WordPress features a user management system that allows you to add users with various roles and permission levels.
With over 16 years of experience in managing a successful WordPress blog, we’ve streamlined the process of adding new users and authors. WordPress provides numerous options for personalizing user profiles.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of adding new users and authors to your WordPress site.
How to Add a New User or Author to Your WordPress Site
There are three methods to add new users to your WordPress site: you can add users manually, allow users to register themselves for free, or establish a paid membership site where users can pay to register.
Here’s what we will cover in this article. Click on the quick links to navigate directly to the section you need:
- How to Manually Add a New User or Author to Your Site
- Understanding User Roles in WordPress
- Allowing Anyone to Register on Your WordPress Site for Free
- How to Create a Paid Membership Program on Your Site
How to Manually Add a New User or Author to Your Site
Adding a few users to your website is straightforward with WordPress’s built-in user management system.
This approach is perfect for:
- Small businesses with various employees managing their websites.
- Organizations like churches and nonprofits that have volunteers updating their websites.
- WordPress blogs with multiple contributors, such as a fashion blog co-authored with friends.
- Online stores with several team members overseeing inventory, shipping, and more.
To get started, navigate to theUsers » Add Newsection in your WordPress admin dashboard.
Then, simply complete the form to create a new user.
In the form, start by entering a username. The user can log in using this username or their email address.
Important: The WordPress username cannot be easily changed later, but all other details can be updated.
Next, input the user’s email address. Make sure to verify that the email address is correct, as users will need it to reset their password and receive email notifications.
Next, you can fill in the first name, last name, and website URL. These fields are optional, so you can leave them empty if you prefer. Users will have the ability to update their profiles and complete these fields later.
In the following step, you will need to select a password. We recommend utilizing an online strong password generator for optimal security.
We advise using the ‘Generate password’ button to automatically create a secure password.
Just below the password field, there is a checkbox to send an email to the user. If you check this box, the user will receive an email with instructions on how to log in, along with a link to set a new password if they choose.
The final option on the page is to select a WordPress user role from the dropdown menu.
Each user role has a unique set of capabilities. The Subscriber role has the least privileges, while the Administrator role has the most. Choose a role based on the tasks the user will be responsible for on your website.
If you already know which role you want to assign to your user, simply select it and click the ‘Add New User’ button at the bottom of the page.
If you’re uncertain about which role to choose, don’t worry. We provide a comprehensive explanation of the different roles in the following section of this article.
Keep in mind that some plugins introduce new user roles.
For example, WooCommerce introduces ‘Customer’ and ‘Shop Manager’ roles, while All in One SEO adds ‘SEO Manager’ and ‘SEO Editor’ roles.
To discover any additional roles that may appear in this list, simply refer to the plugin’s documentation.
Understanding User Roles in WordPress
WordPress includes the following default user roles:
- Administrator
- Editor
- Author
- Contributor
- Subscriber
In a multisite WordPress installation, there is also a ‘Super Admin’ role. Super Admins can manage all sites, while regular Administrators manage only one site.
Administrator
An administrator has full control over all aspects of your WordPress site.
This role should only be assigned to users you completely trust and who possess strong technical skills.
With the administrator role, users can install plugins, change themes, delete content, and even remove other users, including fellow administrators.
For more information about the Administrator role, click here.
Editor
An editor has the ability to add, edit, publish, and delete their own posts on WordPress. They can also perform these actions on posts created by other users.
However, they do not have access to website settings, plugins, themes, or other administrative features.
This role is ideal for managing a team of authors and regularly publishing content on your site.
For more information about the Editor role, click here.
Author
Authors can create, edit, and publish their own posts, as well as upload files.
They do not have the ability to edit or publish posts written by others, nor can they access features like plugins, themes, settings, and tools.
Consider using a plugin to limit authors to writing within a specific category.
You can also allow authors to make revisions to their published posts, but a plugin will be necessary to enhance the Author user role.
For more details about the Author role, click here.
Contributor
A contributor can create and edit their own posts but is unable to publish them.
They also cannot edit posts from other users or access features like plugins, themes, settings, and tools.
Contributors are unable to upload media files, such as images. A simple solution is to have contributors submit their post images through a file upload form.
This allows the images to be directly saved in the WordPress media library, making it convenient for an editor or administrator to include them in the post.
Discover more about the Contributor role here.
Subscriber
The subscriber role does not allow users to add or edit posts.
By default, subscribers can create a profile and save their information, enabling quicker entry when leaving comments.
Additionally, you can utilize a membership plugin or LMS plugin to create exclusive content for subscribers, which we will discuss later in this article.
Learn more about the Subscriber role here.
For a comprehensive understanding of the various user roles in WordPress and their relationships, refer to our beginner’s guide on WordPress user roles and permissions.
Managing Users in WordPress
As an administrator, you have the ability to add and remove users from your WordPress site at any time. Once a user is added, you can edit their profile and update any information, including passwords.
Simply click on the Users tab in your WordPress admin panel to access the user management page. You can edit or remove a user whenever necessary.
You can modify the user’s profile to update their password, change their role, and more. Additionally, you can perform bulk edits to adjust the roles of multiple users simultaneously if you wish to upgrade or downgrade their access.
Users can also update their own profile by navigating to Users » Profile in the WordPress dashboard. They can upload a profile picture and modify most of their personal information, but they are not able to change their assigned role.
Enable User Registration on Your WordPress Site for Free
What if you want to allow users to register on your site at no cost?
Manually adding each user would be quite labor-intensive. Instead, you can enable them to create their own accounts.
First, navigate to Settings » General in your WordPress admin panel and check the ‘Anyone can register’ option.
By default, new users will be assigned the Subscriber role. Feel free to change this to any other role you prefer using the dropdown menu.
Important:We suggest allowing users to register only as ‘Subscribers’ or ‘Contributors.’ If users register as ‘Authors,’ they can publish posts without prior approval. Avoid using ‘Administrator’ as the default role.
Remember to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the page to ensure your changes are saved.
You also need to incorporate a login form on your site. The most effective way to do this is by using the WPForms plugin. Follow our guide on enabling user registration on your WordPress site for assistance.
Tip:You can also disable the WordPress admin bar for subscribers or other user roles.
Establishing a Paid Membership Program on Your Website
Another method to add new users to your site is by creating a paid membership program that users can enroll in.
This approach allows you to offer exclusive content for members, place premium content behind a paywall, sell online courses, and more.
To implement this, you’ll need a WordPress membership plugin.
We recommend using MemberPress. It is the top membership and course creation plugin, providing all the features and flexibility you require.
MemberPress allows you to restrict access to specific posts and pages on your site, ensuring that only registered, paying users can view them. Many websites utilize premium content in this way to generate revenue online.
MemberPress makes it simple to establish various membership levels.
For example, you could provide Bronze, Silver, and Gold membership options, each associated with distinct user roles. This allows you to create exclusive courses that only users with specific roles can enroll in.
Additionally, you gain access to robust features like MemberPress reports, which help you track your average member lifetime value, total member count, and more.
With MemberPress, you can implement drip content to develop a sustainable membership site, and even offer group memberships through WordPress.
For a comprehensive guide on configuring MemberPress for your website, refer to our ultimate guide on building a WordPress membership site.
We trust this article has guided you in adding new users and authors to your WordPress site. You might also find our guide on enabling user registration in WordPress and adding a login form to your WordPress sidebar helpful.
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