user_can( int|WP_User $user, string $capability, mixed $args )

Returns whether a particular user has the specified capability.

Description

This function also accepts an ID of an object to check against if the capability is a meta capability. Meta capabilities such as edit_post and edit_user are capabilities used by the map_meta_cap() function to map to primitive capabilities that a user or role has, such as edit_posts and edit_others_posts.

Example usage:

user_can( $user->ID, 'edit_posts' );
user_can( $user->ID, 'edit_post', $post->ID );
user_can( $user->ID, 'edit_post_meta', $post->ID, $meta_key );

Parameters

$user

(int|WP_User) (Required) User ID or object.

$capability

(string) (Required) Capability name.

$args

(mixed) (Optional) further parameters, typically starting with an object ID.

Return

(bool) Whether the user has the given capability.

Source

File: wp-includes/capabilities.php 

function user_can( $user, $capability, ...$args ) {
	if ( ! is_object( $user ) ) {
		$user = get_userdata( $user );
	}

	if ( empty( $user ) ) {
		// User is logged out, create anonymous user object.
		$user = new WP_User( 0 );
		$user->init( new stdClass );
	}

	return $user->has_cap( $capability, ...$args );
}

Used By

Used By Description
wp-includes/ms-site.php: wp_initialize_site()

Runs the initialization routine for a given site.
wp-includes/capabilities.php: current_user_can()

Returns whether the current user has the specified capability.
wp-includes/capabilities.php: map_meta_cap()

Maps a capability to the primitive capabilities required of the given user to satisfy the capability being checked.
wp-includes/pluggable.php: wp_notify_postauthor()

Notify an author (and/or others) of a comment/trackback/pingback on a post.
wp-includes/pluggable.php: wp_notify_moderator()

Notifies the moderator of the site about a new comment that is awaiting approval.
wp-includes/functions.php: get_allowed_mime_types()

Retrieve list of allowed mime types and file extensions.
wp-includes/link-template.php: get_dashboard_url()

Retrieves the URL to the user’s dashboard.

Changelog

Version Description
5.3.0 Formalized the existing and already documented ...$args parameter by adding it to the function signature.
3.1.0 Introduced.

© 2003–2021 WordPress Foundation
Licensed under the GNU GPLv2+ License.
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/user_can