Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
If you encounter issues while using the [user_role] shortcode, please refer to the common solutions below.
Shortcode appears as plain text
If you see the literal text [user_role] on your page instead of a user role, it means WordPress is not processing the shortcode.
- Check
functions.php: Ensure you have successfully pasted the code fromapp.phpinto your active theme'sfunctions.phpfile. - PHP Opening Tags: Verify that the code is placed after the opening
<?phptag. If you pasted it at the very end of the file, ensure it isn't accidentally placed after a closing?>tag. - Theme Activation: Confirm that you are editing the
functions.phpfile of the active theme (or child theme). Changes to inactive themes will not take effect.
No role is displayed (Empty space)
If the shortcode renders nothing (an empty string), this is usually intentional behavior based on the user's session.
- Logged-out Users: By default, WordPress does not assign a "role" to anonymous visitors. If you are viewing the page in an Incognito window or while logged out, the shortcode will return an empty value.
- User Without Roles: In rare configurations, a user might exist without a specific role assigned. Ensure the user you are testing with has a role assigned in the Users section of the WordPress Dashboard.
Role name is in technical format (e.g., "administrator")
The shortcode retrieves the internal slug of the WordPress role.
- Expected Behavior: The output will typically be the lowercase slug (e.g.,
administrator,editor,author,subscriber). - Formatting: If you wish to capitalize or style the output, you can wrap the shortcode in HTML tags within your editor:
<span style="text-transform: capitalize;">[user_role]</span>
Site generates a "Critical Error" after installation
This usually happens due to a copy-paste error resulting in a PHP syntax mismatch.
- Remove the snippet: Use FTP or your hosting File Manager to remove the code from
functions.phpto restore site access. - Check for duplicates: Ensure you didn't accidentally copy the
<?phptag into a file that already has one at the top. - Re-copy: Ensure you have copied the entire contents of
app.phpwithout missing any brackets{}or semicolons;.
Changes are not appearing (Caching)
If you have recently changed a user's role but the frontend still shows the old one:
- Object Caching: If you use plugins like W3 Total Cache or WP Rocket, clear the "Object Cache" or "Page Cache."
- Browser Cache: Hard refresh your browser (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R).