{"id":5135,"date":"2026-07-03T21:49:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T21:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/?p=5135"},"modified":"2026-07-03T21:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T21:56:08","slug":"wordpress-user-roles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>WordPress user roles control who can do what on your site \u2014 from full administrative power down to read-only access. Understanding them is the foundation of a secure, well-organized site, especially once more than one person logs in. This guide explains all six default roles and exactly what each can and can&#8217;t do, how to change a user&#8217;s role, how to modify permissions or create custom roles, and the security rule that matters most: give everyone the least access they need.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#What_are_WordPress_user_roles\" title=\"What are WordPress user roles?\">What are WordPress user roles?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#The_six_default_WordPress_user_roles\" title=\"The six default WordPress user roles\">The six default WordPress user roles<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Administrator\" title=\"Administrator\">Administrator<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Editor\" title=\"Editor\">Editor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Author\" title=\"Author\">Author<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Contributor\" title=\"Contributor\">Contributor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Subscriber\" title=\"Subscriber\">Subscriber<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Super_Admin_Multisite_only\" title=\"Super Admin (Multisite only)\">Super Admin (Multisite only)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Roles_at_a_glance\" title=\"Roles at a glance\">Roles at a glance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Understanding_capabilities\" title=\"Understanding capabilities\">Understanding capabilities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#How_to_change_a_users_role\" title=\"How to change a user&#8217;s role\">How to change a user&#8217;s role<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#What_happens_to_content_when_you_delete_a_user\" title=\"What happens to content when you delete a user\">What happens to content when you delete a user<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#How_to_modify_permissions_and_create_custom_roles\" title=\"How to modify permissions and create custom roles\">How to modify permissions and create custom roles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#WooCommerce_and_plugin_roles\" title=\"WooCommerce and plugin roles\">WooCommerce and plugin roles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Troubleshooting_user_roles_and_permissions\" title=\"Troubleshooting user roles and permissions\">Troubleshooting user roles and permissions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#User_roles_and_site_security\" title=\"User roles and site security\">User roles and site security<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" title=\"Frequently asked questions\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Related_guides\" title=\"Related guides\">Related guides<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_WordPress_user_roles\"><\/span>What are WordPress user roles?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <strong>role<\/strong> is a named collection of <strong>capabilities<\/strong> \u2014 the individual actions a user is allowed to perform, like <code>edit_posts<\/code>, <code>publish_posts<\/code>, or <code>manage_options<\/code>. When you assign someone a role, you&#8217;re granting them the whole set of capabilities that come with it. That&#8217;s what makes the system both simple (pick a role) and powerful (each role maps to a real-world responsibility).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress ships with <strong>six predefined roles<\/strong>. On a standard single-site install you&#8217;ll use five of them; the sixth (Super Admin) only exists on a Multisite network. The first user created during installation is an Administrator by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An important idea to keep in mind: roles aren&#8217;t strictly &#8220;senior&#8221; to one another so much as they define <strong>responsibilities<\/strong>. Each role down the list simply has fewer capabilities than the one above it \u2014 an Editor can do everything an Author can, plus more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_six_default_WordPress_user_roles\"><\/span>The six default WordPress user roles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Administrator\"><\/span>Administrator<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full control over a single site. An Administrator can do everything: publish and delete any content, install and delete plugins and themes, edit theme code, change every setting, run core updates, and add, edit, or remove other users \u2014 including other Administrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> yourself, and maybe one trusted backup. This is the most powerful and most dangerous role, so keep the list short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Editor\"><\/span>Editor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manages all content, but not the site itself. An Editor can publish, edit, and delete any post or page \u2014 including those written by other users \u2014 plus moderate comments, manage categories and tags, and upload media. What they <strong>can&#8217;t<\/strong> do: install plugins, change themes, edit settings, or manage users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> a managing editor or content lead who runs the editorial side without being able to break the site. This is the highest role most content people ever need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Author\"><\/span>Author<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manages their own content. An Author can write, edit, publish, and delete <strong>their own<\/strong> posts, and upload media. They can&#8217;t touch other users&#8217; content, create pages, or access any settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> regular contributors on a multi-author blog who publish independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contributor\"><\/span>Contributor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Writes, but can&#8217;t publish. A Contributor can create and edit their own posts, but can&#8217;t publish them \u2014 a post stays as a draft until an Editor or Administrator reviews and publishes it. Notably, Contributors <strong>can&#8217;t upload media<\/strong>, which is a frequent point of confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> guest writers or new team members whose work you want to review before it goes live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subscriber\"><\/span>Subscriber<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most limited role. A Subscriber can manage their own profile and read content \u2014 nothing more. On membership or subscription sites, this role gives logged-in users access to restricted content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> newsletter signups, commenters, or members on a gated site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Super_Admin_Multisite_only\"><\/span>Super Admin (Multisite only)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Exists only on a WordPress Multisite network. A Super Admin controls the entire network of sites: creating and deleting sites, managing network-wide plugins and themes, and network settings. On Multisite, some capabilities normally held by an Administrator (like installing plugins) are reserved for the Super Admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use it for:<\/strong> the owner or lead developer of a Multisite network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Roles_at_a_glance\"><\/span>Roles at a glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin:24px 0; overflow-x:auto; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\n  <table style=\"width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; box-shadow:0 1px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); border-radius:8px; overflow:hidden; min-width:560px;\">\n    <thead>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#F26C21; color:#ffffff; text-align:left;\">\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">Role<\/th>\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">Can do<\/th>\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">Cannot do<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Administrator<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Everything on a single site<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Manage a Multisite network<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Editor<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Publish\/edit\/delete any content, moderate comments<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Install plugins, change themes, settings, users<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Author<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Publish\/edit\/delete own posts, upload media<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Touch others&#8217; content or settings<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Contributor<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Write\/edit own posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Publish posts or upload media<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Subscriber<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Manage own profile, read content<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Create or edit content<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:none;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238; font-weight:700;\">Super Admin<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Everything, plus manage the whole Multisite network<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">\u2014 (highest role)<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_capabilities\"><\/span>Understanding capabilities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every role is really just a bundle of <strong>capabilities<\/strong> \u2014 individual permissions that each control one specific action. When you assign a role, you&#8217;re handing over its whole set of capabilities. Knowing the key ones helps you understand exactly where the line between roles falls, and which capability to add or remove when you customize a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin:24px 0; overflow-x:auto; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\n  <table style=\"width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; box-shadow:0 1px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); border-radius:8px; overflow:hidden; min-width:560px;\">\n    <thead>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#F26C21; color:#ffffff; text-align:left;\">\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">Capability<\/th>\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">What it allows<\/th>\n        <th style=\"padding:14px 16px;\">Lowest role that has it<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">read<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Read content and access the profile<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Subscriber<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">edit_posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Write and edit one&#8217;s own posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Contributor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">upload_files<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Upload media to the library<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Author<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">publish_posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Publish one&#8217;s own posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Author<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">edit_others_posts<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Edit posts written by other users<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Editor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">moderate_comments<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Approve and edit comments<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Editor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#fbf4ef; border-bottom:1px solid #eadfd6;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">manage_options<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Change site settings<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Administrator<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr style=\"background-color:#ffffff; border-bottom:none;\">\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; font-family:monospace; color:#c0441a;\">install_plugins<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Install and activate plugins<\/td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px 16px; color:#1A2238;\">Administrator<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are dozens more, but these are the ones that define the boundaries between roles. When you build a custom role, you&#8217;re really just choosing which of these to switch on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One special case worth knowing: <strong>unfiltered_upload<\/strong>. This capability lets a user upload file types WordPress normally blocks, like SVG or PSD. It isn&#8217;t granted to <em>any<\/em> role by default \u2014 not even Administrator \u2014 because those file types carry security risks. Enabling it requires adding a constant to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-config-php\/\">wp-config.php file<\/a>, and you should only do so if you understand the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_change_a_users_role\"><\/span>How to change a user&#8217;s role<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing someone&#8217;s role takes a few clicks and requires Administrator access:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the dashboard, go to <strong>Users \u2192 All Users<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the box next to the user (or users) you want to change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From the <strong>Change role to\u2026<\/strong> dropdown at the top, pick the new role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Change<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role-1024x561.png\" alt=\"Change user roles in WordPress. Users \u2192 All Users screen with dropdown &quot;Change role to&quot; open.\" class=\"wp-image-5137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role-1536x841.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-change-user-role.png 1694w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also change a single user&#8217;s role by clicking <strong>Edit<\/strong> under their name and selecting a new role from the Role dropdown on their profile. To set the default role for new sign-ups, go to <strong>Settings \u2192 General \u2192 New User Default Role<\/strong> \u2014 keep this as Subscriber unless you have a reason to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"812\" src=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-default-user-role-1024x812.png\" alt=\"Setting the default user role in WordPress General settings\" class=\"wp-image-5138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-default-user-role-1024x812.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-default-user-role-300x238.png 300w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-default-user-role-768x609.png 768w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-default-user-role.png 1408w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can a user have more than one role?<\/strong> By default the dashboard assigns one role per user, but WordPress does support multiple roles \u2014 a secondary role simply adds its capabilities on top of the primary one. Assigning a second role requires a role editor plugin or code; it&#8217;s an advanced setup most sites won&#8217;t need, but it&#8217;s useful when someone&#8217;s job spans two roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_to_content_when_you_delete_a_user\"><\/span>What happens to content when you delete a user<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deleting a user doesn&#8217;t have to mean losing their work. When you remove a user who has created content, WordPress stops and asks what to do with it, giving you two choices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Delete all content<\/strong> \u2014 every post and page that user created is removed along with the account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Attribute all content to another user<\/strong> \u2014 the account is deleted, but their posts and pages are reassigned to a user you pick, so the content stays live on your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In almost every case you want the second option. For example, if a guest Author leaves, you can reassign their articles to an Editor or Administrator and keep them published. Choose carefully \u2014 deleting the content is permanent, so when in doubt, reassign. (Note that media in the library isn&#8217;t deleted this way; it stays in your uploads regardless.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_modify_permissions_and_create_custom_roles\"><\/span>How to modify permissions and create custom roles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes the six defaults don&#8217;t quite fit \u2014 you might want a &#8220;Proofreader&#8221; who can edit posts but not publish, or an Author who can also manage pages. You have two ways to adjust roles and permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>With a plugin (recommended for most people).<\/strong> A role editor plugin like User Role Editor gives you a checkbox interface to add or remove individual capabilities from any role, create brand-new roles, clone existing ones, and restore defaults. It&#8217;s the safest route because there&#8217;s no code to break, and you can undo changes easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/user-role-editor-plugin-1024x683.png\" alt=\"Editing capabilities with the User Role Editor plugin\" class=\"wp-image-5139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/user-role-editor-plugin-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/user-role-editor-plugin-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/user-role-editor-plugin-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/user-role-editor-plugin.png 1535w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>With code (for developers).<\/strong> WordPress provides functions to manage roles programmatically. You add these to your theme&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-functions-php\/\">functions.php file<\/a> (ideally in a child theme) or a site-specific plugin. For example, to create a custom &#8220;Proofreader&#8221; role that can read and edit posts but not publish:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin:16px 0; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><div style=\"background:#1A2238; border-radius:8px; padding:16px 20px; overflow-x:auto;\"><code style=\"display:block; color:#e6edf3; font-family:'Courier New',monospace; font-size:14px; line-height:1.7; white-space:pre;\">add_role( 'proofreader', 'Proofreader', array(\n    'read'         => true,\n    'edit_posts'   => true,\n    'delete_posts' => false,\n    'publish_posts'=> false,\n) );<\/code><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The related functions are <code>add_role()<\/code> and <code>remove_role()<\/code> for whole roles, and <code>add_cap()<\/code> and <code>remove_cap()<\/code> for individual capabilities on an existing role. Always back up before editing functions.php \u2014 a syntax error there can trigger a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/there-has-been-a-critical-error-on-this-website\/\">critical error<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"display:flex; gap:14px; align-items:flex-start; background:#eef1f8; border:1px solid #b9c2dd; border-left:4px solid #1A2238; border-radius:8px; padding:16px 20px; margin:24px 0; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\n  <div style=\"font-size:22px; flex-shrink:0; margin-top:1px;\">&#x1f4a1;<\/div>\n  <div style=\"flex:1;\">\n    <div style=\"font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:0.08em; color:#1A2238; margin-bottom:6px;\">Roles vs. capabilities<\/div>\n    <p style=\"color:#1A2238; line-height:1.65; margin:0;\">A <strong>role<\/strong> is a labeled bundle of <strong>capabilities<\/strong>. &#8220;Editor&#8221; is a role; <code style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #b9c2dd;border-radius:4px;padding:1px 5px;font-family:monospace;color:#1A2238;\">edit_others_posts<\/code> is a capability inside it. Custom roles are just your own bundles \u2014 pick the exact capabilities a job needs, no more.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WooCommerce_and_plugin_roles\"><\/span>WooCommerce and plugin roles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plugins can add their own roles. The most common example is <strong>WooCommerce<\/strong>, which adds two:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Customer<\/strong> \u2014 assigned automatically to anyone who creates an account at checkout. They can manage their own account and view their orders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shop Manager<\/strong> \u2014 can manage products, orders, and reports without having full Administrator access. Ideal for staff who run the store but shouldn&#8217;t control the whole site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Membership and LMS plugins often add roles too, so don&#8217;t be surprised to see more than the six defaults on an established site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Troubleshooting_user_roles_and_permissions\"><\/span>Troubleshooting user roles and permissions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few role-related problems come up often. The usual causes and fixes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>An Author or Contributor can&#8217;t upload images.<\/strong> Contributors can&#8217;t upload media by design \u2014 that&#8217;s expected. If an <em>Author<\/em> can&#8217;t upload when they should be able to, it&#8217;s usually a plugin conflict or a server file-permission issue rather than the role itself. Deactivate plugins to test, and check your folder permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A user can&#8217;t see a menu item in the dashboard.<\/strong> The WordPress dashboard is dynamic \u2014 it only shows menu items the current user&#8217;s role has the capability to access. A missing menu item almost always means the role lacks that capability. Check (and, if appropriate, add) the capability with a role editor plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You&#8217;re locked out of your admin account.<\/strong> If you lose Administrator access, you can restore it without the dashboard. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/ftp-file-transfer\/\">FTP<\/a>, you can add a new admin user via code in your theme&#8217;s functions.php. Or, through <strong>phpMyAdmin<\/strong> in your hosting panel, you can edit the <code>wp_users<\/code> and <code>wp_usermeta<\/code> tables to reset your password or restore Administrator capabilities. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-login\/\">WordPress login guide<\/a> covers account recovery in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"User_roles_and_site_security\"><\/span>User roles and site security<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roles aren&#8217;t just about workflow \u2014 they&#8217;re one of your most important security controls. The guiding principle is <strong>least privilege<\/strong>: give each user only the access they genuinely need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The single most common WordPress security mistake is <strong>too many Administrators<\/strong>. Someone joins to do one admin task, gets an Admin account, and it&#8217;s never downgraded. A year later there are eight Admins \u2014 some belonging to former freelancers with reused passwords \u2014 and any one of them is a way into the whole site. A few habits prevent this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cap your Administrators<\/strong> at one or two per site. Everyone else gets Editor or lower.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Downgrade or remove accounts<\/strong> the day a project or role ends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audit users quarterly<\/strong> \u2014 go to Users \u2192 All Users and actually read the list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Require strong passwords and 2FA<\/strong>, especially on any account that can install plugins or change settings. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-login\/\">WordPress login security guide<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"max-width:760px; margin:32px auto; background:linear-gradient(135deg,#F26C21 0%,#1A2238 100%); border-radius:16px; padding:32px 28px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#fff; box-shadow:0 10px 30px rgba(242,108,33,.25);\">\n  <div style=\"display:flex; align-items:flex-start; gap:16px; flex-wrap:wrap;\">\n    <div style=\"flex:0 0 auto; display:inline-flex; align-items:center; justify-content:center; width:52px; height:52px; border-radius:12px; background:rgba(255,255,255,.18);\">\n      <svg width=\"28\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M17 21v-2a4 4 0 0 0-4-4H5a4 4 0 0 0-4 4v2\"><\/path><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"7\" r=\"4\"><\/circle><path d=\"M23 21v-2a4 4 0 0 0-3-3.87\"><\/path><path d=\"M16 3.13a4 4 0 0 1 0 7.75\"><\/path><\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n    <div style=\"flex:1 1 320px; min-width:260px;\">\n      <div style=\"font-weight:800; line-height:1.25; margin-bottom:8px;\">A secure home for your whole team<\/div>\n      <p style=\"margin:0 0 18px; line-height:1.6; color:#ffe4d3;\">Managing a multi-user WordPress site is easier on solid hosting. Copahost gives you cPanel, automatic backups, free SSL, and support in your corner \u2014 so you can add your team with confidence.<\/p>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/web-hosting\/\" style=\"display:inline-flex; align-items:center; gap:8px; background:#fff; color:#F26C21; font-weight:700; text-decoration:none; padding:13px 26px; border-radius:10px; box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,.15);\">\n        See web hosting plans\n        <svg width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#F26C21\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M5 12h14M13 6l6 6-6 6\"><\/path><\/svg>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the default WordPress user roles?<\/strong><br>WordPress has six: Administrator (full site control), Editor (manage all content), Author (own posts), Contributor (draft own posts, can&#8217;t publish), Subscriber (profile and reading only), and Super Admin (Multisite networks only). Each is a set of capabilities defining what the user can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do I change a user&#8217;s role in WordPress?<\/strong><br>Go to Users, All Users, check the user, pick the new role from the &#8220;Change role to&#8221; dropdown, and click Change. You can also edit a single user&#8217;s profile and change the Role field there. You need Administrator access to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What&#8217;s the difference between Author and Contributor?<\/strong><br>An Author can publish and delete their own posts and upload media. A Contributor can write and edit their own posts but cannot publish them or upload media \u2014 an Editor or Administrator must review and publish their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can I create a custom user role in WordPress?<\/strong><br>Yes. The easiest way is a role editor plugin like User Role Editor, which lets you add, edit, and remove roles and capabilities with checkboxes. Developers can also use the add_role and add_cap functions in functions.php or a site-specific plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How many Administrators should a WordPress site have?<\/strong><br>As few as possible \u2014 ideally one or two trusted people. Every extra Administrator account is a potential entry point for attackers. Give everyone else the lowest role that lets them do their job, and remove old accounts promptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the default WordPress user roles?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"WordPress has six: Administrator with full site control, Editor to manage all content, Author for own posts, Contributor to draft own posts but not publish, Subscriber for profile and reading only, and Super Admin for Multisite networks only. Each is a set of capabilities defining what the user can do.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do I change a user's role in WordPress?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Go to Users, All Users, check the user, pick the new role from the Change role to dropdown, and click Change. You can also edit a single user's profile and change the Role field there. You need Administrator access to do this.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between Author and Contributor?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"An Author can publish and delete their own posts and upload media. A Contributor can write and edit their own posts but cannot publish them or upload media. An Editor or Administrator must review and publish their work.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I create a custom user role in WordPress?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The easiest way is a role editor plugin like User Role Editor, which lets you add, edit, and remove roles and capabilities with checkboxes. Developers can also use the add_role and add_cap functions in functions.php or a site-specific plugin.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many Administrators should a WordPress site have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"As few as possible, ideally one or two trusted people. Every extra Administrator account is a potential entry point for attackers. Give everyone else the lowest role that lets them do their job, and remove old accounts promptly.\"}}\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_guides\"><\/span>Related guides<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Managing users connects to several WordPress topics \u2014 see our guides on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-login\/\">WordPress login and wp-admin<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-functions-php\/\">functions.php file<\/a> (where custom roles are coded), the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-config-php\/\">wp-config.php file<\/a>, and our hub of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/common-wordpress-errors\/\">common WordPress errors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress user roles are the framework that keeps a multi-user site organized and secure. The six defaults \u2014 Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber, and Super Admin \u2014 cover most needs, and when they don&#8217;t, a role editor plugin or a few lines in functions.php let you build exactly the permissions you want. Whatever your setup, follow one rule above all: give each person the least access they need, keep the Administrator list short, and audit your users regularly. Do that, and your site stays both collaborative and safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress user roles control who can do what on your site \u2014 from full administrative power down to read-only access. Understanding them is the foundation of a secure, well-organized site, especially once more than one person logs in. This guide explains all six default roles and exactly what each can and can&#8217;t do, how to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user&#039;s role, and how to create custom roles safely.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user&#039;s role, and how to create custom roles safely.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Copahost\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1671\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"941\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gustavo Gallas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gustavo Gallas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gustavo Gallas\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/386b3f1f79299d43f4ceb33d26428246\"},\"headline\":\"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\"},\"wordCount\":2313,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Wordpress\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\",\"name\":\"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user's role, and how to create custom roles safely.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png\",\"width\":1671,\"height\":941,\"caption\":\"Wordpress user roles and permissions cover\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Copahost\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Copahost\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/copahostlogo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/copahostlogo.png\",\"width\":223,\"height\":40,\"caption\":\"Copahost\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/386b3f1f79299d43f4ceb33d26428246\",\"name\":\"Gustavo Gallas\",\"description\":\"Graduated in Computing at PUC-Rio, Brazil. Specialized in IT, networking, systems administration and human and organizational development\u200b. Also have brewing skills.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gustavo-gallas-107926196\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost","description":"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user's role, and how to create custom roles safely.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost","og_description":"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user's role, and how to create custom roles safely.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/","og_site_name":"Copahost","article_published_time":"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1671,"height":941,"url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Gustavo Gallas","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gustavo Gallas","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/"},"author":{"name":"Gustavo Gallas","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/386b3f1f79299d43f4ceb33d26428246"},"headline":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide","datePublished":"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/"},"wordCount":2313,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png","articleSection":["Wordpress"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/","url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/","name":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide - Copahost","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png","datePublished":"2026-07-03T21:49:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-03T21:56:08+00:00","description":"A complete guide to WordPress user roles and permissions: what each of the six default roles can do, how to change a user's role, and how to create custom roles safely.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions-cover.png","width":1671,"height":941,"caption":"Wordpress user roles and permissions cover"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wordpress-user-roles\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"WordPress User Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/","name":"Copahost","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Copahost","url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/copahostlogo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/copahostlogo.png","width":223,"height":40,"caption":"Copahost"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/386b3f1f79299d43f4ceb33d26428246","name":"Gustavo Gallas","description":"Graduated in Computing at PUC-Rio, Brazil. Specialized in IT, networking, systems administration and human and organizational development\u200b. Also have brewing skills.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gustavo-gallas-107926196\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5135"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5146,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5135\/revisions\/5146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.copahost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}