“Customer” is one of two user roles that are added to WordPress when you install the WooCommerce plugin. The other role is “Shop Manager”. These two roles are in addition to the default roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.
The WooCommerce Customer role is very limited and is automatically granted to anyone who makes a purchase in your store. The Customer role is so restricted that users in this role can not even access the WordPress admin area.
The official documentation says: “People become Customers when registering via the checkout or sign-up process.”
What Permissions do WooCommerce Customers Have? #
Users in the WooCommerce Customer role have almost no permissions at all. If they try to access the /wp-admin/ aream they will be redirected to the “My Account” area on the front of your website.
WooCommerce Customers will not see the black admin bar, and will not be able access the “My Profile” screen.
Customers will only be able to see the screens provided by them by WooCommerce, as in the screenshot below.
What Can WooCommerce Customers See in the WordPress Dashboard? #
People in the WooCommerce Customers role can nothing at all in the WordPress dashboard. You can see by creating a user in the “Customer” role and using the User Testing feature in PublishPress Capabilities. Try to access the dashboard and you'll be automatically redirected to the front of your site.
Can You Change the WooCommerce Customer Permissions? #
Yes, you can change the Customer permissions from the default WooCommerce settings.
The PublishPress Capabilities plugin is an excellent way to view and change the permissions for each user role. It has a backup and restore feature in case you make a mistake when changing user permissions.
This next image shows the permissions available to WooCommerce Customers. You'll find this area by going to the “Capabilities” screen and clicking the “WooCommerce” tab on the left. The screen should be completely empty because Customers are granted no permissions at all. If you want to grant them extra permissions, you can check these boxes.
If you want to remove the restriction of access to the WordPress dashboard, you can do this with PublishPress Capabilities. This post has full details on the WooCommerce admin restrictions.
The Complete List of Customer Permissions #
The list of the default permissions for WooCommerce Customers is a very short list: