Hide WordPress admin menus based on user roles

Taken from: http://sethstevenson.net/customize-the-wordpress-admin-menu-based-on-user-roles/ Important Note: This tutorial is an alternative which is untried but looks very interesting. WP Tuts - Customising Your WordPress Admin WordPress can be a powerful content management system but if you have multiple users often some can end up with permissions that you really wish they didn’t have. There are plenty of plugins that will let you customize user permissions but it’s not that hard to do ourselves by removing certain links from the admin menu for those specific user roles. Note that this method doesn’t actually remove user permissions but just the admin menu links that would get them there.

Basic example

Add the following to functions.php (or create your own plugin) to remove the “Tools” menu from any user with a role lower than Author. [php] add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' ); function my_remove_menu_pages() { // If the user does not have access to publish posts if(!current_user_can('publish_posts')) { // Remove the "Tools" menu remove_menu_page('tools.php'); } } [/php] You can choose a variety of user levels rather than publish_posts for example edit_users, delete_pages, etc. View a complete list of WordPress roles and capabilities. The function remove_menu_page() removes a menu item based off of the menu slug you pass it. To figure out that the menu slug was named tools.php I used used Chrome's developer tools and right clicked on the Tools menu and selected Inspect element. This showed me that the tools menu was linked as<a href="tools.php" tabindex="1">Tools</a>. To save you the hassle of figuring out each menu slug I listed them below.

Removing sub-menu items

[php] <pre>add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' ); function my_remove_menu_pages() { // If the user does not have access to add new users if(!current_user_can('add_users')) { // Remove the "Link Categories" menu under "Links" remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=link_category' ); } }</pre> [/php]

Mixed example

[php] add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' ); function my_remove_menu_pages() { if(!current_user_can('add_users')) { remove_menu_page('options-general.php'); // Settings remove_menu_page('tools.php'); // Tools remove_menu_page('upload.php'); // Media remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category' ); // Post categories remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=post_tag' ); // Post tags } } [/php]

WordPress admin menu slugs

I have created a Google Doc with these slugs.

Dashboard	remove_menu_page('index.php');
Dashboard	remove_submenu_page( 'index.php', 'index.php' );
Updates	remove_submenu_page( 'index.php', 'update-core.php' );

Posts	remove_menu_page('edit.php');
Posts	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit.php' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'post-new.php' );
Categories	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category' );
Post Tags	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=post_tag' );
Media	remove_menu_page('upload.php');
Library	remove_submenu_page( 'upload.php', 'upload.php' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'upload.php', 'media-new.php' );
Links	remove_menu_page('link-manager.php');
Links	remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'link-manager.php' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'link-add.php' );
Link Categories	remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=link_category' );
Pages	remove_menu_page('edit.php?post_type=page');
Pages	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php?post_type=page', 'edit.php?post_type=page' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php?post_type=page', 'post-new.php?post_type=page' );
Comments	remove_menu_page('edit-comments.php');

Appearance	remove_menu_page('themes.php');
Themes	remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'themes.php' );
Widgets	remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'widgets.php' );
Menus	remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'nav-menus.php' );
Editor	remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'theme-editor.php' );
Plugins	remove_menu_page('plugins.php');
Plugins	remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugins.php' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugin-install.php' );
Editor	remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugin-editor.php' );
Users	remove_menu_page('users.php');
Users	remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'users.php' );
Add New	remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'user-new.php' );
Your Profile	remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'profile.php' );
Tools	remove_menu_page('tools.php');
Tools	remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'tools.php' );
Import	remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'import.php' );
Export	remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'export.php' );
Settings	remove_menu_page('options-general.php');
General	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-general.php' );
Writing	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-writing.php' );
Reading	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-reading.php' );
Discussion	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-discussion.php' );
Media	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-media.php' );
Privacy	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-privacy.php' );
Permalinks	remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-permalink.php' );

Revisions

May 30, 2012 @ 02:01:57 [Current Revision] by PeterLugg
May 30, 2012 @ 01:55:21 by PeterLugg
May 30, 2012 @ 01:42:41 by PeterLugg

Revision Differences

--- May 30, 2012 @ 01:42:41
+++ Current Revision
 Unchanged: Taken from: <a href="http:// sethstevenson.net/customize- the-wordpress-admin-menu- based-on-user-roles/" target="_blank" >http://sethstevenson.net/ customize-the- wordpress-admin- menu-based-on- user-roles/</a>
+Added: Important Note:
+Added: This tutorial is an alternative which is untried but looks very interesting.
+Added: <a href="http:// wp.tutsplus.com/" target="_blank">WP Tuts</a> - <a href="http:// wp.tutsplus.com/tutorials/ creative-coding/ customizing- your-wordpress-admin/" target="_blank" >Customising Your WordPress Admin</a>
 Unchanged: WordPress can be a powerful content management system but if you have multiple users often some can end up with permissions that you <em>really</em> wish they didn’t have. There are plenty of plugins that will let you customize user permissions but it’s not that hard to do ourselves by removing certain links from the admin menu for those specific user roles.
 Unchanged: <em>Note that this method doesn’t actually remove user permissions but just the admin menu links that would get them there.</em>
 Unchanged: <h2>Basic example</h2>
 Unchanged: Add the following to functions.php (or create your own plugin) to remove the “Tools” menu from any user with a role lower than Author.
 Unchanged: [php]
 Unchanged: add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' );
 Unchanged: function my_remove_menu_pages() {
 Unchanged:  // If the user does not have access to publish posts
 Unchanged:  if(!current_user_ can('publish_posts')) {
 Unchanged:  // Remove the &quot;Tools&quot; menu
 Unchanged:  remove_menu_page( 'tools.php');
 Unchanged:  }
 Unchanged: }
 Unchanged: [/php]
 Unchanged: You can choose a variety of user levels rather than <code>publish_ posts</code> for example <code> edit_users</code>, <code> delete_pages</code>, etc. View a complete list of WordPress <a href="http:// codex.wordpress.org/Roles_ and_Capabilities">roles and capabilities</a>.
 Unchanged: The function <a href="http:// codex.wordpress.org/Function_ Reference/remove_menu_page" >remove_menu_ page()</a> removes a menu item based off of the menu slug you pass it. To figure out that the menu slug was named tools.php I used used Chrome's developer tools and right clicked on the Tools menu and selected Inspect element. This showed me that the tools menu was linked as<code>&lt;a href="tools.php" tabindex="1"&gt; Tools&lt;/a&gt;</code>.
 Unchanged: To save you the hassle of figuring out each menu slug I <a href="http:// sethstevenson.net/customize- the-wordpress-admin-menu- based-on-user- roles/#menu- slugs">listed them below</a>.
 Unchanged: <h2>Removing sub-menu items</h2>
 Unchanged: [php]
 Unchanged: &lt;pre&gt;add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' );
 Unchanged: function my_remove_menu_pages() {
 Unchanged: // If the user does not have access to add new users
 Unchanged: if(!current_user_ can('add_users')) {
 Unchanged: // Remove the &quot;Link Categories&quot; menu under &quot;Links&quot;
 Unchanged: remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy= link_category' );
 Unchanged: }
 Unchanged: }&lt;/pre&gt;
 Unchanged: [/php]
 Unchanged: <h2>Mixed example</h2>
 Unchanged: [php]
 Unchanged: add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_remove_menu_pages' );
 Unchanged: function my_remove_menu_pages() {
 Unchanged:  if(!current_user_ can('add_users')) {
 Unchanged:  remove_menu_page( 'options-general.php'); // Settings
 Unchanged:  remove_menu_page( 'tools.php'); // Tools
 Unchanged:  remove_menu_page( 'upload.php'); // Media
 Unchanged:  remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category' ); // Post categories
 Unchanged:  remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=post_tag' ); // Post tags
 Unchanged:  }
 Unchanged: }
 Unchanged: [/php]
 Unchanged: <h2>WordPress admin menu slugs</h2>
 Unchanged: I have created a Google Doc with these slugs.
 Unchanged: <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
 Unchanged: <tbody>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Dashboard</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('index.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Dashboard</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'index.php', 'index.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Updates</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'index.php', 'update-core.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: </tbody>
 Unchanged: </table>
 Unchanged: <hr />
 Unchanged: <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
 Unchanged: <tbody>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Posts</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('edit.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Posts</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'post-new.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Categories</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Post Tags</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy=post_tag' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Media</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('upload.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Library</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'upload.php', 'upload.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'upload.php', 'media-new.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Links</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('link-manager.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Links</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'link-manager.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'link-add.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Link Categories</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'link-manager.php', 'edit-tags.php?taxonomy= link_category' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Pages</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('edit.php?post_ type=page');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Pages</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php?post_type=page', 'edit.php?post_type=page' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'edit.php?post_type=page', 'post-new.php?post_type=page' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Comments</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('edit-comments.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: </tbody>
 Unchanged: </table>
 Unchanged: <hr />
 Unchanged: <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
 Unchanged: <tbody>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Appearance</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('themes.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Themes</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'themes.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Widgets</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'widgets.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Menus</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'nav-menus.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Editor</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'themes.php', 'theme-editor.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Plugins</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('plugins.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Plugins</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugins.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugin-install.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Editor</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'plugins.php', 'plugin-editor.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Users</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('users.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Users</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'users.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Add New</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'user-new.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Your Profile</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'users.php', 'profile.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Tools</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('tools.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Tools</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'tools.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Import</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'import.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Export</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'tools.php', 'export.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" width="100">Settings</td>
 Unchanged: <td bgcolor="#F1F1F1" >remove_menu_ page('options- general.php');</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">General</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-general.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Writing</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-writing.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Reading</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-reading.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Discussion</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-discussion.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Media</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-media.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Privacy</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-privacy.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: <tr>
 Unchanged: <td width="100">Permalinks</td>
 Unchanged: <td>remove_submenu_page( 'options-general.php', 'options-permalink.php' );</td>
 Unchanged: </tr>
 Unchanged: </tbody>
 Unchanged: </table>
-Deleted: &nbsp;

Note: Spaces may be added to comparison text to allow better line wrapping.

Tags: Admin Menus, show/hide, WordPress Admin