Managing user roles and permissions in WordPress is essential when working with a team on the same website. Mastering these parameters not only improves the security of your site, but also optimizes the workflow, delimiting what each user can do according to their responsibilities.
In this article, we'll explore everything you need to know about user roles in WordPress, from how to set them up to customizing them to suit your website's needs.
What are user roles in WordPress?
User roles in WordPress are default settings that determine what each user can do within the system. These actions, known as capabilities, include tasks such as creating entries, moderating comments or managing plugins.
WordPress offers six default roles which you can assign according to the level of access and the responsibilities of each user:
- Administrator
- editor
- Author
- Collaborator
- Subscriber
- super admin (for multisite networks only)
Correctly configuring user roles is crucial to ensure:
- Enhanced Security: Limiting access prevents unauthorized users from altering important settings or site content.
- Efficiency at work: Each user focuses on their assigned tasks, avoiding conflicts or duplication of functions.
User Permissions Table in WordPress
To help you better understand the permissions of each role, here is a detailed table:
| permission | Administrator | editor | Author | Collaborator | Subscriber | super admin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tickets | Total control | Total control | Add, edit and publish your own | Add and edit your own | No control | Total control |
| pages | Total control | Total control | No control | No control | No control | Total control |
| Upload files | Total control | Total control | Total control | No control | No control | Total control |
| Moderate comments | Total control | Total control | No control | No control | No control | Total control |
| Plugins | Total control | No control | No control | No control | No control | Total control |
| Themes | Total control | No control | No control | No control | No control | Total control |
| Users | Total control | Edit own | Edit own | Edit own | Edit own | Total control |
| adjustments | Total control | No control | No control | No control | No control | Total control |
Default roles in WordPress
1. Administrator
The administrator has total control about the website. This role allows:
- Manage content (entries, pages and comments).
- Install, activate or remove plugins and themes.
- Configure general site settings.
- Create, edit or delete users, and assign them different roles.
Note: It is imperative that you fully trust the user you assign as an administrator, as they will have unlimited access to the site.
2. Editor
The editor has full access to content management, including posts, pages and comments, even those created by other users. However, you cannot:
- Manage plugins or themes.
- Change site settings.
- Manage other users.
3. Author
Author can create, edit, publish and delete their own entries, but does not have access to content created by other users or to moderating comments or pages.
4. Collaborator
The contributor can write and edit their own entries, but cannot publish them or upload media files. Once published, you will not be able to edit them.
5. Subscriber
Subscriber has the most limited access level. You can only manage your personal profile and view published content.
6. Super administrator
This role is exclusive to WordPress multisite networks. The super administrator has absolute control over all sites on the network, including:
- User management and permissions.
- Installation of plugins and themes for the entire network.
- Global settings for all sites.
Managing roles and permissions in WordPress
Create a new user
- Go to the menu Users → add new.
- Fill in the user data (name, email, etc.).
- Set a password or allow the system to automatically generate one.
- Select the appropriate role from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Add new user.
Delete a user
- Access the menu Users → All users.
- Find the user you want to remove and click delete.
- Decide if you want attribute its contents to another user or delete them along with the account.
Personalization of roles and permissions
In addition to the default roles, you can customize them according to the needs of your site. One of the most recommended plugins is PublishPress Capabilities, which allows you to:
- Modify the permissions of existing roles.
- Create new roles with custom capabilities.
- Make backups before applying changes.
Personalization of roles and permissions
- Install and activate the plugin from the menu Plugins.
- Back up before modifying roles (optional).
- Go to the menu Capacities and select the role you want to customize.
- Adjust available capabilities and save changes.
Frequently asked questions about roles and permissions in WordPress
Not directly, but you can use plugins like User Role Editor to combine capabilities of different roles.
You can change the role of any user at any time from the menu Users → edit.
With plugins com PublishPress Capabilities or User Role Editor, you can customize the capabilities of each role in detail.
