All You Need To Know About WordPress User Roles

WordPress by default comes with six predefined user roles which include Super Admin, Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.

If you’re wondering what is the concept behind these rules and how can you effectively use them, then you’re in the right place.

In this read, we’re going to explain all you need to know about WordPress user roles.

Let’s begin.

What Are WordPress User Roles And Permissions?

Basically, WordPress user roles is a management system from WordPress that you can use to define what a user can and cannot do on your website.

Now, this user role management system may not come in handy when you have a small website. But as soon as it starts growing, WordPress user roles become an essential aspect for you to manage your overall website activity.

Simply put, WordPress user roles are essential for controlling what actions the various users at your site are permitted to take.

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By default, WordPress comes with six pre-defined user roles including

1. Super Admin

Super Admin is basically a WordPress user role that is on the top of the Hierarchy (If you’re using a WordPress multisite network). With this role, you’re technically in control of the entire network of WordPress sites and manage high-level changes such as deleting and adding sites from and to the network.

Basically, super admin is a modified version of the administrator role which we’ll discuss later in this blog. What happens here is that a regular admin would not be able to install or delete websites on the network, delete or install themes or plugins, etc.

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In simpler words, the basic control center of the multisite network is Super admin.

2. Administrator

In case you’re not using the WordPress multisite network, the Administrator role is on the top of the WordPress roles hierarchy – which means they’re in complete control of the WordPress functions.

Simply put, the Administrator role in WordPress means the owner of the website.

With the WordPress administrator role, you can

• Create, delete or edit any content on the website.
• Install, delete and manage themes and plugins.
• Edit the website’s code.
• Delete or assign other user roles.

3. Editor

The editor role in WordPress is responsible for managing the website’s content on the higher side of the access. Those assigned with this role can

• Create, edit and delete posts or pages on the site.
• Manage the categories and links.
• Moderate comments on the posts.

Now unlike the admins, users with editor roles in WordPress cannot tweak functions like plugins or themes.

4. Author

One of the most straightforward WordPress roles is the Author role. The responsibilities of the Author role are pretty much clear. With this role, the users can

• Create, edit and delete their own posts on the site.
• Add or delete new media.

Now, this role lacks any sort of administrative capabilities and they cannot make any changes to other users’ content on the website.

5. Contributor

Technically, the contributor role in WordPress is a stripped-down version of the author role which is best suited for one-time content creators. With this role, fresh content creators can

• Read other posts on the site.
• Create, edit and delete their own posts.

6. Subscriber

Subscribers’ role is basically to read all the posts on the website. While this can be done without any assigned roles, the subscriber role in WordPress comes in handy for sites that provide exclusive content for limited people.

To Wrap Up

While WordPress user roles are a great management system to track and assign access to your site, it is equally important to use these roles effectively. Refer to these key points to define these roles effectively for your site.

• Assign each user only the level of access they need to conduct their own task.
• The user roles at the top should be limited in numbers.

There you go, these two key tips would help you make the most effective use of WordPress user roles.

If you’ve enjoyed the read, have a look at our other mini-guides on subjects like “How to Add CSS in WordPress Easily” and “A Quick Guide On How to Create a Custom WordPress Sidebar” to raise your knowledge about WordPress.