Understanding WordPress User Roles

WordPress allows for many people to contribute to the same blog/site.  Since it would not be wise to give all users the same access to the site and it’s functions WordPress has defined different access limits for each level of user.  

Users are added under the Users Tab in the admin dashboard.  When a new user is added you must assign the new user a role.  Users sign in to the admin area with their own user name and password – the dashboard options expand or shrink based on the role assigned to the user.

Following are the roles and a simple summary of their basic functions:

• Administrator – Administrators can do everything and anything on the site.
• Editor - Editors can do everything relating to the written content of the site.  Editors cannot: change the theme, change the plugins, or create/delete users. 
• Author – Authors can write, manage and publish their own posts.  Authors cannot manage others posts.
• Contributor – Contributors can write and submit posts and manage their own post prior to submittal.  Contributor posts have to be approved prior to publishing.
• Subscriber – Subscribers can read the content of the site and submit comments - but have no other authority.

Hopefully, this helps you better understand User Roles…

 Print This Post