TL;DR: WordPress User Roles Explained
This article is your deep dive into WordPress user roles, showing you how to strategically manage permissions on your site. I'll cover everything from the default roles (Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber) to understanding capabilities and when custom roles become necessary. My goal is to help you build a secure, efficient system for your team.
Here are three key takeaways:
- Security First: Giving out too much access is the fastest way to invite trouble. Stick to the principle of least privilege: give people only what they need to do their job, nothing more.
- Workflow Wins: Proper roles mean less micromanagement for you and more clarity for your team. Everyone knows their lane, which simplifies content creation and site management.
- Customization Matters: The default roles are a good start, but if your team's needs are specific, custom roles let you tailor permissions with precision, making your site truly work for you.
If those points resonate, I encourage you to read on. There's a lot more nuance to making this system hum, and I promise it's worth your time.
You've built your WordPress site, you're publishing content, and now you need help: writers, designers, virtual assistants, maybe a co-owner.
But here's where it gets tricky: how do you give them access without giving them too much access?
You don't want someone accidentally deleting your entire site, but you also need them to actually do their job.
This isn't just some technical setting buried in the dashboard. It's about trust, security, and making sure your online business runs smoothly. (Ultimately, it all ties back to how you build a website that doesn't just look good, but actually works for your business.)
One wrong click could undo hours of work. You've probably heard terms like "Administrator" or "Editor" but aren't entirely sure what they actually mean for your site's safety and your team's productivity.
This guide will help. I'm not just listing definitions. I'll walk you through the strategic power of WordPress user roles, showing you how to turn potential headaches into a system that works. You'll learn to delegate with confidence, protect what you've built, and create a workflow that supports your goals instead of getting in the way.
If you're just starting out, getting your WordPress site set up right from the get-go is super important, so take a look at our beginner's guide to installing WordPress software.
First Things First: Why Getting User Roles Right Matters
You might think of user roles as just another checkbox to tick off. But that would be a mistake.
Without understanding WordPress user roles, you're leaving your site vulnerable and creating bottlenecks in your workflow. Picture the frustration of an author who can't upload images, or the panic when someone new accidentally changes your site's permalinks and breaks all your links.
You need to understand this not just to avoid disasters, but to actively build a more secure, efficient operation. This isn't about being a control freak. It's about helping your team while protecting your most important digital asset.
Breaking Down the Defaults: What Each Core WordPress User Role Actually Means
When you set up WordPress, it comes with five pre-defined user roles.
Think of these as your foundation for managing who does what on your site. Understanding them is the first step to effective user management. I'm going to break down each one, looking at not just what they can do, but what their role means for your workflow and security.
The Administrator: The All-Powerful Site Owner (Use Sparingly)
You're probably an Administrator (you should be if you own the site). This role has complete control over your entire WordPress installation. They can do anything: install plugins, change themes, delete content, even remove other Administrators. This is your ultimate control panel. It's the most powerful WordPress user role.
- What an Administrator Can Do:
- Manage all content (posts, pages, comments)
- Install, update, and delete themes and plugins
- Manage all users (add, remove, change roles)
- Edit core WordPress files and settings
- Access all site data and tools
- When You Should Assign This Role:
- Only to yourself, or to someone you completely trust: a co-owner or lead developer who shares full responsibility for the site's technical health and strategic direction.
- The Risk: Giving out Administrator access casually is the biggest security risk you can take. One compromised password or bad actor can wipe out everything you've built.
The Editor: Your Content Manager
The Editor runs the content side of your site but can't touch the technical backend. This role is perfect for someone managing your editorial calendar, approving articles, and making sure everything stays on brand.
- What an Editor Can Do:
- Publish, edit, and delete any post or page (including work by other people)
- Moderate comments
- Manage categories and tags
- Upload media files
- When You Should Assign This Role:
- To your head content strategist, managing editor, or anyone responsible for overall content quality and publication schedule.
- What This Enables: This role lets them own the entire content pipeline without any risk to your site's infrastructure.
Speaking of managing comments, we've got a whole guide on how to handle comments in WordPress that might come in handy.
The Author: Your Content Creator
Authors write and manage their own posts, but they can't publish or edit other people's work. This keeps individual writers focused on their contributions without stepping on anyone's toes.
- What an Author Can Do:
- Write, edit, and delete their own posts
- Upload media files
- Publish their own posts once written
- When You Should Assign This Role:
- To individual bloggers, guest writers, or content creators who generate original content.
- How This Helps Your Workflow: Authors can work independently, but their content can still go through an Editor's review if you want an approval process.
If your authors are new to WordPress, they might benefit from a tutorial on how to use the WordPress block editor effectively.
The Contributor: Your Writer with a Safety Net
Contributors can write and edit their own posts, but they can't publish them. An Editor or Administrator has to review and approve their work first.
- What a Contributor Can Do:
- Write and edit their own posts
- Submit posts for review
- Can't upload media files by default (you'd need a plugin to enable this)
- When You Should Assign This Role:
- To new writers, occasional guest bloggers, or anyone whose content needs a review process before going live.
- Why This Matters: This role is invaluable for maintaining quality control and making sure every piece of content aligns with your standards.
The Subscriber: Your Audience Member
The Subscriber role is the most basic level. They can log in, view content, and manage their profile, but they can't create or edit anything.
- What a Subscriber Can Do:
- Log in to your site
- View content (especially useful for membership sites or gated content)
- Edit their own profile information
- When You Should Assign This Role:
- To members of a membership site, customers accessing premium content, or anyone who needs to log in but doesn't need to contribute content.
- The Strategic Use: This role is about access, not contribution. It's perfect for creating exclusive experiences for your audience.
If you're thinking about those exclusive experiences, you might be ready to create a full-blown membership site on WordPress.
How WordPress User Roles Connect to Site Security and Peace of Mind
Now that you understand what each role does, here's where it gets strategic. Properly assigning WordPress user roles isn't just about organization. It's a core security practice. Here's what happens when you get it right:
- Compartmentalization Limits Damage: If a Contributor account gets compromised, the attacker can't install malicious plugins. They can only mess with unpublished posts. Compare that to a compromised Administrator account. (And speaking of security, you definitely want to set up spam protection in WordPress to keep those bots at bay.)
- Less Human Error: A well-defined user role structure means fewer mistakes. If Authors can't delete other people's posts, you've eliminated an entire category of potential disasters.
- Clear Accountability: When roles align with responsibilities, it's obvious who did what. Your editor published something controversial? You know who approved it.
- Compliance Ready: For sites handling sensitive data, proper user access controls aren't optional. They're often a legal requirement (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.).
Think of WordPress user roles as your site's immune system. When working properly, you barely notice them, but they're constantly preventing problems.
This is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to making your website secure overall.
Understanding Capabilities: The Building Blocks Beneath User Roles
User roles are actually just collections of "capabilities."
A capability is a specific permission to perform a single action (like edit_posts, publish_posts, upload_files, manage_options). WordPress has over 70 built-in capabilities. When you assign someone the "Editor" role, you're actually assigning them a specific bundle of capabilities.
Understanding this matters because it unlocks the power of custom roles. You're not stuck with the five defaults. If you need a role that can publish posts but not upload images, or edit pages but not delete them, you can create that by mixing and matching capabilities.
Here's the structure: Role → Collection of Capabilities → Permission to Perform Actions
Some key capabilities you should know:
- Content Management:
edit_posts,publish_posts,delete_posts,edit_pages,publish_pages - Media Management:
upload_files - User Management:
create_users,edit_users,delete_users - Site Management:
manage_options,update_core,install_plugins,activate_plugins - Comment Moderation:
moderate_comments
When you think about user management in terms of capabilities, you gain surgical precision over what your team can and can't do.
When and How to Create Custom WordPress User Roles
The five default WordPress roles work well for simple sites, but many businesses outgrow them quickly. Here's when you should think about custom roles.
Signs You Need Custom Roles
- You're giving someone Administrator access just so they can perform one specific task
- Team members complain they can't do parts of their job, or can do things they shouldn't
- You're managing a large, complex site with many contributors
- You have specialized roles like "SEO Manager" or "Product Content Specialist" that don't fit neatly into the defaults
- You're working with clients or contractors and need to limit access to specific areas
How to Create Custom Roles
You have two main options:
Option 1: Use a Plugin (Recommended for Most)
Plugins like "User Role Editor" or "Members" let you create and modify user roles through an intuitive interface. You can duplicate an existing role as a starting point, then add or remove specific capabilities with checkboxes. No coding required.
Here's the typical workflow:
- Install and activate a user role editor plugin
- Go to the plugin's settings page
- Create a new role (or copy an existing one)
- Select the capabilities you want to grant
- Save and assign users to the new role
Option 2: Code It (For Developers)
If you're comfortable with PHP, you can add custom roles programmatically in your theme's functions.php file:
function add_custom_role() { add_role( 'content_curator', 'Content Curator', array( 'read' => true, 'edit_posts' => true, 'delete_posts' => true, 'publish_posts' => true, 'upload_files' => false, ) ); } add_action('init', 'add_custom_role'); This creates a "Content Curator" role that can manage posts but can't upload files.
Custom Role Examples
- Social Media Manager: Can create posts, upload images, but can't publish (needs Editor approval).
- Client Preview: Can view unpublished content but can't edit or publish anything.
- Product Manager: Can manage WooCommerce products but can't access general site settings.
- SEO Specialist: Can edit post titles, meta descriptions, and categories but can't change content itself.
The right custom role eliminates the frustrating dance of "I need access to X but not Y."
Ad Break: Let Thrive Apprentice Give You Real Custom Access (Memberships, Courses, etc.)
If you’re running courses, memberships, or gated content, default WordPress roles won’t cut it.
WordPress roles control what users can do in the dashboard.
But what about what they can see?
That’s where Thrive Apprentice steps in.
Thrive Apprentice adds a dedicated access layer for your premium content. You can:
- Lock individual courses, lessons, or bundles
- Grant access based on purchase
- Revoke access automatically if payments fail
- Keep students as simple Subscribers (no risky backend permissions)
So instead of promoting someone to Editor just so they can view a course, you keep your site secure and let Apprentice handle visibility.
WordPress protects your infrastructure.
Thrive Apprentice protects your intellectual property.
If you’re building anything beyond a blog, that distinction matters.
Best Practices for Managing WordPress User Roles
Getting user roles right isn't a one-time setup. It requires ongoing attention. Here are the practices that separate secure, efficient sites from vulnerable messes.
1. Start with Least Privilege, Always
When adding a new user, give them the minimum role necessary. You can always upgrade later if they genuinely need more access. Going the other direction (downgrading someone's access) feels like punishment and creates friction.
2. Regular Audits Are Non-Negotiable
Set a recurring calendar reminder (quarterly is a good start) to review your user list. Ask:
- Does this person still work here?
- Does their role still match their job?
- When was the last time they logged in?
Remove inactive users immediately. Downgrade people whose responsibilities have changed.
3. Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
This should be obvious, but user role security only works if the accounts themselves are secure. Require strong passwords. Enforce two-factor authentication for all Administrators and Editors. A plugin like "Two Factor Authentication" makes this simple.
4. Document Your User Management Policy
Create a simple document outlining:
- Who has what role and why
- Your process for adding new users
- Your process for removing users or changing roles
- Your access review schedule
This prevents confusion and ensures consistency when onboarding new team members.
5. Log User Activity
Install a user activity plugin like "Simple History" or "WP Activity Log." These plugins track who did what and when. If something goes wrong, you can trace it back to the source. It also discourages bad behavior when people know they're being logged.
6. Separate Development and Production Access
If you have a staging site for testing, use different user roles and passwords than your live site. A mistake on staging shouldn't give someone access to production.
7. Educate Your Team
Don't just assign roles and walk away. Explain to your team members why they have specific access levels and what they can and can't do. This creates transparency and reduces confusion or frustration.
WordPress Multi-Site: A Different Ball Game
If you're running a WordPress Multi-Site network (one WordPress installation managing multiple sites), you have an additional layer: the Super Admin role.
What is a Super Admin?
A Super Admin has ultimate control over the entire network of sites. They can:
- Install and activate themes network-wide
- Install and activate plugins network-wide
- Create new sites within the network
- Add users to any site in the network
- Access and edit any site in the network
Multi-Site is useful for:
- Universities with separate sites for each department
- Companies with sites for different brands or regions
- Agencies managing multiple client sites
- Large publications with sub-sites for different topics
The Multi-Site Hierarchy
Here's what's important: an Administrator on an individual site within a multi-site network does not have Super Admin capabilities over the entire network. Their power is limited to their specific site. Only the Super Admin controls the whole network.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even with a solid understanding of WordPress user roles, it's easy to make mistakes that lead to security breaches or workflow problems. Here are the most common traps and how to avoid them.
Over-Permissioning: The "Just in Case" Mistake
You might be tempted to give a new team member Administrator access "just in case" they need to do something you didn't anticipate. This is asking for trouble. It exposes your site to unnecessary risk and blurs accountability.
- What to Do Instead: Always start with the minimum privilege. If they genuinely need more access for a specific task, you can temporarily bump up their role or create a custom role for that need. Review and revoke the access once the task is done.
Neglecting Role Reviews: The Outdated Access Problem
Team members change roles, leave the company, or simply don't need certain access anymore. Forgetting to review and update user roles regularly is a security oversight.
- What to Do Instead: Schedule quarterly or bi-annual audits of your user list. Remove inactive users immediately. Downgrade roles for team members whose responsibilities have changed. Treat user access like keys to your office. You wouldn't let former employees keep them.
Sticking to Defaults When They Don't Fit
Trying to force your unique team structure into the five default WordPress roles often creates frustration and inefficient workflows. You might end up giving too much access to get a job done, or too little, which creates bottlenecks.
- What to Do Instead: If you constantly wish a role could do "just one more thing" or "one less thing," that's your signal to explore custom roles. Invest in a user role editor plugin. It pays off in security and efficiency.
FAQ: Your Questions About WordPress User Roles Answered
WordPress user roles define what actions a user can perform on your site, from writing posts to installing plugins. They matter because they're important for site security, managing team access, and keeping your content workflow smooth. They prevent unauthorized changes and accidental deletions.
Taking Action: Your Plan for Mastering WordPress User Roles
You now have a solid understanding of WordPress user roles and the strategy behind them. Time to put this knowledge to work and transform your site's user management.
- Audit Your Current Users: Go to
Users > All Usersin your WordPress dashboard. For each user, ask:- Do they still need access to the site?
- Does their current role actually match their responsibilities?
- Are there any inactive users you need to remove?
- Apply the Principle of Least Privilege: Downgrade any users who have more access than they need. Be ruthless here. It's for your site's safety.
- Map Your Team to Roles:
- List all your current and future team members.
- For each person, define their exact responsibilities.
- Assign the most appropriate default WordPress role.
- If a default role doesn't fit perfectly, note what capabilities are missing or excessive.
- Identify Custom Role Needs: Based on your mapping, if you found gaps, consider creating custom roles. Install a user role editor plugin and experiment with tailoring permissions.
- Document Your User Management Policy: Create a simple document (even a Google Doc) that outlines:
- Who has what role and why.
- Your process for adding new users.
- Your process for removing or changing user roles.
- Your schedule for reviewing user access.
- Educate Your Team: Explain to your team members why specific roles are assigned and what they can and can't do. This creates transparency and reduces confusion.
Following these steps means you're not just configuring settings. You're building a foundation for your WordPress site's growth that's secure and efficient. You're moving from reactive firefighting to proactive management, making sure your site is ready for whatever comes next.
Wow! Eilidh…Very timely as I’m working on setting my Membership up with Thrive Apprentice right now! 🙂
I’ve been wondering how I can set up some of my posts to be partially hidden — say after the Intro paragraphs — for readers who are not yet subscribers… Like they do in a LOT of the online magazines…
Is this something I would use “conditional display” for? And how would I “hide” the content after the intro paragraphs?
I absolutely LOVE Thrive Suite (been a customer of Thrive since WAY BEFORE Thrive Suite or even Thrive Architect existed!) <3
You & the team all rock! 😀
Yes, conditional display; for subscribers you show the rest of the article, for non-subscribers a nice text & button to sign up in order to get access to the rest of the article. (Great if you can direct them back to the original article after signing up, but don’t know by heart how to do that.) There’s excellent articles about the conditional display; you’ll have it figured out in no time!
Thanks – opens up a range of possibilities. Would the Thrive Apprentice product contain all the content (course, pages, posts) for each level? Would these still appear in the blog post list? Would they be ‘tagged’ in some way to show they require paid access? Thx ps. love your profile picture, looks like a gorgeous spot!
Hi Suze,
There’s a bunch of ways to go about this (which is the beauty of Thrive Suite).
Yes an Apprentice product would group the course, pages and posts you want to include in the level.
For the blog list, if you’re using Thrive Theme Builder it’s really easy to choose because you can filter the blog post list. So imagine that all your blog posts are in the category premium, in that case you can filter out the category premium.
Same works for “tagging” you can decide to show or hide categories and tags on the articles. So let’s imagine you keep the “premium” category visible in your post list AND you show the category label, now you have the posts “tagged” as premium 🙂
Excellent explanations of WordPress user roles, thank you, Eilidh.
Thank you for this much-needed explanation. One question: is it best to use a plugin to create a user role for each course? (Can someone have multiple user roles?) My understanding is that once someone becomes a member with a certain role, they have access to any and all bought material, rather than just the one they have paid for. I get it that they can upgrade to get access to more, but if I produce a series of paid-for courses what is the best way to handle this? Or did I not understand something in this article!?
Hi Lewis,
No it is not!
As you pointed out, someone can not have multiple user roles so this is not a sustainable solution.
That’s why we built the “product” layer in Thrive Apprentice.
Any customer on your site would get the “subscriber” role, but the protection of the course is done with the product.
So let’s say you have 3 courses:
Product A protects Course 1
Product B protects Course 2
Product C protects Course 3
And Product D protects all 3 courses so that you can sell them as a bundle.
None of these products would use the WordPress user role as their access rule but they would be linked to your checkout tool (SendOwl, ThriveCart or via Thrive Automator to other tools)
Now if someone becomes a customer, they would get the subscriber role on your site, so that they can log in AND they would get access to a certain product (the one they bought)
This allows for people to buy multiple courses and only have 1 user role.
Hope that clears things up!
Yes, that certainly clears thing sup! Many thanks, Hanna.
Any possibility to get your approval to post this *privately* as an ‘Admin Tutorial’ for clients who are admins on their company’s website?
Attribution would be given (or we could just link to this)…
Very nicely done!
Hi Keith,
Linking is the best way to go 🙂
Maybe I missed it but do we need to select the “anyone can register” box in the settings-general settings in our website to let the things mentioned in the post to work?
Hi Michael,
No you actually don’t if you’re using the login and registration element in Thrive Architect.
The “anyone can register” will add a link on the default login page for WordPress but the login/registration element does this automatically.