WordPress • Create Custom Roles and Capabilities

In WordPress, user roles determine the level of access and capabilities that each user has within a website. These roles help you manage and control who can perform specific tasks and actions on your WordPress site.

Default Users Roles in WordPress

Here are the common user roles in WordPress, explained in simple terms:

Administrator: The highest user role with full control over the website, including content management, user management, and site settings.

Editor: Has the ability to manage and publish content, moderate comments, and handle categories, tags, and links.

Author: Can create, edit, and publish their own posts and upload media files.

Contributor: Can write and edit their own posts, but require an editor or administrator to review and publish them.

Subscriber: Has the ability to create an account, leave comments on posts, but cannot create or modify content on the site.

What are User Capabilities in WordPress

User Capabilities in WordPress determine what users are allowed to do on a website. Each capability represents a specific task, like reading content, creating posts, editing comments, or managing settings. By assigning these capabilities to user roles, you control what actions users can perform. For example, an “Editor” role may have the capability to create and publish posts, while a “Subscriber” role can only read content and leave comments.

Create a new User Role in WordPress

To create a new user role in WordPress using code, you’ll need to add custom code to your theme’s functions.php file or create a custom plugin.

function liin_create_user_role( ) {
    add_role(
        'custom_role',
        'Custom Role',
        array(
            'read'         => true,
            'edit_posts'   => true,
            'upload_files' => true
        )
    );
}
add_action('init', 'liin_create_user_role');

Delete a User Role in WordPress

To delete a user role in WordPress, you can use a code snippet in your theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin.

function liin_delete_user_role( ) {
    remove_role('custom_role');
}
add_action('init', 'liin_delete_user_role');

Update a User Role in WordPress

To update a custom user role in WordPress, you can use code snippets in your theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin.

function liin_update_user_role( ) {
    $role = get_role('custom_role'); 
    
    $role->add_cap('new_capability');
    $role->remove_cap('old_capability'); 
    
}
add_action('init', 'liin_update_user_role');

If you have suggestions for improving the code, please send an email. It should be noted that the code's functionality is provided without any guarantee or responsibility.