Understanding WordPress User Roles

WordPress user roles control what different users can and cannot do on a website. They are an important part of WordPress user management because they allow website owners to give people the appropriate level of access without sharing an administrator account.

For example, a blog writer may only need permission to create and manage their own articles, while a content manager may need to edit and publish posts created by other writers. A website administrator, on the other hand, may need access to themes, plugins, settings, and user management.

WordPress includes several built-in user roles that are designed for different responsibilities. Understanding these roles can help you manage your website more securely and efficiently.

In this guide, you will learn what WordPress user roles are, how each role works, what capabilities they provide, and how to choose the appropriate role for different types of users.

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What Are WordPress User Roles?

A WordPress user role is a collection of permissions, or capabilities, assigned to a user account.

Instead of manually giving individual permissions to every user, WordPress groups capabilities into predefined roles.

For example:

Administrator
      ↓
Extensive website control

Editor
      ↓
Content management

Author
      ↓
Own post management

Contributor
      ↓
Writing without publishing

Subscriber
      ↓
Basic account access

When you create a WordPress user, you normally assign one of these roles to the account.

The role determines which actions the user can perform inside WordPress.

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Why Are WordPress User Roles Important?

User roles are important for both website management and security.

Imagine a company website with five people working on it. Giving everyone Administrator access would provide more privileges than most people need.

Instead, you could assign roles according to responsibilities:

User	Responsibility	Suitable Role
Website owner	Complete management	Administrator
Content manager	Manage all content	Editor
Blog writer	Publish own articles	Author
Guest writer	Submit articles for review	Contributor
Registered visitor	Basic account access	Subscriber

This approach helps limit unnecessary access.

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The Five Default WordPress User Roles

A standard WordPress installation includes five primary roles:

1. Administrator
2. Editor
3. Author
4. Contributor
5. Subscriber

Each role has different capabilities.

Let’s look at each one in detail.

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1. WordPress Administrator

The Administrator is the highest standard role on a typical single-site WordPress installation.

Administrators have extensive control over the website.

An Administrator can generally:

• Create and edit posts
• Publish posts
• Delete posts
• Manage pages
• Upload media
• Manage comments
• Manage categories and tags
• Install plugins
• Activate and deactivate plugins
• Install themes
• Change themes
• Modify WordPress settings
• Create and manage users
• Change user roles
• Update WordPress
• Manage website configuration

Because administrators have extensive privileges, this role should be assigned carefully.

When Should You Use Administrator?

Administrator access may be appropriate for:

• Website owners
• Technical administrators
• Trusted developers
• Hosting or maintenance personnel who genuinely require full WordPress access

It is generally unnecessary for someone who only needs to write blog posts.

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2. WordPress Editor

The Editor role is primarily designed for content management.

An Editor can generally manage content created by other users.

Editors can typically:

• Create posts
• Edit posts
• Publish posts
• Delete posts
• Edit other users’ posts
• Manage pages
• Manage categories
• Manage tags
• Upload media
• Moderate comments

However, the standard Editor role does not normally provide the same administrative capabilities as an Administrator.

When Should You Use Editor?

An Editor can be useful for:

• Content managers
• Blog managers
• Editorial teams
• Magazine websites
• News websites

For example:

Writer → Creates Article
       ↓
Editor → Reviews Article
       ↓
Editor → Publishes Article

This workflow allows an editorial team to manage content without giving writers full website administration privileges.

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3. WordPress Author

The Author role is designed for users who need to create and publish their own posts.

An Author can generally:

• Create posts
• Edit their own posts
• Publish their own posts
• Delete their own posts
• Upload media

An Author does not normally have permission to manage other users’ posts or change website settings.

When Should You Use Author?

The Author role is useful when you have writers who are responsible for publishing their own content.

For example:

John → Technology Articles
Sarah → WordPress Articles
Mike → Hosting Articles

Each writer can manage their own posts without receiving broader administrative privileges.

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4. WordPress Contributor

A Contributor can create and manage their own posts but normally cannot publish them.

This makes the role useful for websites where articles need editorial approval.

A typical workflow is:

Contributor
     ↓
Writes Article
     ↓
Submits Article
     ↓
Editor Reviews
     ↓
Editor Publishes

Contributors can generally:

• Create posts
• Edit their own posts
• Submit posts for review

They typically cannot:

• Publish posts
• Manage other users’ posts
• Manage plugins
• Change themes
• Modify website settings

When Should You Use Contributor?

This role can be useful for:

• Guest writers
• Freelance writers
• New content contributors
• Websites with editorial review processes

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5. WordPress Subscriber

The Subscriber role has very limited permissions.

A Subscriber can generally manage their own profile and access features provided by the website or plugins that require a logged-in account.

The role is often used for:

• Membership websites
• Community websites
• Websites requiring user accounts
• Registered visitors

Subscribers normally cannot create or publish regular WordPress posts.

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WordPress User Roles Comparison

The standard roles can be summarized as follows:

Capability	Administrator	Editor	Author	Contributor	Subscriber
Manage website settings	Yes	No	No	No	No
Manage plugins	Yes	No	No	No	No
Manage themes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Manage users	Yes	No	No	No	No
Publish posts	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Edit other users’ posts	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Edit own posts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Upload media	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Manage categories	Yes	Yes	Limited	No	No
Manage comments	Yes	Yes	Limited	No	No

The exact capabilities can change if plugins, custom code, or custom roles are used.

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Administrator vs Editor

The difference between Administrator and Editor is particularly important.

An Administrator manages the WordPress website itself, while an Editor primarily manages content.

For example:

Administrator

WordPress Settings
Themes
Plugins
Users
Content
Comments
Media

Editor

Posts
Pages
Categories
Tags
Comments
Media

If someone only needs to manage articles, an Editor role may provide the necessary content-management capabilities without giving them administrative access.

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Editor vs Author

The main difference is the ability to manage other users’ content.

An Editor can generally:

Create own posts
       +
Edit own posts
       +
Publish own posts
       +
Edit other users' posts
       +
Publish other users' posts

An Author generally has:

Create own posts
       +
Edit own posts
       +
Publish own posts

Therefore, an Editor is more suitable for someone responsible for managing an entire editorial operation.

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Author vs Contributor

The primary difference is publishing capability.

An Author can generally publish their own posts.

A Contributor can generally write posts but cannot publish them.

For example:

Author
   ↓
Write
   ↓
Edit
   ↓
Publish

While:

Contributor
   ↓
Write
   ↓
Edit
   ↓
Submit for Review
   ↓
Editor Publishes

This distinction is useful when every article needs approval before becoming publicly available.

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Subscriber vs Contributor

Subscribers generally have very limited content-related capabilities.

A Contributor can create posts and submit them for review.

For example:

Subscriber
→ Account access
→ Profile management

Contributor
→ Account access
→ Profile management
→ Create posts
→ Edit own posts
→ Submit posts for review

Choose the role according to what the user actually needs to do.

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How to Check WordPress User Roles

To view your website’s users, log in to the WordPress Dashboard.

Go to:

Users → All Users

You will see a list of users and their assigned roles.

For example:

Username       Role
--------------------------------
admin          Administrator
john           Editor
sarah          Author
mike           Contributor
alex           Subscriber

This makes it easier to review who has access to your website.

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How to Change a User’s Role

If you have sufficient permissions, you can change a user’s role.

Go to:

Users → All Users

Find the user you want to modify.

Click:

Edit

Find the Role option.

Select the appropriate role and click:

Update User

For example:

Contributor
     ↓
Author

You might make this change when a contributor becomes responsible for publishing their own articles.

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How to Create a User With a Specific Role

To create a new user:

Go to:

Users → Add New User

Enter:

• Username
• Email address
• First name
• Last name
• Password

Then select the appropriate role.

For example:

Username: johnwriter
Email: [email protected]
Role: Author

Click:

Add New User

The new user can then log in with their account.

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How WordPress Capabilities Work

A role is essentially a collection of capabilities.

Capabilities determine what a user is allowed to do.

For example, capabilities can include actions related to:

• Reading content
• Editing posts
• Publishing posts
• Deleting posts
• Managing categories
• Managing users
• Installing plugins
• Managing themes

WordPress uses these capabilities to determine whether a particular action should be available to a user.

This is why two users with different roles may see different options in the WordPress Dashboard.

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Can WordPress Have Custom User Roles?

Yes.

Although WordPress includes five standard roles for a single-site installation, plugins and custom development can create additional roles or modify existing capabilities.

For example, a website could have custom roles such as:

SEO Manager
Support Agent
Store Manager
Course Instructor
Membership Manager

These roles can be configured with specific capabilities.

This can be useful for larger websites where the standard WordPress roles do not exactly match the organization’s workflow.

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User Roles on WooCommerce Websites

If you use WooCommerce, additional roles can be added by the plugin.

For example, WooCommerce commonly adds roles related to store management and customers.

A store website might therefore have:

Administrator
Shop Manager
Customer

along with WordPress’s standard roles.

The capabilities available to these users depend on WooCommerce and any other plugins installed on the website.

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WordPress Roles on Multisite

WordPress Multisite has additional considerations.

In a Multisite network, there is a Super Admin role.

A Super Admin has network-level privileges that can extend across the WordPress Multisite network.

For example, a Super Admin may be able to manage:

• Network settings
• Sites
• Network users
• Network themes
• Network plugins

Multisite roles should therefore be managed carefully because network-level access is broader than access to a single site.

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Best Practices for WordPress User Roles

1. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege

Give users only the permissions they need.

For example:

Blog Writer → Author
Guest Writer → Contributor
Content Manager → Editor
Website Administrator → Administrator

There is usually no reason to give every employee Administrator access.

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2. Avoid Sharing Administrator Accounts

Do not create one administrator account and share its password with multiple people.

Instead, create individual accounts.

For example:

john-admin
sarah-editor
mike-author

Individual accounts make access management easier and provide clearer user attribution.

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3. Review User Roles Regularly

People’s responsibilities can change.

A user who previously needed Administrator access may only need Editor access later.

Review your user list periodically.

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4. Remove Unused Accounts

If someone no longer works on your website, remove or otherwise appropriately disable their access.

Unused accounts can create unnecessary security exposure.

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5. Use Strong Passwords

Every WordPress account should use a unique, strong password.

Avoid passwords based on:

• Names
• Birthdays
• Company names
• Phone numbers
• Simple number sequences

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6. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

Where supported by your WordPress security setup, consider using multi-factor authentication for accounts, especially privileged accounts.

This adds another authentication factor beyond the password.

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7. Be Careful With Custom Roles

Plugins that modify roles and capabilities can affect what users are allowed to do.

Before installing a role-management plugin, understand which capabilities it changes.

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Common WordPress User Role Mistakes

Giving Everyone Administrator Access

This is one of the most common mistakes on collaborative websites.

If a user only needs to write articles, giving them Administrator access provides capabilities they do not need.

Use the most appropriate lower-privilege role instead.

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Using One Account for Multiple People

Shared accounts make it difficult to determine who performed an action.

Create separate accounts for each person.

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Forgetting Former Employees or Contributors

Review your user list regularly and remove access that is no longer required.

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Choosing Author Instead of Contributor

If articles need approval before publication, a Contributor role may be more appropriate than an Author.

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Choosing Contributor When Publishing Is Required

If a writer needs to publish their own articles without editorial approval, the Author role may be more suitable.

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How to Choose the Right WordPress Role

Use the user’s responsibilities as the starting point.

Website Owner

Administrator

When full website management is required.

Content Manager

Editor

When the user needs to manage content created by multiple writers.

Regular Blog Writer

Author

When the writer needs to publish and manage their own posts.

Guest Writer

Contributor

When articles should be reviewed before publication.

Registered Visitor

Subscriber

When the user primarily needs an account rather than content-management capabilities.

A simple decision process is:

Does the user need full website administration?
             ↓
            Yes
             ↓
       Administrator

             No
             ↓
Does the user manage other users' content?
             ↓
            Yes
             ↓
          Editor

             No
             ↓
Does the user publish their own posts?
             ↓
       Yes → Author
             ↓
       No → Contributor
             ↓
Basic account access → Subscriber

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are WordPress user roles?

WordPress user roles are predefined groups of permissions that determine what users can do on a WordPress website.

How many default WordPress user roles are there?

A standard single-site WordPress installation provides five primary roles: Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.

Which WordPress role has the most permissions?

On a standard single-site installation, the Administrator has the broadest standard set of capabilities.

WordPress Multisite also has the Super Admin role for network-level administration.

What is the difference between an Author and an Editor?

An Author generally manages their own posts, while an Editor can generally manage and publish content created by other users as well.

Can Contributors publish posts?

By default, Contributors can create and edit their own posts but cannot publish them. Their posts generally need to be reviewed and published by a user with appropriate publishing capabilities.

Can I create custom WordPress user roles?

Yes. Plugins or custom development can create custom roles and modify capabilities.

Can I change a user’s WordPress role?

Yes, provided your account has sufficient permissions. Go to Users → All Users, edit the user, select a different role, and save the changes.

Should every WordPress user be an Administrator?

No. Users should generally receive only the permissions required for their responsibilities.

Can a WordPress user have multiple roles?

WordPress’s standard user interface assigns a primary role, while custom code or plugins can alter capability assignments. For most websites, it is simpler and safer to assign the role that best matches the user’s responsibilities.

Do plugins affect WordPress user roles?

Yes. Plugins can add custom roles or modify capabilities. E-commerce, membership, learning-management, and community plugins are examples of software that may introduce additional user roles or permissions.

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WordPress User Role Security Checklist

Before giving someone access to your website, review the following:

• Create an individual user account
• Select the appropriate role
• Avoid unnecessary Administrator privileges
• Use a strong, unique password
• Enable multi-factor authentication where appropriate
• Review user permissions periodically
• Remove unused accounts
• Check custom roles created by plugins
• Keep WordPress and plugins updated
• Maintain regular website backups

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Conclusion

Understanding WordPress user roles is essential when managing a website with multiple users. WordPress provides different roles so that users can receive access appropriate to their responsibilities.

The five primary roles are:

Administrator → Editor → Author → Contributor → Subscriber

Administrators have extensive website control, Editors manage content across the site, Authors manage their own published content, Contributors can prepare content for review, and Subscribers have limited account-level access.

The most important rule is to avoid giving users more permissions than they need. By assigning appropriate roles, using individual accounts, reviewing permissions regularly, and protecting privileged accounts, you can make WordPress user management more organized and secure.