Title here
Summary here
Multiple User Roles
Assign multiple roles to a single user instead of being limited to WordPress’s default single-role system. Perfect for team members who wear multiple hats or need capabilities from different roles combined.
Use Cases
- Give an Editor additional Shop Manager capabilities for WooCommerce
- Assign both Author and Forum Moderator roles to community managers
- Let a user be both a Subscriber and a custom “Premium Member” role
- Combine capabilities without creating dozens of custom roles
- Handle complex organizational structures with overlapping responsibilities
How It Works
- Instead of a single role dropdown, you see checkboxes for all roles
- Check multiple roles to assign them to one user
- The user gets combined capabilities from all selected roles
- WordPress automatically merges capabilities when checking permissions
Where to Find It
Go to Users → Edit User (edit any user). You’ll see an “Additional Roles” section replacing the standard role dropdown. Check multiple boxes to assign multiple roles.
Assigning Multiple Roles
- Go to Users → All Users
- Click Edit on the user you want to modify
- Scroll to the “Additional Roles” section (marked with SWITCHBOARD badge)
- Check all roles you want the user to have
- Click Update User
How Capabilities Merge
When a user has multiple roles, WordPress grants them all capabilities from all their roles. For example:
| Role 1 (Editor) | Role 2 (Shop Manager) | Combined Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| edit_others_posts | manage_woocommerce | Both edit_others_posts AND manage_woocommerce |
| moderate_comments | edit_shop_orders | Plus all other capabilities from both roles |
Capabilities are additive - you gain everything from all roles. You can’t use this to remove capabilities granted by another role.
Important Notes
Minimum Role Required
If you uncheck all roles, the user is automatically assigned the Subscriber role. Every user must have at least one role.
Can’t Edit Your Own Roles
For security, you cannot modify your own roles. This prevents accidentally locking yourself out or escalating your own privileges. Have another admin make changes to your account.
Administrator-Only Feature
Only Administrators can assign multiple roles. Editors and other roles cannot modify user roles.
Primary Role
The first role in the user’s role list is considered their “primary” role. This affects things like role-based redirects and some plugin behaviors.
Settings
This module has no configuration options. Once enabled, it replaces the single role dropdown with checkboxes on user edit screens.
The Standard Dropdown Is Hidden
When this module is active, the standard WordPress “Role” dropdown is hidden. All role assignment happens through the checkboxes. This prevents confusion and ensures the multiple roles are saved correctly.
Verification
To confirm the module is working:
- Go to Users → All Users
- Click Edit on any user (not yourself)
- Look for the “Additional Roles” section with checkboxes
- Assign multiple roles (e.g., Editor + Shop Manager)
- Save the user
- Back in the Users list, check that the Role column shows both roles: “Editor, Shop Manager”
Capability check: Log in as that user (or test with “Switch To” if you have that plugin) and verify they have capabilities from both roles.
Common Combinations
Blog + E-commerce
Author + Customer - For bloggers who also shop on your store
Community Site
Contributor + Forum Moderator - Can write content and moderate discussions
Membership Site
Subscriber + Premium Member + VIP - Layered membership tiers
Corporate
Editor + Department Manager - Editorial control plus custom department permissions
Viewing User Roles
In the Users list, you’ll see all assigned roles in the Role column, separated by commas. For example: “Editor, Shop Manager”
FAQ
Does this work with custom roles from other plugins?
Yes. Any role registered in WordPress appears as a checkbox, including custom roles from plugins like WooCommerce, bbPress, or your own custom roles.Can users choose their own additional roles?
No. Only administrators can assign roles. Users cannot self-assign roles through their profile.What happens if two roles have conflicting settings?
WordPress capabilities are additive - there’s no concept of “conflicting” capabilities. If any role grants a capability, the user has it. You can’t deny a capability with multiple roles.Will this affect my existing users?
No. Existing single-role assignments remain unchanged. Users keep their current role until you explicitly add more roles.Does this work with role-based plugins?
Most plugins work fine. Some plugins may only check the primary role instead of all roles. Test with your specific plugins.Can I remove this module after assigning multiple roles?
Yes, but be aware that role assignments persist even after disabling the module or uninstalling Switchboard. This is because multiple roles are stored using WordPress’s native wp_usermeta table — the same way WordPress stores single roles.
When the module is disabled:
- Users keep all their assigned roles
- WordPress continues to honor those roles (they’re valid WordPress data)
- You won’t have the checkbox UI to remove secondary roles
To clean up, you can either:
- Re-enable the module and uncheck the extra roles
- Manually edit the database (
wp_usermeta→wp_capabilities) - Use WP-CLI:
wp user remove-role <user_id> <role>
Role assignments are permanent WordPress data. When you assign multiple roles, they’re stored in the WordPress database just like any role assignment. Disabling or uninstalling this module does NOT remove the extra roles from users. This is by design — WordPress treats multi-role assignments as native data.
Adding more roles always grants more capabilities, never fewer. If a user shouldn’t have certain permissions, you need to modify the role itself using the Simple Role Editor, not add a restrictive role.
Use this module together with Simple Role Editor to create focused custom roles, then combine them as needed. For example, create a “Media Manager” role with just upload capabilities, then add it to users who need media access regardless of their main role.
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