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What Are User Roles?

In MyListing, User Roles control who can register on your site, what each account type can do (especially adding and managing listings), and which profile fields appear on signup and in My Account. Think of it this way:
  • A user account is one person’s login on your site.
  • A user role (primary or alternate) is the type of account they get, with its own label, permissions, and registration fields.
Most directory sites only need one account type. Use a second type when you want two clear paths, for example Businesses and Private Users, or Employers and Job Seekers. MyListing maps these to WooCommerce customer roles under the hood: the main type uses Customer, and the alternate type uses Customer (alt). The labels you set on this screen are what people see on your site.

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Where Do You Manage User Roles?

Go to WP Admin > Theme Tools > User Roles. Direct link (when logged in as an admin): https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=mylisting-user-roles From there, you can:
  • Turn registration on or off for the My Account page
  • Choose how usernames and passwords are created
  • Set a default account type and optional reCAPTCHA
  • Configure the main and alternate account types (labels, listing permissions, switch option, registration fields)
Click Save settings at the bottom after making changes. You can skip most of this page if you only need a single account type and basic email/username/password signup. Turn on the alternate type and extra profile fields only when you need them.
reCAPTCHA is not recommended due to performance and privacy issues. Cloudflare Turnstile (free) is recommended.

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Accounts & Roles

These options sit at the top of the User Roles screen under Accounts & Roles. Enable user registration, Generate username automatically, and Generate password automatically stay in sync with WooCommerce’s Accounts & Privacy settings. Changing them here updates WooCommerce, and vice versa.

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User Roles & Permissions

Below Accounts & Roles, you configure two account types:

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Enable Alternate Account Type

When this is on, the registration form shows a Choose role step so new users pick between your two labels. Each type can have different permissions and fields. When it is off, everyone receives the main account type, and the alternate role is hidden from WordPress role lists (the role stays in the database for users who already have it).

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Role Name

The label is shown on the registration form when filtering users by role and in switch-account messages. Examples from the theme: “Business User” for the main type and “Private User” for the alternate type.

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Can Add Listings

When on, users with this role can submit listings through the Add Listing form and keep listing tools in My Account (My Listings, Promotions, and related dashboard areas). When off:
  • They cannot submit new listings
  • My Listings and Promotions are removed from the My Account menu
  • The Add Listing experience shows a short message instead of the form
  • Header “add listing” style calls to action are hidden for that user
Site staff (roles other than Customer / Customer alt / Subscriber) are not limited by these toggles.

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Can Switch Role

When on, users see an Account type box on My Account > Account details with a button to switch to the other type (for example, Switch to Private User). Switching only works when the alternate account type is enabled. If the target role does not allow switching back, the theme warns that the change is irreversible.

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Registration Form Fields

For each enabled account type, choose which fields appear on signup and (where allowed) on Account details. You can drag to reorder, expand a field to edit it, and add fields from the Available fields list. Required fields that cannot be removed: Email, Username, and Password. For optional fields, you can usually set the following:
  • Label
  • Required field
  • Show in user registration form
  • Show in user account details form
Keep signup short. Collect only what you need at registration; let users fill in profile extras later under Account details when those fields are enabled there.

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Where Users See This

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Registration (My Account)

On the My Account page, when registration is enabled, visitors see the Sign Up form. If the alternate type is enabled, they first pick a role, then fill in the fields for that type.

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Account Details

Logged-in users can edit the fields allowed for their role under My Account > Account details. If they can switch roles, the Account type panel appears beside that form.

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Add Listing and Dashboard

Users who can add listings receive the normal listing dashboard. Users who cannot get a simpler My Account menu without listing management links.

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How the Pieces Fit Together

A practical example for a site with businesses and private members:
  1. Enable user registration so people can create accounts.
  2. Main Account Type is labeled Business, Can add listings is on, and the register form asks for Email, Password, Display Name, and Profile Picture.
  3. Enable alternate account type is on. Regular Member has Can add listings off, so those users browse, favorite, and message without a listing dashboard.
  4. Default account type is set to Business if most signups are listing owners.
  5. Can switch role is on for Regular Member if you want them to upgrade to Business from Account details; leave it off on Business if you do not want them to downgrade.

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Common User Role Setups

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Helpful Tips

  • Skip this screen when you can. If you do not need two account types or profile extras (picture, social networks, bio), defaults are fine.
  • Name roles for people, not for WordPress. Use labels visitors understand (Business, Member) instead of jargon like Customer alt.
  • Can add listings drives the dashboard. Turning it off is the cleanest way to provide someone a simpler My Account without custom code.
  • Watch irreversible switches. If only one side has Can switch role, the confirmation message says the change cannot be undone.
  • Prefer lighter spam tools than reCAPTCHA when possible. Theme reCAPTCHA can be turned on for login and register here, but it often adds load and is configured in more than one place on a MyListing site. Many builders use Cloudflare Turnstile instead.
  • Author pages need the profile fields. About Yourself, Profile Picture, and Social Networks feed the MyListing author profile. Add them if you care about that page.

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Quick Reference

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Where to Go Next

To show or hide menus, blocks, or any content by WordPress role or login status (beyond the built-in User Roles permissions), use MyListing Pro [Content Visibility](/content-visibility).

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Common Questions

  • Do I need two user roles? No. Keep the alternate type off unless you truly need different permissions or signup fields. Many successful sites use one type only.
  • Why can’t a user submit a listing? Confirm they are logged in, their role has Can add listings on, and the listing type is not a global Explore-only type. If they have the wrong role but Can switch role is on, they can change type under Account details (when the other role can post).
  • Why are My Listings and Promotions missing from My Account? That role has Can add listings turned off. Those menu items are hidden on purpose.
  • Is the default account type the same as the WordPress default role? It chooses which MyListing account type is preselected on the register form (main or alternate). New users are registered as WooCommerce customer roles for those types, not as the generic WordPress Subscriber default.
  • Where do users switch roles? My Account > Account details, in the Account type panel, when Can switch role is allowed for their current role.
  • Why don’t Username or Password appear on Sign Up? Generate username automatically or Generate password automatically is on, so those fields are hidden on the register form.
  • Are these the same as WordPress roles like Editor or Administrator? No. This screen is for your front-end customers (main and alternate). Staff roles are managed under WP Admin > Users as usual.