordPress with our own set of
capailities using the same Capailit Manager nhanced plugin. After
installing and activating the plugin, go to Users » Capailities and enter the
user role name under ‘Create New Role’.
For example, a magazine site ma need some staff memer to activel
moderate comment. In that case, ou ma want to create a user role that can
onl moderate comments. All ou need to do is create a new user role, and
then select the moderation comment option from under ‘Other WordPress
Capailities’.
For more detailed instructions, please see our tutorial on how to add/remove
capailities to user roles in WordPress.
We hope this article helped ou understand WordPress user roles and
permissions. You ma also want to check out our guide on 21 great plugins to
efficientl manage multi-author logs in WordPress.
If ou liked this article, then please suscrie to our YouTue Channel for
WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Google+.
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LAV A RPLY
21 COMMNT
GARY WICK
Mar 20, 2017 at 3:11 am
I have a question if I have 300 suscriers what does that mean? Does it
mean people suscried to make a comment? I have no idea where these
came from as I onl have a few actual comments posted. Does this mean
the were all spammers that Akismet software rejected? o the comments
did not show ut the are all in m users list as suscriers to make
comments?
Or is this rss feed or what is it?
Repl
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 6/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
TV ROOT
Mar 9, 2017 at 5:29 pm
The role attriute selection on m theme has oth an Allow and a Den
column. If a particular attriute is onl enaled when checked what is the
purpose of the Den column (twent-sixteen)?
Repl
DPPAK
Jan 6, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Hi there,
Great post!
I created a custom role cloning the “administrator”, is it possile for
administrators to change etween the two? I can see the administrator can
change all others’ role, ut can it change its own through the ack-end
dashoard/menu?
Thanks!
Repl
ANN COHN
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:39 am
Hi. Thank ou for the post! Ver helpful, ut one more question….
Can Contriutor writers DLT their articles when the’re pulished?
What aout when the’re pending?
Let’s sa the had a change of heart? I just noticed a contriutor alter an
article that I was alread editing/pending. I didn’t think that was possile.
Repl
AHINY
ep 4, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Hi,
I am facing issues with the user creation. I am looking to create an editor for
m wesite ut despite deactivating all plugins, changing passwords etc,for
the new user – when I tr to login in through the ‘New User’ credentials it
sas – “orr, ou are not allowed to access this page.”
Can ou please help.
Repl
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 7/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
DI N.
ep 2, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Can I give permission to use a ackup plugin ut not other plugins? I see
ou can add more capailities ut I can’t figure out how to set it up for that.
Thanks for an help.
Repl
OD AIKIN
Ma 10, 2016 at 10:17 am
Hi, nice post, ver useful. i’m a college student developing a site for
pulishing hostels information and also ook into it using wordpress. i want
to create custom agent/landlord roles in WP. please help
Repl
TUART
Fe 15, 2016 at 2:56 am
Users with the suscrier user role can login to our WordPress site and
update their user profiles. The can change their passwords if the want to.
The cannot write posts, view comments, or do anthing else inside our
WordPress admin area.
This user role is particularl useful if ou require users to login efore the
can read a post or leave a comment.
I don’t understand this. o if a suscrier is logged in can the or can’t the
comment on a post?
Repl
WPGINNR UPPORT
Fe 16, 2016 at 11:42 pm
Yes the can comment on a post.
Repl
ALAN JORDAN
Oct 24, 2015 at 1:26 pm
This was reall helpful. Thank ou.
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 8/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
Repl
JZ UTLR
ep 10, 2015 at 8:24 am
Great descriptions – thanks! Is there an wa to set an Administrator role for
individual sites on a multisite install? TIA, Jez
Repl
DPAK
Jul 13, 2015 at 8:00 am
hi
i am collage student and i make the wesite on school on wordpress so i
want to create the dnamic menus that was static.
how can we do?
Repl
DUTLR
Jul 8, 2016 at 11:25 am
Please ou clarif our question.
Repl
DNARIU
Jul 11, 2016 at 7:54 am
Hi Deepak,
I would like to help ou. What do ou mean “create the dnamic
menus that was static”? Please clarif our question.
Thanks
Repl
MIK MULLIN
Jul 3, 2015 at 12:44 pm
Can ou customize the Admin role (I’d live to remove some of the
capailities like adding/removing Users) within the standard WP install or do
ou need a plugin like this?
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 9/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
Repl
AMRUTA
Jul 3, 2015 at 7:36 am
Hi,
I wants to upload video in m Wesite ut the video size is 102 M,
And i don’t want to show that suggestion video which shows after end the
video, like You tue.
Is ou have an idea aout the Plugin or ite so i can link m video in
wesite ?
Thank You
Repl
UAN
Jun 25, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Could ou change the ditors role to add/edit users. The permissions to the
Admin role can e overwhelming.
Repl
WPGINNR UPPORT
Jun 26, 2015 at 11:51 pm
Yes ou can do that.
Repl
OLIVIA
Jun 24, 2015 at 2:47 am
Is it worth mentioning that the Author Role can’t create/edit/delete Pages?
Repl
LAIR JRYR
Jun 21, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Hi,
You wrote two time “5” in role list.
Nice post anwa.
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginnersguide/wordpressuserrolesandpermissions/ 10/12
3/27/2017 Beginner's Guide to WordPress User Roles and Permissions
Repl
WPGINNR UPPORT
Jun 21, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Thanks for notifing us. We have fixed the mistake.
Repl
LAV A RPLY
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