WordPress users have access to an abundance of functions. The ability to efficiently add and manage users and administrators is one such essential functionality. Effective user role administration is crucial for overall site management, security, and collaboration whether you’re running a personal blog or a business website. We’ll take you step by step through the process of adding users and admins to your WordPress website in this article.
Understanding User Roles in WordPress
It’s important to comprehend the different user roles WordPress offers and their corresponding capabilities before adding users:
Administrator: Administrators have full control over the site. They can add and manage users, install plugins and themes, modify site settings, publish, edit, and delete any content, and much more.
Editor: Editors can publish, edit, and delete any posts/pages, moderate comments, manage categories and tags, but they can’t change site settings or add new users.
Author: Authors can write, edit, publish, and delete their posts. They have control only over their content and cannot modify other users’ content.
Contributor: Contributors can write and edit their posts, but they cannot publish them. Instead, they can submit their posts for review by an administrator or editor.
Subscriber: Subscribers can only manage their profiles and receive site updates.
Adding Users to WordPress
To add a new user ( including a site admin ) to your WordPress site, follow these simple steps:
Login to Your WordPress Dashboard: Enter your username and password to access the admin dashboard.
Navigate to Users: In the left sidebar, hover over the “Users” tab and click on “Add New.”
Fill in User Details: Enter the required details for the new user, including username, email address, first and last name, and choose a strong password. Optionally, you can send the new user an email notification with their login details.
Assign User Role: Choose the appropriate role for the user from the “Role” dropdown menu. Depending on their responsibilities, assign them as an Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, or Subscriber.
Optional Settings: You can fill in additional optional fields like website, bio, and profile picture if necessary.
Click Add New User: Once you’ve filled in all the details, click the “Add New User” button at the bottom of the page.
Then the following form will appear:
Best Practices for Managing Users in WordPress
- Regularly Review User Roles: Periodically review the user roles assigned to ensure everyone has appropriate access levels.
- Use Strong Passwords: Encourage users to use strong, unique passwords to enhance security.
- Limit Administrator Access: Only grant administrator privileges to trusted users to minimize the risk of unauthorized changes.
- Utilize Plugins for Advanced User Management: Consider using plugins like User Role Editor for more granular control over user roles and capabilities.