Wix Roles and Permissions — Contributor Role Breakdown | OpsBlu Docs

Wix Roles and Permissions — Contributor Role Breakdown

Wix contributor roles including Admin, Website Manager, Blog Writer, and custom roles with per-feature permission controls.

Wix uses role-based access control (RBAC) to manage what contributors can do. Understanding each role's permissions helps you assign appropriate access levels.

Available Roles

Site-Level Roles

These roles apply to individual Wix sites:

  1. Owner - Full control
  2. Admin - Site management
  3. Site Member Manager - Manage site members only
  4. Blog Writer - Create/edit blog posts
  5. Blog Editor - Full blog management
  6. Contributor - Custom permission sets
  7. Viewer - Read-only access

Organization-Level Roles

For Wix Organizations (multiple sites):

  1. Organization Owner - Full organization control
  2. Organization Admin - Manage organization settings
  3. Billing Manager - Billing and subscriptions only

Detailed Role Breakdown

Owner (Site Owner)

Full control over the site. Only one Owner per site.

Can do:

  • Everything (all permissions)
  • Transfer ownership
  • Delete site
  • Manage billing
  • Add/remove all contributors
  • Edit all content
  • Install/remove apps
  • Manage domains
  • Export site data

Cannot do:

  • Be removed by others (must transfer ownership first)

When to assign:

  • Primary site owner
  • Client receiving site handoff
  • Business owner

Security:

  • Require 2FA
  • Use strong password
  • Limit to one person when possible

Admin

Manages the site but cannot transfer ownership or delete site.

Can do:

  • Edit all pages
  • Manage apps
  • Invite/remove contributors (except Owner)
  • View analytics
  • Manage site settings
  • Configure SEO
  • Manage domains
  • Publish site changes
  • View billing (cannot change plans)

Cannot do:

  • Transfer ownership
  • Delete site
  • Change billing/plans
  • Remove Owner
  • Access organization settings

When to assign:

  • Site managers
  • Lead developers
  • Agency project managers
  • Trusted team members

Best practice:

  • Have at least one Admin (besides Owner)
  • Limit to 2-3 people for security

Site Member Manager

Manages site members (customer accounts) only.

Can do:

  • View site members
  • Approve member registrations
  • Block/unblock members
  • Manage member roles (if using member levels)
  • Send member emails
  • Export member data

Cannot do:

  • Edit site pages
  • Manage apps
  • Change site settings
  • Access billing
  • View full analytics

When to assign:

  • Community managers
  • Customer support staff
  • Membership coordinators

Use case:

  • Sites with Wix Members enabled
  • Community or membership sites
  • E-learning platforms

Blog Writer

Creates and edits blog content only.

Can do:

  • Create new blog posts
  • Edit own blog posts
  • Upload images to blog
  • Manage own post drafts
  • Publish posts (if permission granted)

Cannot do:

  • Edit other people's posts (by default)
  • Delete published posts
  • Manage blog settings
  • Edit site pages
  • Access analytics
  • Manage apps

When to assign:

  • Content writers
  • Guest bloggers
  • Marketing team members

Customization:

  • Can grant/deny publish permission
  • Can allow editing others' posts

Blog Editor

Full blog management including settings and other writers' posts.

Can do:

  • Create/edit/delete all blog posts
  • Manage blog categories/tags
  • Configure blog settings
  • Manage blog layout
  • Publish/unpublish posts
  • Manage other writers' posts
  • Schedule posts

Cannot do:

  • Edit non-blog site pages
  • Manage apps (except blog-related)
  • Access billing
  • Manage domains

When to assign:

  • Managing editor
  • Content director
  • Blog administrator

Best practice:

  • One Blog Editor per blog
  • Oversees all Blog Writers

Contributor (Custom)

Customizable role with granular permissions.

Available permissions:

Content:

  • Edit specific pages (choose which)
  • Edit all pages
  • Manage media library
  • Manage blog (if enabled)

Apps & Features:

  • Manage specific apps
  • Manage bookings
  • Manage events
  • Manage stores/products

Analytics:

  • View site analytics
  • View marketing analytics

Settings:

  • Manage SEO
  • Manage site settings
  • Manage members

When to assign:

  • Custom access needs
  • Temporary projects
  • Specialized roles (e.g., only manages products)

How to configure:

  1. Invite contributor
  2. Select "Contributor" role
  3. Choose specific permissions
  4. Send invite

Example configurations:

Product Manager:

  • Manage Wix Stores
  • Edit product pages
  • View analytics
  • Edit other pages

SEO Specialist:

  • Manage SEO settings
  • View analytics
  • Edit meta descriptions
  • Edit page content

Designer:

  • Edit all pages
  • Manage media
  • Publish changes (requires approval)
  • View billing

Viewer

Read-only analytics access.

Can do:

  • View site analytics
  • View site performance reports
  • Export analytics data
  • View marketing reports

Cannot do:

  • Edit anything
  • View site in Editor
  • Manage apps
  • Access billing
  • Invite contributors

When to assign:

  • Stakeholders
  • Clients (for reporting)
  • Marketing analysts
  • Executives (reports only)

Best practice:

  • Perfect for "report-only" access
  • No risk of accidental changes

Organization Roles

Organization Owner

Full control over Wix Organization and all sites within it.

Can do:

  • Manage all organization sites
  • Add/remove sites from organization
  • Manage organization billing
  • Invite organization team members
  • Assign roles across sites
  • Transfer organization ownership
  • Delete organization

When to assign:

  • Business owner
  • Agency owner
  • Primary account holder

Important:

  • Only ONE Organization Owner
  • Different from Site Owner

Organization Admin

Manages organization but cannot transfer ownership.

Can do:

  • Add/remove sites
  • Manage team members
  • Assign site access
  • View organization analytics

Cannot do:

  • Transfer organization ownership
  • Delete organization
  • Modify billing (view only)

When to assign:

  • Operations managers
  • Agency administrators

Billing Manager

Manages billing and subscriptions only.

Can do:

  • View all invoices
  • Update payment methods
  • Purchase plans/upgrades
  • Manage subscriptions
  • View billing history

Cannot do:

  • Edit sites
  • Manage contributors
  • Access organization settings (beyond billing)

When to assign:

  • Finance team
  • Accounting department
  • Operations manager

Use case:

  • Separate billing from operational access
  • Compliance with finance policies

Permission Matrix

Permission Owner Admin Blog Editor Blog Writer Site Member Manager Contributor Viewer
Content Editing
Edit all pages Custom
Edit blog posts (own) Custom
Publish changes (blog) Custom Custom
Manage media (blog) (blog) Custom
Site Management
Manage apps Custom
Site settings Custom
SEO settings (blog) Custom
Manage domains
User Management
Add/remove contributors
Manage site members Custom
Transfer ownership
Analytics & Reporting
View analytics Custom
Export data (members) Custom
Billing & Admin
View billing
Change plan
Delete site

Special Permissions

Publishing Restrictions

Some roles can edit but not publish:

How to enable:

  1. Invite contributor
  2. Select appropriate role
  3. Uncheck "Publish changes" permission
  4. Changes require Owner/Admin approval before going live

Use cases:

  • Client approval workflows
  • Quality control
  • Trainee access

Time-Limited Access

Wix doesn't support automatic expiration, but you can:

Workaround:

  1. Set calendar reminder
  2. Review access on specific date
  3. Manually remove when period ends

Best practice:

  • Document access expiration in spreadsheet
  • Monthly access review

Page-Specific Access

Contributors can be limited to specific pages:

How to configure:

  1. Invite Contributor
  2. Select "Contributor" role
  3. Choose "Edit specific pages"
  4. Select which pages they can edit

Use case:

  • Client edits own landing page
  • Department manages own section
  • Freelancer works on specific project

Role Selection Guide

Choose Role Based on Need

User Type Recommended Role Why
Business owner Owner Full control needed
Site manager Admin Daily management, no transfer rights needed
Developer Admin or Contributor (custom) App management + code access
Content writer Blog Writer Content only, no settings
Content manager Blog Editor Oversees writers
Marketing analyst Viewer Reports only
Customer support Site Member Manager Member management only
Client (handoff) Owner Full ownership transfer
Freelancer (temp) Contributor (custom) Limited, specific access
Finance team Billing Manager (if org) Billing only

Changing Roles

How to Change a Contributor's Role

  1. DashboardSettingsRoles & Permissions
  2. Find contributor
  3. Click Options (...)Edit Permissions
  4. Select new role
  5. Save

Note: Changes take effect immediately.

Upgrading/Downgrading Access

Upgrading (e.g., Blog Writer → Blog Editor):

  • No issues, more permissions granted immediately

Downgrading (e.g., Admin → Contributor):

  • Lost access may disrupt their workflow
  • Communicate change beforehand
  • Ensure no active projects are affected

Best Practices

1. Principle of Least Privilege

Give minimum access required:

  • Blog writer doesn't need Admin
  • Analyst doesn't need edit access
  • Developer doesn't need billing access

2. Regular Role Audits

Quarterly review:

  • Is this person still active?
  • Do they still need this access level?
  • Should role be upgraded/downgraded?

3. Role Documentation

Maintain a roles document:

## Role Definitions

### Admin Role
**Who:** Site managers, lead developers
**Access:** Full site editing, app management, contributor management
**Cannot:** Change billing, delete site

### Blog Writer Role
**Who:** Content team, guest writers
**Access:** Create/edit own blog posts
**Cannot:** Publish without approval, edit other pages

4. Separation of Duties

Don't combine incompatible roles:

  • Billing Manager ≠ Content Editor (different people)
  • Owner ≠ temporary contractors

5. Two-Person Rule for Critical Actions

Require two people for:

  • Site ownership transfer
  • Domain changes
  • Billing plan changes
  • Deleting apps with customer data

Troubleshooting Roles

User Can't Access Expected Feature

Solution:

  1. Verify their current role
  2. Check specific permissions (if Contributor)
  3. Upgrade role if appropriate
  4. Or grant specific permission

Too Many Admins

Problem: Security risk if many people have Admin access.

Solution:

  • Review actual needs
  • Downgrade to Contributor with custom permissions
  • Keep 2-3 Admins maximum

User Has Wrong Role

Solution:

  • Edit permissions immediately
  • Communicate change
  • Audit similar users for same issue

Security Implications by Role

Role Security Risk Mitigation
Owner Critical - Full control 2FA required, strong password, limit to 1 person
Admin High - Can add/remove users 2FA recommended, regular audits
Contributor (custom) Medium - Depends on permissions Limit permissions, review regularly
Blog Writer Low - Content only Standard security
Viewer Very Low - Read-only Ensure analytics don't contain sensitive data

Next Steps

Additional Resources