Woo Warehouse adds two dedicated WordPress user roles – Warehouse Staff and Warehouse Manager. These roles give your warehouse team exactly the access they need to the portal, without giving them access to your WooCommerce store settings, customer data, or WordPress admin.
The Two Warehouse Roles
Warehouse Staff
For pickers, packers, and general warehouse floor workers. They access the portal to view and fulfil their assigned orders.
- Can access the warehouse portal (order board, completed orders)
- Can view and update orders assigned to them
- Can update warehouse status on their orders
- Can add tracking numbers to orders
- Can print picking slips
- Cannot run batch actions on multiple orders at once
- Cannot change warehouse settings or statuses
- Cannot see orders assigned to other staff members
- Has no access to WordPress admin
Warehouse Manager
For supervisors and shift leads. They see the full board, assign work, run batch operations, and resolve issues across the team.
- All capabilities of Warehouse Staff
- Can see ALL orders on the board (not just their own)
- Can assign orders to any staff member
- Can run batch actions (e.g., move many orders at once)
- Can reassign orders between staff members
- Can mark orders as high priority
- Cannot change warehouse settings or statuses (Settings requires admin)
- Has no access to WordPress admin or WooCommerce store data
Full Capabilities Comparison
| Capability | Warehouse Staff | Warehouse Manager | Administrator |
|---|---|---|---|
Access the warehouse portal |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View own assigned orders |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View all orders on the board |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Update order warehouse status |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Assign orders to pickers |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Run batch actions |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Add/edit shipping tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Mark orders as high priority |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Print picking slips |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View completed orders archive |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Change warehouse settings/statuses |
No |
No |
Yes |
Access WordPress admin / WooCommerce |
No |
No |
Yes |
How to Create a Warehouse Staff Account
1. Go to WordPress Admin → Users → Add New User
Log in to WordPress admin as an Administrator. In the left menu, click Users, then Add New User.
2. Fill in the user's details
Enter their Username (no spaces – use a dot or underscore: john.smith), their Email address, and create a Password. Tick “Send the new user an email about their account” so they receive login credentials automatically.
3. Set the Role to "Warehouse Staff" or "Warehouse Manager"
In the Role dropdown, select the correct role. For a picker or packer, choose Warehouse Staff. For a supervisor, choose Warehouse Manager. Do not select Administrator – this grants full access to the entire WordPress site.
4. Click "Add New User"
The account is created. Send the staff member the Portal Login URL (from Warehouse → Settings → Portal URLs) along with their username and password.
How to Change a User’s Role
If you need to promote a Warehouse Staff member to Warehouse Manager (or the other way around):
1. Go to Users → All Users in WordPress Admin
Find the user whose role you want to change.
2. Click their name to open the edit profile page
Or hover over their name and click “Edit.”
3. Find the "Role" dropdown and change it
Scroll down to the Role section. Select the new role from the dropdown.
4. Click "Update User"
The role change takes effect immediately. The user will have the new permissions the next time they log in or refresh the portal.
Tips for Managing Staff Access
- Give each staff member their own individual account. Do not share logins – individual accounts mean the status history shows who did what, which is important for accountability.
- Never give warehouse staff the Administrator role. Administrators can access and modify your entire WooCommerce store, pricing, customer orders, and WordPress settings. Warehouse roles give only what is needed and nothing more.
- When a staff member leaves, go to Users → All Users and either delete their account or change their role to “Subscriber” (which removes all warehouse access). Do this promptly to prevent unauthorised portal access.
- Use real names in the “Display Name” field so the assignment dropdown and order cards show clear, recognisable names like “John Smith” rather than usernames like “jsmith42.”