What is the edit_theme_options permission in WordPress?
There are several permissions in WordPress that are really powerful:
- The edit_posts permission controls access to most key writing features in WordPress.
- The upload_files permission controls access to the entire Media Library.
Equally powerful is the edit_theme_options permission which controls access to almost all WordPress layout features. The edit_theme_options permission controls who can see these links:
- Appearance > Widgets
- Appearance > Menus
- Appearance > Customize
- Appearance > Background
- Appearance > Header
So if a user has access the edit_theme_options permission, they will be able to do the following:
- Add and edit widgets.
- Add and edit menus.
- Change theme settings.
However, it's worth noting that they will not be able install new themes. That is controlled by a separate install_themes permission. Users who only have the edit_theme_options permissions will not see the “Install” button on the Themes screen:
How to control who has the edit_theme_options permission
If you use the PublishPress Capabilities plugin, you can enable or disable this permission for each user role.
- Go to “Capabilities” in your WordPress admin area.
- In the top-left corner of the screen, load the user role that you want to customize.
- In the center of the screen, you can now set the permissions. If you want to allow people in the Editor role to create posts, check the “edit theme options” box.
More guides to key WordPress permissions
- What is the edit_posts permission in WordPress?
- What is the create_posts permission in WordPress?
- What is the read permission in WordPress?
- What is the upload_files permission in WordPress?
