A Subscriber is a type of user role that has very limited access to a WordPress site. They can essentially only do two things: edit their own profile and view the Dashboard. They have no site management capabilities, nor can they edit content.
This role is sometimes used as a way to allow users to view subscriber-only content, or as a prerequisite for leaving comments.
What is a WordPress Subscriber?
The Subscriber role is the most restrictive user role that exists in WordPress. Subscribers cannot manage any part of the site, and are usually not even part of your organization.
Unlike all other WordPress user roles, Subscribers cannot edit any of your website’s content. All they can really do is manage their Profile page, which consists of:
- Name
- Username
- Email Address
- Website (if they have one)
- Biography
- Profile Picture
- Password
Who should be a WordPress Subscriber?
A few common uses for the Subscriber role include:
- A prerequisite for posting comments on the site
- A way to display subscriber-only content
- A method of collecting an email address to use later for marketing purposes
WordPress Subscriber’s Capabilities
Here is a list of capabilities that a WordPress Subscriber has.
Dashboard
- Can view the “Activity” and “WordPress News & Events” Dashboard widgets
Profile
- Can edit their own profile
Here’s an example of what the Subscriber role CANNOT do:
- no access to any site wide Settings
- no access to Themes or Plugins
- no access to the Posts or Pages screen
- no access to the Users screen
- no access to the Comments screen
- no access to the Media screen (cannot upload files)
- cannot import or export content