WordPress admin menu permissions

WP capabilities for admin menu access

WP admin menu permissions


WordPress admin menu items access is restricted by special permissions or so-called capabilities. When you build new WordPress user role, it’s useful to know what menu item is restricted by what capability. It is necessary knowledge to add/remove admin submenus from user role via adding/removing correspondent capability.

If you have some PHP knowledge and you are curious enough, you will find the most part of WordPress admin menu definition, including its capabilities, at WordPress core source code. But what to do, if you are not PHP developer? Even me caught myself that it is too tedious open wp-admin/menu.php file and find right piece of code every time in order to get needed capability name for the admin menu item to use it in own plugin or answer on plugin’s user or site visitor questions. Why do not document this? That’s the reason of this post was written. I hope it will be useful not for me only.

Look at the table below for the list of WordPress 3.3 admin menu items capabilities. Use “Index” and “Script” columns for more advance technique in order hide/block not needed menu items.

Submenu Menu Item Capability Index Script
Dashboard read 2 index.php
Home read [‘index.php’][0] index.php
My Sites read [‘index.php’][5] my-sites.php
Updates update_core [‘index.php’][10] update-core.php
Posts edit_posts 5 edit.php
All Posts edit_posts [‘edit.php’][5] edit.php
Add New edit_posts [‘edit.php’][10] post-new.php
Categories manage_categories [‘edit.php’][15] edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category
Tags manage_categories [‘edit.php’][16] edit-tags.php?taxonomy=post_tag
Media upload_files 10 upload.php
Library upload_files [‘upload.php’][5] upload.php
Add New upload_files [‘upload.php’][10] upload.php
Links manage_links 15 link-manager.php
All Links manage_links [‘link-manager.php’][5] link-manager.php
Add New manage_links [‘link-manager.php’][10] link-add.php
Link Categories manage_categories [‘link-manager.php’][15] edit-tags.php?taxonomy=link_category
Pages edit_pages 20 edit.php?post_type=page
All Pages edit_pages [‘edit.php?post_type=page’][5] edit.php?post_type=page
Add New edit_pages [‘edit.php?post_type=page’][10] post-new.php?post_type=page
Comments edit_posts 25 edit-comments.php
Appearance switch_themes
edit_theme_options
60 themes.php
Themes switch_themes
edit_theme_options
[‘themes.php’][5] themes.php
Customize edit_theme_options [‘themes.php’][6] customize.php
Widgets edit_theme_options [‘themes.php’][7] widgets.php
Menus edit_theme_options [‘themes.php’][10] nav-menus.php
Header edit_theme_options [‘themes.php’][11] custom-header
Background edit_theme_options [‘themes.php’][12] custom-background
Editor edit_themes last theme-editor.php
Plugins activate_plugins 65 plugins.php
Installed Plugins activate_plugins [‘plugins.php’][5] plugins.php
Add New install_plugins [‘plugins.php’][10] plugin-install.php
Editor edit_plugins [‘plugins.php’][15] plugin-editor.php
Users list_users 70 users.php
All Users list_users [‘users.php’][5] users.php
Add New create_users
or
promote_users
[‘users.php’][10] user-new.php
Your Profile read [‘users.php’][15] profile.php
Profile read 70 profile.php
Your Profile read [‘profile.php’][5] profile.php
Add New create_users
or
promote_users
[‘profile.php’][10] user-new.php
Tools edit_posts 75 tools.php
Available Tools edit_posts [‘tools.php’][5] tools.php
Import import [‘tools.php’][10] import.php
Export export [‘tools.php’][15] export.php
Delete Site manage_options [‘tools.php’][25] ms-delete-site.php
Settings manage_options 80 options-general.php
General manage_options [‘options-general.php’][10] options-general.php
Writing manage_options [‘options-general.php’][15] options-writing.php
Reading manage_options [‘options-general.php’][20] options-reading.php
Discussion manage_options [‘options-general.php’][25] options-discussion.php
Media manage_options [‘options-general.php’][30] options-media.php
Privacy manage_options [‘options-general.php’][35] options-privacy.php
Permalinks manage_options [‘options-general.php’][40] options-permalinks.php

Top level menu items data are stored in the $menu array. Use $menu[index_value] to access it from PHP code.
Submenus data are stored in the $submenu array. Use $submenu[script_name][index_value] to access it from PHP code.
Do not forget to declare global $menu, $submenu; before that.

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