The WordPress User Levels range from 0 to 10. A User Level 0 (zero) is the lowest possible Level and User Level 10 is the highest Level--meaning User Level 10 has absolute authority (highest permission level). Generally, a given User Level allows the user to edit or modify postings for users that are at a "lower" User Level than themselves. Some User Levels can also add, delete, edit, and change the User Levels of other "lower" Level users. For discussion purposes, all visitors who register and login to a WordPress blog are called users.
The user assigned User Level 10 is the administrative user and is referred to as the admin user in this article. During the WordPress installation process, the install script automatically creates the admin user and assigns User Level 10. Normally, only one user should be permitted the User Level 10 privilege since that Level grants absolute power to control all others.
User Level 0
- Dashboard
- Users
- Your Profile
New capabilities allowed at this Level:
The lowest User Level is simply allowed to login, view the Dashboard, and edit their own profile. That's it!
User Level 1
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post - create Draft Posts only
- Manage
- Posts - Can edit and delete only their own Drafts and view other posts.
- Categories - View only
- Comments - View only including commentor's IP addresses
- Awaiting Moderation - Can only see the number of comments awaiting moderation. Cannot moderate.
- Users
- Your Profile
New capabilities allowed at this Level:
Users can submit Draft Posts for approval, as well as edit and delete their Drafts. Once a post is published by higher Level user, that post is not available for editing by the original User Level 1 author. In addition, this level is allowed to view other posts, Categories, and comments (including the commentor's IP address).
User Level 2
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Manage
- Posts
- Categories - View only
- Comments - View only including commentor's IP addresses
- Awaiting Moderation - Can only see the number of comments awaiting moderation.
- Users
- Your Profile
New capabilities allowed at this level:
At this Level, users can write Posts (Publish/Draft/Private) as well as edit, delete, and publish drafts from User Level 1 writers.
User Level 3
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Manage
- Posts
- Categories - View only
- Comments - View only including commentor's IP addresses
- Awaiting Moderation - Can only see the number of comments awaiting moderation.
- Users
- Your Profile
New capabilities allowed at this level:
The list of capabilities for User Level 3 is similar to User Level 2 except that User Level 3 is allowed to edit and delete posts written by both lower level users.
User Level 4
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Manage
- Posts
- Categories - Can add, edit, and delete.
- Comments
- Awaiting Moderation - Can moderate
- Users
- Your Profile
New capabilities allowed at this level:
A User Level 4 user is allowed to add, edit, and delete Categories, as well as moderate comments.
User Level 5
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Write Page
- Manage
- Posts - Can edit timestamps
- Pages - Only those Pages written by the user
- Categories
- Comments
- Awaiting Moderation
- Links
- Manage Links - Can only edit and delete the user's own links
- Add Links
- Link Categories - Can add, edit, and delete any Link Category
- Import Links
- Users
- Your Profile
- Authors & Users - Can see basic information on all Authors & Users; and, can edit, promote, and demote, users of lower Levels except User Level 0.
New capabilities allowed at this level:
Beginning with this Level, the timestamp on posts eligible for editing is visible and changeable. A number of other abilities are allowed for the User Level 5 user, including being able to add, edit, and delete Pages and Links they've created. Also, this User Level can add, change, and delete any Link Category and can Import Links. Finally, User Level 5 allows the user to see the basic information on all Authors & Users, edit the information on users of a lower User Levels except User Level 0, and promote and demote users in lower User Levels, except User Level 0.
User Level 6
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Write Page
- Manage
- Posts
- Pages - Can edit and delete those Pages written by the user and those of lower level (User Level 5) authors
- Categories
- Comments
- Awaiting Moderation
- Links
- Manage Links - Can edit or delete the user's own Links and those of lower level (User Level 5) users
- Add Links
- Link Categories
- Import Links
- Users
- Your Profile
- Authors & Users - Can see basic information on all Authors & Users; and, can edit, promote, and demote, users of lower Levels. Can also delete User Level 0 users.
- Options
- General
- Writing
- Reading
- Discussion
- Permalinks
- Miscellaneous
- Upload - Assumes Administration > Settings > Miscellaneous Panel Minimum level to upload is set at Level 6.
New capabilities allowed at this level:
User Level 6 is allowed to edit or delete the Pages and Links created by User Level 5 authors, and can delete User Level 0 users. At this Level, all Settings Panels can be viewed and changed, plus, files can be uploaded if the Administration > Settings > Miscellaneous Panel Minimum level to upload field is set at 6.
User Level 7
- Dashboard
- Write
- Write Post
- Write Page
- Manage
- Posts
- Pages - Can edit and delete those Pages written by the user and those of lower levels
- Categories.
- Comments
- Awaiting Moderation
- Links
- Manage Links - Can edit or delete the user's own Links and those of lower level users
- Add Links
- Link Categories
- Import Links
- Presentation
- Themes
- Theme Editor
- Plugins
- Plugins
- Plugin Editor
- Users
- Your Profile
- Authors & Users - Can see basic information on all Authors & Users; and, can edit, promote, and demote, users of lower Levels.
- Options
- General
- Writing
- Reading
- Discussion
- Permalinks
- Miscellaneous
- Upload (see Note about Upload)
New capabilities allowed at this level:
The list of capabilities for User Level 7 match those of User Level 6 but of course this level allows editing and deleting of Posts, Pages, and Links of users at or below User Level 6. Also, Authors & Users at or below User Level 6 can be edited, deleted, promoted, and demoted.
User Level 8
- Write
- Write Post Can change Post Author
- Write Page
- Manage
- Posts
- Pages - Can edit and delete those Pages written by the user and those of lower levels
- Categories.
- Comments
- Awaiting Moderation
- Links
- Manage Links - Can edit or delete the user's own Links and those of lower level users
- Add Links
- Link Categories
- Import Links
- Presentation
- Themes
- Theme Editor
- Plugins
- Plugins
- Plugin Editor
- Users
- Your Profile
- Authors & Users - Can see basic information on all Users. Can see and edit all information on Users of lower User Level.
- Options
- General
- Writing
- Reading
- Discussion
- Permalinks
- Miscellaneous
- Upload (see Note about Upload)
New capabilities allowed at this level:
User Level 8 is allowed to activate Themes, use the Theme Editor to edit Templates, activate or deactive Plugins, use the Plugin Editor to edit Plugin files, and can change a Post's Author.
User Levels 9 and 10
The list of capabilities for User Levels 9 and 10 match those of User Level 8 but as usual, these levels can only edit and delete Posts, Pages, and Links of lower level authors. Also, Authors & Users at a lower User Level can be edited, deleted, promoted, and demoted. And, of course, the admin user is the only account with User Level 10.
User Level Capability Table
| User Level Capabilites in WordPress 1.5 and higher | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||
| User Level: | |||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Dashboard | |||||||||||
| ----- | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Write | |||||||||||
| -----Write Post | - | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| -----Write Page | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Manage | |||||||||||
| -----Posts | - | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | x | |
| -----Pages | + | + | + | + | + | x | |||||
| -----Categories | - | - | - | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| -----Comments | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| -----Awaiting Moderation | - | - | - | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Links | |||||||||||
| -----Manage Links | + | + | + | + | + | x | |||||
| -----Add Links | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
| -----Link Categories | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
| -----Import Links | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Presentation | |||||||||||
| -----Themes | x | x | x | ||||||||
| -----Theme Editor | x | x | x | ||||||||
| Plugins | |||||||||||
| -----Plugins | x | x | x | ||||||||
| -----Plugin Editor | x | x | x | ||||||||
| Users | |||||||||||
| -----Your Profile | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| -----Authors and Users | - | + | + | + | + | x | |||||
| Options | |||||||||||
| -----General | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| -----Writing | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| -----Reading | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| -----Discussion | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| -----Permalinks | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| -----Miscellaneous | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| Upload | |||||||||||
| -----(only if enabled) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
