Do you want to restrict an author’s ability to only post in specific categories of your WordPress site?
If you’re running a multi-author blog, then it can be helpful to limit author’s ability to only post on a selected category or sections of your site.
In this article, we’ll show you how to restrict authors to a specific category in WordPress.
Why Restrict Authors to a Specific Category?
If you have multiple people writing for your WordPress blog, then there is a chance that they may not select the appropriate category.
By restricting authors to specific categories, you can limit the categories they can select. You can even assign an author to post in just one category.
This not only helps them focus on their writing strengths, but it can also prevent content from being posted in the wrong category.
Overall, using categories properly can be very beneficial to your website’s SEO ranking as well.
How to Restrict Authors to a Specific Category in WordPress
The easiest way to do this is by using the Restricted Authors plugin. For more details, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
After you’ve activated the plugin, go to Users » All Users and then click on ‘Edit’ for the user profile you want to restrict.
On their profile page, you’ll need to scroll to the bottom. You will see a section where you can select categories that you want to restrict the user’s ability to post to. In the first box, whatever category you select is what they’ll be able to use.
In the field below, you can select a default category for that specific user.
Once you’re done, click the ‘Update User’ button and you’re all done.
Now, when the author goes in the WordPress content editor to create a post, they’ll see the following on their sidebar:
As you can see, there are no other categories that they can select due to the plugin settings we’re using.
If you want to restrict their WordPress user role to specific sections or custom post types, then you can use the Members plugin to further customize the permissions.
We hope this helped you learn how you can restrict authors to a specific category in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a WordPress membership site, and our expert pick of the best WordPress plugins for all websites.
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Misty Rudkin says
It is useful plugin though if the category takes its children too, that’d be great.
I am trying to edit on plugin editor and use get_term_children(), is there get_term_childrean_and_parent function in WordPress?
WPBeginner Support says
For editing the plugin, you would want to reach out to the plugin’s support and they can normally assist with modifications as well as possibly integrating it into the plugin. If you only modify the plugin then you could lose customizations when the plugin updates.
Admin
Morshed Alam Suman says
The plugin is closed now.
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for letting us know about this, we’ll be sure to look into updating the article
Admin
Yashar says
please do not promote a plugin that is banned due to security issues
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for letting us know about this, we will be sure to look into an alternative
Admin
abay says
how to restrict the comment to author user
Felipe says
Short and useful. Thanks.
Schalk says
Is it possible to us this plugin somehow, to limit posting to a category of a custom post type?
This is the plugin I use in which i want to limit various authors to their own categories.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/scheduled-announcements-widget/
bb says
it’s wrong
Ebbin Jose says
How to restrict a role to two specific categories?
Travis Pflanz says
It looks like Restrict Categories does what you need – https://wordpress.org/plugins/restrict-categories/
WPBeginner Staff says
Apparantely, the plugin does not support this feature at the moment.
Ed says
how about the author to two or three specific cats?
Umar Hashim says
how to make published posts editable by allowed authors but need to be approved by administrator?
Custom Post Type = Employee
Employee A
Employee B
Author A assigns to Employee A Post
Author B assigns to Employee B Post
Both posts are already published (Employee A and Employee B)
Author A updates Employee A Post, nothing changed with online version but post is saved as pending review, email sent to administrator, who review changes and allow publish or discard changes.
can this be doable with Edit Flow?
WPBeginner Support says
You can create a custom user role with these capabilities see how to add or remove capabilities to user roles in WordPress.
Admin
Umar Hashim says
i have created the custom user role and i assign him edit published posts, but questions is how to make published post enable to be edited but not published again until admin review changes and allow to publish post.
like Employee A page already published and online for viewers.. Author A assigns to Employee A page.. Author A do changes to Employee A page, now changes don’t get publish but email sent to administrator that changes to Employee A page has been made by Author A.
administrator either approves changes or discard changes. on approval Employee A page online version updated for visitors.
WPBeginner Support says
If you are using the plugin we mentioned then you need to edit the user role and uncheck the Publish capability from that particular user role.
Umar Hashim says
I managed to get it in working.
i used “Capability Manager Enhanced” plugin along with “Revisionary” Plugin.
now published posts are submitted for review before going to publish online.
but now issue is we are using Custom Fields by using “Advance Custom Fields” plugin on Custom Post Type “Employee”, in Revisionary preview screen, we are not able to see those Custom Fields but only WordPress default Editor.
Is it possible to get Custom Fields Updates in Preview Comparision?