PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels is a WordPress extension that automatically creates and manages custom user roles for every membership tier on your site. This ensures that every member is assigned a specific WordPress role corresponding to their active subscription level. This developer-focused utility allows for granular control over site permissions based on membership status.
WPExclusive members get access to Roles For Membership Levels as part of a full plugin and theme library — plans from $9.99/month. See the full Paid Memberships Pro collection →
What Is PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels?
PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels is developed by Paid Memberships Pro and is a membership plugin for WordPress. It belongs to the membership category on WPExclusive, alongside other tools for restricted content and user management.
The plugin solves the challenge of synchronizing WordPress core roles with membership levels. It is designed for site owners who need to grant specific technical capabilities to certain member tiers, such as allowing premium members to submit posts or access administrative features restricted to specific roles.
PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels Features
The feature set is built around the automation of user role assignment and hierarchical permission management.
Automated Role Creation
Upon activation, Roles For Membership Levels creates a custom WordPress Role for each membership level you have established. These roles use the display name of the level and a technical role name formatted as pmpro_role_X, where X represents the unique level ID. This creates a 1:1 map between your subscription tiers and the WordPress role architecture, enabling compatibility with membership permission systems.
Advanced Permission Mapping
The plugin allows you to assign multiple core roles to members after they sign up. You can upgrade members to core roles like Author or Contributor to enhance site participation. If a membership is canceled or removed, the role is automatically reverted to the site default, ensuring that access remains current with the user’s billing status.
Developer Integration Hooks
Roles For Membership Levels includes several action and filter hooks for custom development. You can modify default capabilities using the pmpro_roles_default_caps filter or trigger logic after a role change with the pmpro_roles_after_role_change action. It also integrates with external software like User Role Editor to manually refine the capabilities assigned to each generated role.
Pricing
Check the current pricing on the Roles For Membership Levels sales page — WPExclusive members access it as part of their plan. While the core Add On is listed as a free extension on the official repository, premium support and bundled access are often part of the vendor’s paid tiers.
| Plan | Price | Sites | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPExclusive Membership | From $9.99/month | Unlimited | Roles For Membership Levels + full library |
For developers managing multiple sites, a WPExclusive membership covers Roles For Membership Levels plus hundreds of other plugins and themes — usually less than one premium license.
Latest Version
The current version is 1.5.2. This plugin receives regular updates to ensure compatibility with the core Paid Memberships Pro environment. WPExclusive updates plugin files promptly after each release.
How to Install
- Download the Roles For Membership Levels .zip from your WPExclusive member account
- In WordPress: Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
- Select the .zip and click Install Now → Activate
- Navigate to Memberships > Settings > Membership Levels in the dashboard
- Select a level to edit and locate the Role Settings fields to choose your desired user roles
Use Cases
Community Contribution Platforms
Websites that require members to submit content can use this plugin to assign the Author or Contributor role to specific tiers. This allows for seamless front-end or back-end posting capabilities within the membership workflow.
Third-Party Plugin Restrictions
Many directory or forum plugins rely on WordPress roles for moderation and access. By using Roles For Membership Levels, you can ensure that only members of a certain level are granted the specific role recognized by your forum or directory software.
Agencies and Developers Managing Multiple Client Sites
Agencies can deploy standardized permission sets across client sites by leveraging the custom role mapping. With a WPExclusive membership, developers can maintain these configurations across their entire portfolio without individual plugin overhead.
Pros and Cons
✅ Strengths
- Automated role generation based on Membership Level ID and Name
- Dynamic role removal and reversion during membership cancellation
- High compatibility with third-party role editors for custom capability mapping
- Supports assigning multiple core WordPress roles to a single membership level
⚠️ Limitations
- Existing members before activation require a manual role update to sync
- Deactivating the plugin requires a specific cleanup process to revert custom roles to subscriber
- Developer auto-updates require an active license key. WPExclusive publishes updates manually when new versions are released.
Is PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels GPL Licensed?
Yes. PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) — the same license that governs WordPress itself. GPL gives any user the legal right to use, study, share, and redistribute the software. This is the legal framework that makes WPExclusive’s membership model possible.
WPExclusive distributes 100% original, unmodified files — the same release the developer publishes. No injected code, no alterations, no security risks.
Get PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels on WPExclusive
WPExclusive membership starts at $9.99/month, $87/year, or $149 lifetime — giving you PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels plus every plugin and theme in the library, on unlimited sites.
Explore the full Paid Memberships Pro collection → or browse all WordPress plugins →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels do?
PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels is a membership utility that creates a unique WordPress role for every membership level on your site. Roles For Membership Levels allows you to assign specific site capabilities to members based on their active subscription tier.
Is PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels free?
The plugin is available as a free Add On from the developer, but professional deployment and library access are available via WPExclusive for $9.99/month.
What is the latest version of PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels?
The current version is 1.5.2. The plugin is actively maintained — WPExclusive members always receive the most current release.
How much does PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels cost?
It is listed as a free Add On on the vendor’s site. Via WPExclusive, it is included in plans from $9.99/month, which provides access to the entire plugin repository.
Is it legal to use PMPro – Roles For Membership Levels via WPExclusive?
The plugin is GPL licensed, which explicitly permits redistribution. WPExclusive provides original, unmodified files — fully within GPL terms.
Can I assign existing WordPress roles like Editor with Roles For Membership Levels?
Yes, Roles For Membership Levels allows you to assign standard WordPress core roles like Author or Contributor to any specific membership level through the level settings page.
