Subscriber is one of the default user roles in WordPress. Users with the Subscriber user role have limited access to the website. For instance, they can log in to the admin area, update their profile, view posts, and make comments.
A WordPress “Subscriber” has the least capabilities of all other user roles. Subscribers cannot create or edit content and do not have access to any information or settings.
However, this user role comes in handy if you just want to publish some content accessible only to logged in users, or limit comment section to registered users only.
How to Allow Subscribers on WordPress
To allow user registration on your WordPress website, just go to Settings » General page, then place a check in the “Anyone can register” box next to Membership section.
Next, make sure the default user role is set to “Subscriber” like it is in the image above. To learn more about user roles see our guide on WordPress user roles and permissions.
Be sure to click on the Save Changes button after your selection is made.
Now that readers can register you need to have a registration form and provide links where they can log in.
You can place a login link on your website using a meta widget by heading over to Appearance » Widgets and add the “Meta” widget to a sidebar.
See our guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.
Using the meta widget doesn’t look professional or provide you with many options. The best way to allow users to subscribe and login is by creating custom login page.
The best way to do this is by using WPForms. It is the best WordPress contact form plugin for creating all kinds of forms in WordPress.
It comes with a user registration add-on which allows you to create login and registration forms. For more details see our guide on how to create a custom WordPress login page
How to View Subscribers on a WordPress Website
If you have opened your WordPress website for user registration, you would want to keep an eye on registered users.
You can quickly view all users who signed up as subscribers by logging into your WordPress website and going to User » All Users page. From here you need to click on Subscriber link at the top.
Sending a Newsletter to Your Subscriber List
The term Subscriber is also used for users signing up for an email newsletter or a membership community.
Note that the Subscriber user role in WordPress is not an email subscriber. They will not receive your new articles by email.
If you want to get email subscribers, then you will need to start an email newsletter.
An email newsletter is an effective way to increase your blog traffic, and build a loyal following.
Most website owners just add a newsletter signup form to their blog’s sidebar. However, most users don’t pay much attention to such forms and you miss a ton of potential subscribers.
This is where you’ll need OptinMonster. It is the best tool to convert website visitors into email subscribers.
With OptinMonster you can create beautiful attention-grabbing subscriber optin forms to build your subscriber list and turn visitors into customers faster.
For more details, see our article on how to get easy ways to quickly get more email subscribers .
We hope this article helped you learn more about Subscribers. You may also want to see our additional Reading list of related articles for useful WordPress tips, tricks, and ideas.
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