---
title: promote_users
description: "## What is the promote_users permission in WordPress? The promote_users permission allows you to change the role of WordPress users. If you have a multisite network, it also allows you to add existing network users to another site. If you…"
url: "https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/promote_users/"
updated: "2026-10-14"
category: WordPress Permissions / WordPress Permissions
---

# promote_users

## What is the promote_users permission in WordPress?

The promote_users permission allows you to change the role of WordPress users. If you have a multisite network, it also allows you to add existing network users to another site.

If you have the promote_users permission (plus some other necessary permissions), you can go to the "Users" screen in WordPress and see the "Change role to..." dropdown:

![](https://publishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/change-role.png)

**Warning**: This permission should be used with caution. Let me explain why. First, to take advantage of the promote_users permissions, you will also need these two permissions: [list_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/list_users/) and [edit_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/edit-users/). If you have those permissions, plus promote_users, you will be able to edit any user ... even administrators!

![](https://publishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/change-administrator-1024x290.png)

Fortunately, both the [PublishPress Capabilities](https://publishpress.com/links/capabilities) and [PublishPress Permissions](https://publishpress.com/links/permissions) plugin will block this from happening. So unless you want Subscribers to be editing Administrators, I highly recommend installing one of those two plugins if you want to use promote_users. [Click here for more details on this security feature](https://publishpress.com/blog/how-to-block-wordpress-users-from-creating-higher-level-users/).

---

## Who has the **promote_users** permission?

The promote_users permission is available on single WordPress sites and on multisite networks.

By default, the promote_users permission is only given to [Super Admins](https://publishpress.com/links/super-admin), and Administrators.

Users not in these roles are not allowed to promote other users on a WordPress site to new roles.

---

## How can you control who has the promote_users permission?

You can control who has the promote_users permission by installing the [PublishPress Capabilities](https://publishpress.com/links/capabilities) plugin.

- Install the [PublishPress Capabilities](https://publishpress.com/links/capabilities) plugin.
- 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 "Users" tab.
- Check or uncheck the "promote users" box in the "Other WordPress Core Capabilities" area.

![](https://publishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/promote-users-1024x452.png)

---

## All the WordPress user permissions

- [create_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/create_users/)
- [delete_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/delete-users/)
- [edit_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/edit-users/)
- [list_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/list_users/)
- [promote_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/promote_users/)
- [remove_users](https://publishpress.com/knowledge-base/remove_users/)