As a WordPress site owner, one of your most important responsibilities is managing access to your site. You want to give your team and users the permissions they need to do their jobs, but without compromising the security of your site.
That‘s where WordPress user roles and capabilities come into play. User roles allow you to define what actions each user can take on your site. Getting your WordPress user roles and permissions right is critical for site security, management, and workflow.
In this guide, we‘ll dive deep into everything you need to know about WordPress user roles and how to use them effectively on your site. We‘ll cover:
- An overview of WordPress user roles and why they matter
- A detailed breakdown of the default user roles in WordPress
- How to customize user roles and capabilities
- Tips and best practices for user role management
- How to use roles to control content access on a membership site
By the end of this guide, you‘ll be equipped to fully optimize the use of user roles on your WordPress site. Let‘s get started!
What Are WordPress User Roles and Why Do They Matter?
WordPress user roles are a way to define what a specific user can and cannot do on your website. Each user you create in WordPress is assigned a role, which comes with a predefined set of capabilities and permissions.
User roles allow you to control who can publish content, install plugins, manage users, edit theme files, and much more. They provide a granular way to grant or restrict access to different areas and functions of the WordPress admin dashboard.
Here are a few key reasons why WordPress user roles are so important:
Security: User roles allow you to limit the number of users with admin-level access to your site. According to a recent survey by Wordfence, 61% of hacked WordPress sites had an admin account compromised. By only giving admin access to those who absolutely need it, you reduce your security risk.
Management: User roles make it much easier to manage a site with multiple users and authors. You can give users the access they need to perform their job without overwhelming them with unnecessary options or risking them breaking something.
Organization: With user roles, you can better organize your publishing workflow and approval process. For example, you can allow contributors to submit drafts but require an editor to approve them before publishing.
Mistakes: User roles help prevent users from accidentally causing problems on the site. What if an author intends to update a post but accidentally deletes it instead? User roles can restrict actions like deletion to prevent these mistakes.
The Default User Roles in WordPress
By default, WordPress comes with five user roles. Let‘s take a closer look at each one and what capabilities they have.
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Has full control over the entire site, including adding/editing users, installing plugins and themes, and editing code files. |
| Editor | Can publish, edit, and delete any posts/pages, as well as moderate comments. Cannot access site settings. |
| Author | Can write, publish, and delete their own posts, but cannot edit others‘ content. |
| Contributor | Can write and edit their own posts, but cannot publish them. |
| Subscriber | Can only read content and manage their user profile. |
Here‘s a more detailed breakdown of what each default user role can do:
1. Administrator
The administrator role is the most powerful role in WordPress. Administrators have full control over every aspect of the site, including:
- Writing, editing, publishing, and deleting any content
- Creating, editing, and deleting users
- Installing, activating, and deleting plugins and themes
- Editing theme and plugin code files
- Importing and exporting content
- Managing all site settings and options
Administrators can access every single setting and feature in the WordPress dashboard. They can also add custom code to WordPress files, so it‘s crucial that you trust them completely.
In a default WordPress installation, the site owner is assigned the administrator role by default. Ideally, you should only have one or two admin accounts. The more administrator accounts you have, the greater your security risk, so it‘s important to be very selective about who has admin privileges.
2. Editor
The editor role is able to manage all the content on the site, but they cannot access any settings or configuration options. Think of editors as your content gatekeepers.
Editors can:
- Write, edit, publish, and delete any post or page
- Edit, delete, and moderate comments
- Create categories and tags
However, editors cannot create or delete users, install plugins and themes, or edit any code files. They are restricted only to managing content.
This role is a good fit for someone you trust to manage the content on your site without giving them full admin access. For example, you might assign the editor role to a senior member of your content team who approves writers‘ work before publishing.
3. Author
Authors can write, edit, and publish their own posts, but they cannot modify content written by anyone else. They also cannot create new pages.
The author role is a good fit for regular contributors to your site whom you trust to publish without editorial oversight. If you want posts to be reviewed before publishing, assign the contributor role instead.
Unlike editors, authors cannot edit or delete comments, even on their own posts. They also cannot create categories or tags.
4. Contributor
Contributors have the second-lowest access of any default WordPress user role. They can write and edit their own posts, but cannot publish them. When a contributor submits a post, it is saved as a draft pending review by an editor or admin.
Contributors cannot upload media files, so they need to ask an editor or admin to add images to their posts. They also cannot view, edit, or delete comments.
This role is a good fit for occasional guest authors or new writers who need editorial review before their work can be published.
5. Subscriber
Subscribers have very limited access to your WordPress site. They can log in to your site and update their user profile, but that‘s about it! This role is designed for users who need to log in to access members-only content or leave comments, but don‘t need to create any content themselves.
Subscribers cannot write posts, view comments, or access any of the administration features. All they can do is read your site, just like a non-logged-in visitor.
The subscriber role is useful if you need a simple way to manage members-only content on your site. However, if you need more advanced membership features, you‘re better off using a membership plugin (more on that later).
User Role Statistics
To give you a sense of why user roles matter so much for WordPress security, consider these statistics:
- 41% of hacked WordPress sites in 2020 were running an outdated version of WordPress (WP WhiteSecurity)
- The average WordPress site has 3 admin user accounts (WP WhiteSecurity)
- Admin account breaches accounted for 61% of WordPress site hacks in 2018 (Wordfence)
- Weak user passwords are responsible for over 30% of WordPress site hacks (WPBeginner)
These numbers illustrate why it‘s so important to keep your WordPress site updated, minimize the number of admin accounts, and enforce strong user passwords. Using user roles strategically can help you implement these security best practices.
Customizing User Roles and Capabilities
While the default user roles cover most use cases, sometimes you may want to customize what users can do at each role level. Some common reasons to customize user roles include:
- Giving authors the ability to upload images and files
- Allowing editors to manage users
- Restricting editors from being able to delete published posts
- Creating a custom role for a user who needs a unique set of capabilities
The best way to customize user roles is with a plugin like Members by MemberPress. This free plugin provides a user-friendly interface for adding new roles and customizing the capabilities of existing roles.
[Screenshot of Members Role Editor]For example, let‘s say you want to allow contributors to be able to upload photos to go along with their posts. In the Members Role Editor, you would simply edit the Contributor role and grant the "upload_files" capability.
Members also allows you to:
- Create new custom user roles with just the capabilities you define
- Clone existing roles to use as a template for your new role
- Add brand new capabilities that don‘t exist in WordPress core
Some WordPress plugins also create their own user roles. WooCommerce, for example, adds a "Shop Manager" role that can manage products and orders but cannot edit posts and pages.
Controlling Content Access with User Roles
Another way to leverage user roles is to restrict access to certain content based on a user‘s role. For example, if you run a membership site, you might want to make sure only paying members can access your premium content.
The best way to set up a membership site with WordPress is to use a plugin like MemberPress. This all-in-one membership plugin makes it easy to restrict content by user role, accept payments, and manage members.
[Screenshot of MemberPress Rules]With MemberPress, you can create "Rules" that lock content behind a membership paywall. You can restrict access to specific posts, pages, categories, tags, files, and more based on what membership level a user belongs to.
When you create a membership level in MemberPress, you specify what user role a member should be assigned when they sign up. Typically, you‘d create a new user role for each membership level. Then your content rules would grant or restrict access by checking the user‘s role.
In addition to content restriction, MemberPress also includes:
- Built-in payment processing with PayPal and Stripe
- Members-only forums and community
- Automated member emails
- Coupon codes and promos
- Member reports and analytics
If you need to restrict content by user role, MemberPress is a much more robust solution than trying to piece together multiple free plugins.
User Role Best Practices and Tips
Understanding how to use WordPress user roles effectively is critical for running a secure and organized site. Here are some best practices and tips to keep in mind:
Assign the lowest role possible. Only give users the bare minimum capabilities they need to perform their job. Don‘t make someone an admin unless it‘s absolutely necessary.
Limit admin accounts. According to the WP WhiteSecurity survey mentioned earlier, the average WordPress site has 3 admin accounts, but ideally, you should only have 1-2. Regularly audit your user list and remove any unused admin accounts.
Use strong passwords. Educate your users on the importance of using strong, unique passwords. Even better, require strong passwords as part of your password policy. Consider implementing two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
Create custom roles strategically. If you have multiple users who need the same custom capabilities, consider creating a custom role for them. This will save you time in the long run and keep your user permissions organized. Just be careful not to go overboard and create too many custom roles.
Don‘t forget to revoke access. When someone leaves your organization or no longer needs access to your site, be sure to delete their account or change their role to Subscriber. Leaving unused accounts active is a security risk.
Use a user management plugin. If you have a large number of users, a plugin like User Role Editor can help you manage them more efficiently. It provides features like bulk user management, user export/import, and temporary user permissions.
By following these tips and using WordPress user roles wisely, you can keep your site secure and running smoothly.
Conclusion
WordPress user roles are a powerful tool for controlling access to your site and keeping it secure. By default, WordPress comes with five user roles that cover most common use cases. However, you also have the option to customize roles and capabilities to fit your unique needs.
Strategically organizing your site‘s users with roles is key for security, management, and publishing workflow. Ideally, you should only give users the minimum capabilities they need, limit the number of admin accounts, and enforce strong password security.
If you need to restrict content based on user role, consider using a membership plugin like MemberPress. It provides an all-in-one solution for managing user roles, content access, and member payments.
By understanding how to use WordPress user roles effectively, you‘ll be well on your way to running a more secure and organized website. Just remember to follow best practices and regularly audit your user list to ensure that permissions stay up-to-date.
