---
title: Understanding Vendor Roles and Access
description: "VendorHearth Pro uses WordPress roles to control which parts of the system different users can access. This helps keep vendor-facing features separate from organizer and staff functions. ## VendorHearth Roles VendorHearth includes roles for: - Administrator / Organizer - Vendor…"
url: "https://vendorhearth.com/docs/understanding-vendor-roles-and-access/"
updated: "2026-09-23"
category: Vendors — vendor accounts, profiles, Vendor Dashboard, vendor management
---

# Understanding Vendor Roles and Access

VendorHearth Pro uses WordPress roles to control which parts of the system different users can access.

This helps keep vendor-facing features separate from organizer and staff functions.

## VendorHearth Roles

VendorHearth includes roles for:

- Administrator / Organizer
- Vendor Relations Manager
- Event Staff
- Vendor

Each role is intended for a different type of user.

## Administrator / Organizer

Administrators and organizers have access to the primary VendorHearth management features.

Depending on the user's WordPress permissions, this can include areas such as:

- Events
- Applications
- Vendors
- Payments
- Agreements
- Documents
- Season Passes
- Communications
- Vendor Spotlights
- Reports
- Settings
- Licensing

Organizer-level access should be reserved for people who need to manage the VendorHearth system.

## Vendor Relations Manager

The **Vendor Relations Manager** role is intended for staff members who work directly with vendor-management functions.

VendorHearth includes a front-end Vendor Relations Portal so these users can perform appropriate tasks without requiring full WordPress administrator access.

The Vendor Relations Portal uses:

`[cmn_vendor_relations_portal]`

This helps separate vendor-management responsibilities from full website administration.

## Event Staff

The **Event Staff** role is intended for team members who need access to appropriate event-related functions without receiving complete organizer access.

This can be useful for staff assisting with event operations.

Only assign this role to users who actually perform staff functions for your organization.

## Vendor

The **Vendor** role is intended for businesses participating in your events.

Vendors primarily interact with VendorHearth through its front-end pages rather than the WordPress administration area.

Their primary access point is the Vendor Dashboard.

The Vendor Dashboard uses:

`[cmn_vendor_dashboard]`

## Vendors Should Not Be Administrators

A vendor does not need WordPress Administrator access to use VendorHearth.

Giving ordinary vendors elevated WordPress permissions can expose parts of your website that they do not need to access.

Use the Vendor role and VendorHearth's front-end pages instead.

## Front-End Access

VendorHearth includes several front-end pages for different workflows, including:

**Vendor Registration**
`[cmn_vendor_register]`

**Vendor Login**
`[cmn_vendor_login]`

**Vendor Dashboard**
`[cmn_vendor_dashboard]`

**Vendor Check-In**
`[cmn_vendor_checkin]`

**Vendor Event Packet**
`[cmn_event_packet]`

**Vendor Relations Portal**
`[cmn_vendor_relations_portal]`

**Organizer Portal**
`[cmn_organizer_portal]`

These pages allow VendorHearth functionality to be presented through the front end of your WordPress website.

## Role-Based Booth Availability

VendorHearth can also use WordPress roles when restricting certain booth options.

This allows an organizer to make a booth option available only to users with an appropriate role when that functionality is needed.

For example, an organization could maintain a special booth option intended for a particular staff role rather than offering it to all vendors.

## Changing a User's Role

Use caution when changing WordPress roles.

Before changing a user's access:

1. Verify the correct user account.
2. Determine what VendorHearth functions the person actually needs.
3. Assign the least amount of access necessary.
4. Verify that the user can access the appropriate front-end area.

Avoid using Administrator access simply as a workaround for a permissions problem.

## Troubleshooting Access

If a user cannot access an expected VendorHearth feature, check:

- Their WordPress account
- Their assigned role
- Whether they are signed in
- The appropriate VendorHearth page
- Portal page configuration
- VendorHearth System Readiness

If several users with the same role experience the same issue, review the site's VendorHearth configuration before changing individual user permissions.

## Keep Access Appropriate

VendorHearth's role system is designed to separate responsibilities.

**Organizers** manage the system.

**Vendor Relations Managers** handle appropriate vendor-management functions.

**Event Staff** access appropriate event-related functions.

**Vendors** manage their own participation through vendor-facing pages.

Using the appropriate role helps keep VendorHearth organized while limiting access to administrative areas that users do not need.

## Next Step

Continue to the **Payments** documentation to learn how VendorHearth handles payment configuration, online payments, manual payment records, payment status, and transaction history.