Problem with users creating unwanted posts. GD V1

We have moved to a support ticketing system and our forums are now closed.

Open Support Ticket

Tagged: posts, users

Author

Posts
July 10, 2019 at 2:32 am #496889

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

I have my new user roles set to ‘author’ as recommended by GD, V1 set up so they can posts places and events. However I have recently had 2 new users post spam on my site, (not places or events). I have posts set to category of ‘news’. I can’t see how to stop them doing this without my approval or permission. I didn’t know anyone could do this or how they access creating a new post. I don’t allow access to admin area.

(This site has been going a long time since GT.)

I would be grateful for some advice. Am I overlooking something obvious? I have searched and can’t find a solution. I just deleted these users and posts. I would like to know how they did it.
Thanks,
Sue

July 10, 2019 at 6:18 am #496908

Kor
Moderator

Post count: 16516

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your post. An author can create posts but they shouldn’t have the privilege to post it. Could you double check the user roles?

July 10, 2019 at 7:00 am #496921

Alex Rollin
Moderator

Post count: 27815

You can set the new registration role to subscriber.

You can use the options in the general settings to keep subscribers and other roles out of the backend. If they cannot access the backend they cannot add a new post with the backend editor.

WP Backend – Settings – General – Roles to exclude from dashboard access

July 10, 2019 at 10:46 am #496944

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

Thanks Alex and Kor. I have now set new registration to subscriber. Can you tell me if these options, subscriber and contributor, are more recent and weren’t there years ago? I don’t recall the options but set them to author as recommended. (I had better check my other sites too.)

Yes, Kor, I was puzzled about their permission to post.

Alex – I cannot find ‘Roles to exclude from dashboard access’ in general WP settings. Where are the user roles?

Also does this mean all my registered users can see everything in the backend, (or just their own listings) and should I go through and change all to subscriber? This would be a huge task obviously.

Thanks,
Sue

July 10, 2019 at 3:21 pm #496987

Alex Rollin
Moderator

Post count: 27815

The option is shown here: “Restrict wp admin”
https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs-v2/geodirectory/settings/general/

July 10, 2019 at 4:42 pm #497001

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

Thanks.

a) I’ve taken a look but I can’t see these advanced options in my GD settings as depicted in this document. Compare attachments.

b) If I make users subscribers will they still be able to own their listings as I have always set them as authors because it was in the instructions to do so in the past?

July 10, 2019 at 5:09 pm #497007

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

PS I’ve checked UsersWP too and am on GD V1. I really can’t see these settings. I’ve had a further look in the docs generally but it’s not helped so far.
Thanks,
Sue

July 10, 2019 at 5:52 pm #497023

Alex Rollin
Moderator

Post count: 27815

I’m sorry, I really misunderstood.

The setting you want is shown in attached screenshot, set that to no. You can then downgrade other users with contributor role to author if you like. Subscribers cannot own listings, only authors.

July 10, 2019 at 7:46 pm #497044

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

Hi Alex,
a) I already had that set to ‘no’! That is why I am surprised they managed to create posts under ‘news’. Please read back again and maybe you can suggest something. I have sucuri on my site and the usual spam protection.

b) I have reset my new users to author as they were. I have no contributors, only I create news posts as admin.
All the best,
Sue

July 10, 2019 at 7:57 pm #497046

Kor
Moderator

Post count: 16516

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your reply. To clarify, are you trying to allow your users to post “Posts” and add “GD listings”? Or only “GD Listings”?

Thanks!

July 10, 2019 at 9:27 pm #497056

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

No, this site has been going since 2012. It was my first with Stiofan’s theme. I have had users register and post events and places from GT through to GD. No problems until now. I set user role to author as was always instructed in GT and GD set up. I never had a reason to change that.

Recently a new user made an unpleasant post which went to ‘news’ as that is where posts go. I didn’t know anyone other than myself could do that. It’s happened twice. I don’t know how this happened. I would like to stop it happening again.

I only want users to add listings. I don’t want them to be able to create and publish a post in the category news.

Thanks,
Sue

July 11, 2019 at 8:04 pm #497217

Kor
Moderator

Post count: 16516

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your reply. Try installing this plugin for more control on user roles https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-role-editor/ . Let us know if it helps.

July 12, 2019 at 2:21 pm #497378

Sue
Full Member

Post count: 115

Thanks very much, I will. I’ve downloaded it. I’ll have a look at how it works. I’m still puzzled how they managed to do this though. I need to know!

I’m going to log in as a new user and see what I can do myself and how they might have got in and round the settings.
Sue
Author

Posts