current_user_can( string $capability, mixed $args )

Returns whether the current 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:

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

While checking against particular roles in place of a capability is supported in part, this practice is discouraged as it may produce unreliable results.

Note: Will always return true if the current user is a super admin, unless specifically denied.

See also


Parameters

$capability

(Required) Capability name.

$args

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


Return

(bool) Whether the current user has the given capability. If $capability is a meta cap and $object_id is passed, whether the current user has the given meta capability for the given object.


Source

File: wp-includes/capabilities.php

function current_user_can( $capability ) {
	$current_user = wp_get_current_user();

	if ( empty( $current_user ) )
		return false;

	$args = array_slice( func_get_args(), 1 );
	$args = array_merge( array( $capability ), $args );

	return call_user_func_array( array( $current_user, 'has_cap' ), $args );
}


Changelog

Changelog
Version Description
5.8.0 Converted to wrapper for the user_can() function.
5.3.0 Formalized the existing and already documented ...$args parameter by adding it to the function signature.
2.0.0 Introduced.