Understanding user roles

Annotatr uses a three-tier permission system to ensure the right people have the right access. Understanding these roles helps you organise your team effectively and maintain security while encouraging collaboration.

Each role is designed for specific use cases, from full administrative control to focused testing access. Let’s explore what each role can do and when to assign them.

Administrators

WordPress administrators have complete access to all Annotatr features without needing explicit assignment.

What Administrators Can Do:

• View, create, edit, and delete all notes regardless of assignment
• Access and modify all plugin settings
• Add and remove developers and test users
• Delete any notes or comments
• Access backup and restore functionality
• Manage board columns and categories
• View all activity logs and statistics

When to Use:

Reserve administrator roles for trusted team members who need to manage the plugin’s configuration and have oversight of all feedback and bug reports.

Developers

Developers are assigned through Annotatr settings and have broad permissions for managing notes without access to plugin configuration.

What Developers Can Do:

• View all notes across the entire site
• Create new notes from the frontend
• Edit and delete notes (including notes created by others)
• Assign notes to any team member
• Comment on and react to all notes
• Move notes between status columns
• Receive email notifications for assignments and mentions
• Access the admin dashboard and board views

What Developers Cannot Do:

• Access plugin settings
• Add or remove other developers or test users
• Modify board settings or email configurations
• Access backup and restore features

When to Use:

Assign the developer role to team members who need to manage and resolve bugs but shouldn’t modify plugin settings. Perfect for development team members, QA leads, or project managers.

Test Users

Test users have limited, focused access designed for clients, external testers, or team members who only need to report issues.

What Test Users Can Do:

• View only notes they created or are assigned to
• Create new notes from the frontend
• Edit notes they created or are assigned to
• Comment on accessible notes
• Add reactions to comments
• Receive email notifications for their notes

What Test Users Cannot Do:

• Delete any notes (including their own)
• View notes created by others (unless assigned)
• Access the admin dashboard
• Assign notes to team members
• Modify board columns or settings

When to Use:

Assign test user role to clients, external QA testers, or stakeholders who need to report issues but shouldn’t see the full project scope. Their limited visibility keeps them focused on their assigned work.

Comparing Permissions

Permission	Administrator	Developer	Test User
View All Notes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No (only assigned)
Create Notes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Edit Any Note	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No (only own/assigned)
Delete Notes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Access Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Admin Dashboard	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No

Choosing the right role

When deciding which role to assign, ask: Does this person need to see all notes? If yes, make them a developer. Do they only need to report specific issues? Make them a test user. Do they need to configure the plugin itself? They need WordPress administrator access.