Add a New WordPress User

This article explains how to add a new user to your WordPress® site and describes the different user roles available.

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Rackspace Support does not support WordPress configuration. This article provides steps as a best-effort solution, but your developers should review them thoroughly before implementing them to prevent unexpected downtime.

Add a new user

  1. Log in to your WordPress administrator page.
  2. In the left sidebar, click Users.
  3. Click Add new in the upper-left corner of the page.
  4. Write down the username, email, and password for your new user. You can also add their first name, last name, and website.
  5. If you check the Send the new user an email about their account checkbox, the new user receives an email with login information.
  6. In the Role section, you can select the permissions for the new user. See the following section for the different role explanations.
  7. Click Add New User.

User Roles

When you create a new user, the role you assign defines the website permissions the user has. The default role is Administrator. Here are the characteristics of the different roles:

  • Super Admin: Grants access to the site network administration and all other features.
  • Administrator: Grants access to all the administration features within a single site.
  • Editor: Allows users to publish and manage posts, even if the posts belong to other users.
  • Author: Allows users to publish and manage their own posts.
  • Contributor: Allows users to manage their own posts but not to publish them.
  • Subscriber: Allows users to manage their profile.

Remember, the Administrator role is the default for new users. If you want to change this, navigate to Administration Screens -> Settings -> General.

Conclusion

It's important to manage the roles given to new users. Keep the website's integrity and security by allowing people to do what they are supposed to and avoid mistakes that can generate errors with the content or the website itself.