How to Make Someone a Shop Manager in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store and need some help? Great! A common scenario is wanting to give someone access to manage your online store *without* giving them full administrator privileges. That’s where the Shop Manager role in WooCommerce comes in. This role lets someone handle most daily operations, freeing you up to focus on bigger-picture tasks.
Think of it like this: you own a physical retail store (your WooCommerce site). You wouldn’t give every employee the keys to the kingdom (full admin access), right? The Shop Manager is like your trusted shift supervisor – they can handle sales, manage inventory, process orders, but can’t, say, change the store’s entire layout or financial details.
This guide will walk you through, step-by-step, how to grant someone the Shop Manager role in WooCommerce. Don’t worry if you’re new to this; we’ll keep it simple and practical.
Why Use the Shop Manager Role?
Before we dive in, let’s briefly cover why you might want to use the Shop Manager role:
- Delegation: Free up your time by entrusting Check out this post: How To Give My Woocommerce Shop Page A Theme routine tasks to someone else.
- Security: Limit access to sensitive areas of your WooCommerce backend. This reduces the risk of accidental changes or malicious intent.
- Organization: Helps Read more about How To Set Your Own Shipping Prices Woocommerce keep responsibilities clearly defined within your team.
- Scalability: As your business grows, the Shop Manager role allows you to expand your team efficiently.
- Remember to generate a strong password and share it with the new shop manager!
- Manage Products: Add, edit, and delete products. This includes updating product descriptions, images, prices, and inventory.
- Manage Orders: View, process, and fulfill orders. They can update order statuses (e.g., “Processing,” “Completed”), print packing slips, and add tracking information.
- View Reports: Access sales reports, customer reports, and other relevant data. This helps them understand store performance.
- Manage Coupons: Create and manage discount coupons.
- Manage Customers: View customer information and details.
- Manage WooCommerce Settings: Manage core WooCommerce settings, shipping zones, tax settings, and more.
Step-by-Step: Assigning the Shop Manager Role
Here’s how to grant someone the Shop Manager role in your WooCommerce store:
1. Log into Your WordPress Dashboard: Go to your website’s login page (usually `yourwebsite.com/wp-admin`) and enter your administrator credentials.
2. Navigate to Users: In the WordPress dashboard menu on the left, hover over “Users” and click “Add New” or “All Users”.
3. Create a New User or Edit an Existing One:
* Creating a New User: If the person doesn’t have an account on your WordPress site, click “Add New.” Fill in their details, including a username, email address, first name, last name (optional), and a strong password.
* Editing an Existing User: If they already have an account, click “All Users,” find their name in the list, and hover over it. Click “Edit.”
4. Assign the Shop Manager Role: In the user profile, find the “Role” dropdown menu. Select “Shop Manager” from the options. This is the most important step!
5. Update the User: Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Update User” (if editing) or “Add New User” button.
That’s it! You’ve successfully assigned the Shop Manager role. The new user will now be able to log in and access the WooCommerce backend with their new permissions.
What Can Shop Managers Do?
So, what exactly *can* a Shop Manager do? Here’s a breakdown:
Important Note: Shop Managers cannot access or modify core WordPress settings, plugin settings unrelated to WooCommerce, or other administrator-level functionalities. They also can’t delete the administrator account.
Example Scenario: Handling Order Fulfilment
Let’s say you’re selling handmade jewelry through your WooCommerce store. You’re busy creating new pieces, so you need someone to handle the order fulfillment process. You assign someone the Shop Manager role. Now, when an order comes in, the Shop Manager can:
1. See the new order in the WooCommerce “Orders” section.
2. Print the order details and packing slip.
3. Package the jewelry.
4. Mark the order as “Processing.”
5. Enter the tracking number once it’s shipped.
6. Mark the order Check out this post: How To Change Font Size In Woocommerce as “Completed.”
This frees you up to focus on designing and crafting more jewelry!
Advanced Options (Beyond the Basics)
For more granular control, you can use plugins to further customize user roles and permissions. Plugins like “User Role Editor” allow you to modify the capabilities of the Shop Manager role, giving them more or less access depending on your specific needs. However, for most small to medium-sized businesses, the default Shop Manager role is perfectly sufficient.
// Example code (not directly executable in WordPress admin) // This shows how plugins work to modify roles // This is just an illustration! Don't try to run it directly. Read more about How To Refund On The Woocommerce App
// This is a simplified example of what a plugin might do:
// Add a new capability to the shop_manager role
// add_filter( ‘woocommerce_shop_manager_capabilities’, ‘add_custom_shop_manager_capability’ );
// function add_custom_shop_manager_capability( $capabilities ) {
// $capabilities[] = ‘edit_others_products’; // Example: Allow editing other people’s products
// return $capabilities;
// }
Note: Modifying roles and capabilities using code can be complex. If you’re not comfortable with PHP, it’s best to use a user role editor plugin with a user-friendly interface.
Conclusion
Assigning the Shop Manager role in WooCommerce is a simple and effective way to delegate tasks, improve security, and scale your online Read more about How To Remove Woocommerce Cart Icon store. By following these steps, you can empower your team members to manage daily operations while maintaining control over your website’s administration. Remember to choose a strong password and always monitor user activity to ensure everything runs smoothly. Good luck!
