Create a separate WordPress account for each person who works on your website. This guide explains how to add the account, choose an appropriate role, and send a password-setting link.
You need permission to add users—normally an Administrator on a standalone WordPress site. Multisite networks may reserve account creation and some role changes for the network administrator.
1. Sign in to WordPress
Use https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin, replacing yourdomain.com with your domain, and sign in with your WordPress account. If your site uses a custom login address, use that address instead.
Alternatively, sign in to the Client Area, open Services → My Services, select the correct hosting service, and use WordPress Login if your service provides it.
2. Enter the new user’s details
- Open Users → Add New User (or Add User, depending on your version).
- Enter a unique Username and an email address the person can access. Use an address that is not already assigned to another account on the site or network.
- Add the first name, last name, and website if needed; these are optional.
- If a password field appears, keep WordPress’s generated strong password or use a strong, unique password.
- Choose the appropriate Role. If shown, leave Send User Notification selected to email the person about their account.
- Review the details, then select Add User or Add New User.
3. Choose the right role
| Role | Suitable for |
|---|---|
| Subscriber | Someone who only needs a profile and basic access. |
| Contributor | Someone who writes drafts for review without publishing them. |
| Author | Someone who publishes and manages their own posts. |
| Editor | Someone who manages posts and pages, including other authors’ content. |
| Administrator | A trusted person who needs broad site-management access. On Multisite, some actions remain restricted to the network administrator. |
Give each person only the access needed for their work. Use individual accounts rather than sharing an administrator login.
A Translator role is added by some translation plugins; it is not a standard WordPress role. Check the relevant plugin’s permissions before assigning it.
Multisite: invitations and confirmation emails
A WordPress Multisite network may offer Add Existing User for someone who already has a network account, or an invitation that the recipient must accept. If account creation is restricted, ask the network administrator for assistance.
Skip Confirmation Email is a Multisite option available to users with the required network permissions. It is not part of the normal standalone-site workflow. If you deliberately use it for an authorized user, arrange their login separately; skipping confirmation does not guarantee that a password-setting email was sent.
4. Send a password-setting link if needed
- Open Users → All Users and locate the correct account.
- Select Edit, then find Password Reset → Send Reset Link, if available.
- Select Send Reset Link. The link is emailed to the address stored on the account; ask the user to follow it and choose their own password.
Sending this link does not itself change the password. The user can also use Lost your password? on the site’s login page, unless the site uses a different sign-in process.
5. Verify access and troubleshoot email
Confirm the account appears under Users and has the intended role. On Multisite, check whether the invitation still needs acceptance. Ask the user to confirm they can sign in and access the tools they need.
If the email does not arrive, verify the recipient address, check spam or junk folders, and review mail-delivery errors or SMTP configuration. A missing SMTP plugin is one possible factor, not the only cause. See Setting Up SMTP Email Service in WordPress.
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