Role manager: who can do what

The Role manager decides which WordPress roles can use each part of RankKit SEO. For example, you can let editors manage redirects, keep AI tools away from contributors, or give an SEO manager role access to the site audit without making them an administrator.

The permissions are enforced everywhere: the admin menu, the editor panel, the REST API and AI agents acting as that user. An agent connected with an editor's account can only do what editors are allowed to do.

Open the Role manager

Go to RankKit SEO → Settings → Roles. Only administrators see this tab, and the Role manager itself is always for administrators only.

You see a table with one row per WordPress role and one column per RankKit SEO feature. Hover over a column heading to see its description.

The permissions

Each column is a WordPress capability that RankKit SEO adds. Administrators always have every one ("Always all"), so you cannot lock yourself out.

Column	Capability	Default	What it allows
SEO fields	speedrank_seo_fields	Roles that can edit posts	The SEO panel in the post editor, term SEO fields and the Content page. Also the Schema page.
AI tools	speedrank_ai	Roles that can edit posts	AI suggestions, keywords, FAQ, briefs and bulk AI (uses the site's AI key). AI alt text also needs WordPress's upload permission.
Analytics	speedrank_analytics	Roles that can edit posts	Search Console, GA4, AI crawler and AI visibility reports.
Redirects	speedrank_redirects	Administrators	Redirect rules and the 404 monitor.
Site audit	speedrank_audit	Administrators	Run the audit, apply its fixes and use the broken link checker.
Tools & backups	speedrank_tools	Administrators	Import from other plugins, export/import and backups.
Settings	speedrank_settings	Administrators	All RankKit SEO settings, Google connection and the AI provider.
Change Log approval	speedrank_changes	Administrators	Approve, reject and revert changes made by agents, AI and other users.
AI Agents	speedrank_agents	Administrators	Create and revoke MCP agent tokens and see agent activity.

The defaults follow WordPress: editors, authors and contributors get SEO fields, AI tools and analytics, because they can edit posts. Everything else is for administrators. Subscribers get nothing.

Some permissions also need the normal WordPress right to the item. For example, a user with SEO fields can only change the SEO of posts they are allowed to edit.

Change permissions

1. Tick or untick the boxes for a role. Boxes that differ from the default are highlighted.
2. Click Save permissions. You see "Role permissions saved".

To undo all your changes, click Reset to defaults. Every role goes back to the defaults above.

Tip The AI tools permission spends your AI provider's budget. If many people write on your site, consider limiting it to editors, and keep the Daily request limit in Settings → AI provider in place.

How it works with other plugins

• Role editor plugins: if a plugin such as a role editor grants a speedrank_* capability to a role directly, RankKit SEO respects it. Unticking the box in the Role manager does not remove a capability granted that way; remove it in the role editor.
• Custom roles: every role registered on your site appears as a row, with defaults based on whether it can edit posts.
• Multisite: super admins have every permission.
• Users without a role, for example with capabilities assigned one by one, get a feature when they have its base capability (edit_posts for SEO fields, AI tools and analytics; manage_options for the rest).

Permissions and AI agents

AI agents connected over MCP act as the WordPress user who created the token or approved the connection, and the Role manager applies to every tool call. Agent tokens and access levels limit an agent further on top of that. See Agent tokens, scopes and access levels.

FAQ

Can I let editors approve AI agent changes?

Yes. Tick Change Log approval for the Editor role. They can then approve, reject and revert changes in the Change Log.

Can I hide RankKit SEO from authors completely?

Untick SEO fields, AI tools and Analytics for the Author role. The SEO panel disappears from their editor and the RankKit SEO pages they could open are hidden from their menu. The Dashboard and Change Log pages still follow WordPress's own edit posts permission.

Are role permissions included in backups and exports?

Yes. Backups and exports with Settings and role permissions include them, and restoring a backup restores them. See Backups, export and import.