Editor Role

Running a blog with a team is a lot like running a small magazine. Writers send in stories, and someone has to check, polish and publish them. In WordPress, that someone usually has the Editor role.

An Editor can manage all the content on a site but cannot touch its settings, plugins or design.

What is the Editor Role in WordPress?

The Editor is the second most powerful role on a single site, right below the Administrator. Think of this person as the managing editor of a magazine who decides what goes live and when.

Here is what an Editor can do:

• Write, edit, publish and delete any post or page, including those written by other users.
• Review posts that contributors submit, then publish or schedule them.
• Create and manage categories and tags.
• Moderate, approve and delete comments.
• Upload images and other files to the Media Library.

What an Editor cannot do

Editors don't get access to the technical side of WordPress. They cannot install plugins or themes, change anything under Settings or add and remove users. They also cannot edit menus or widgets, which surprises many site owners.

Yes, that is by design. Your content team can work freely without any risk of breaking the site.

When should you make someone an Editor?

For example, imagine a food blog with three regular writers. You can make your most trusted writer an Editor, so they can fix typos in everyone's recipes and plan the publishing calendar. Our guide on how to schedule WordPress posts shows how to set those publish dates.

Keep in mind that an Editor can also delete or rewrite anyone's work. So, this role suits a senior team member, not a new writer you are still getting to know.

So, that's the Editor role in a nutshell: full control over content and no access to the engine room. Feel free to ask your questions in the comments below.