What is the delete_published_posts permission in WordPress? #
The delete_published_posts permission allows users to delete Posts in the Publish / Published status.
If users have the delete_published_posts permission, they will see the red “Trash” link under Posts in the Publish / Published status.
If users do NOT have the delete_published_posts permission, they will not be able to send a Post to the Trash, even if they have the delete_posts permission. This screenshot below shows a Published post and a Pending Review post. Only the Pending Review post has a “Trash” button available.
Users with the delete_published_posts permission will also see a “Move to Trash” button when editing Posts. Users who do not have the delete_published_posts permission will not see this button.
Who has the delete_published_posts permission? #
The delete_published_posts permission is available on single WordPress sites and on multisite networks.
By default, the delete_published_posts permission is given to Super Admins, Administrators, and Editors.
Subscribers and Contributors can not delete published Posts.
How to control who has the delete_published_posts permission #
You can control who has the delete_published_posts permission by installing the PublishPress Capabilities plugin.
- After installing PublishPress Capabilities, go to “Capabilities” in your WordPress admin menu.
- Using the dropdown in the top-left corner, choose the role you want to edit.
- Click the “Deletion” tab.
- Check or uncheck the box in the “Posts” row of the “Delete published” column.
