Roles should be able to be renamed

[wp-user-manager]

https://wordpress.org/support/topic/latest-version-bugs-and-feature-request/

We should allow renaming of a roles (system and user created roles).

[polevaultweb]

🔍 Issue Triage

Type: enhancement
Complexity: medium
RICE Score: 18 — Reach: 500 × Impact: 1 × Confidence: 80% / Effort: 2pw

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Problem

Site admins need to rename role display labels (e.g., "Administrator" → "Super Admin", "Subscriber" → "Member") without changing the underlying role slug. This is especially important for:

1. Custom roles created via WPUM — Users can create roles but cannot edit the display name afterward
2. WordPress default roles — Admins want to customize display names for branding/clarity without breaking integrations that rely on the role slug

Context from WordPress.org support: User @alriksson requested this in July 2023. Support confirmed it would be added to the roadmap. The issue is still open 2.5 years later.

Current workaround: Editing the role label requires direct database manipulation (wp_options → wp_user_roles serialized array), which is error-prone and not accessible to non-technical admins.

Proposed Solution

Add an "Edit" action to the WPUM Roles Editor that allows changing the role's display label while keeping the slug immutable:

1. For custom roles: Full rename capability (both display name and slug are user-controlled)
2. For system roles: Display name only (slug remains administrator, editor, etc., to preserve compatibility)
3. UI: Add "Rename" button in the roles editor table/modal
4. Validation: Prevent duplicate display names, enforce non-empty labels
5. API: Use $wp_roles->roles[$role_slug]['name'] = $new_label; update_option('wp_user_roles', $wp_roles->roles);

Acceptance Criteria

• GIVEN a custom role created via WPUM, WHEN an admin clicks "Edit" on the role, THEN they can change the display name and save
• GIVEN a WordPress system role (administrator, editor, author, contributor, subscriber), WHEN an admin edits it, THEN they can change the display name but the slug remains unchanged
• GIVEN a role is renamed, WHEN it appears in dropdowns (registration forms, user tables), THEN the new name is displayed
• GIVEN a role is renamed, WHEN capabilities are checked or assigned, THEN the underlying slug still works correctly
• GIVEN two roles exist, WHEN an admin tries to rename one to match the other's display name, THEN validation prevents the duplicate

Technical Notes

• Files involved:
  • Modified: includes/roles/class-wpum-roles-editor.php (add update_role() method, AJAX handler wp_ajax_wpum_rename_role)
  • Modified: assets/js/admin/roles-editor.js (add "Rename" UI and AJAX call)
  • Modified: includes/roles/functions.php (add wpum_rename_role($role_slug, $new_label) helper)
• Dependencies: None — uses native WP $wp_roles API
• Sensitive areas: Role slug immutability for system roles is critical. Changing slugs would break capability checks and user assignments. Only display labels should be editable.
• Estimated effort: 2 weeks — Backend logic is straightforward (update the name key in the role definition). Main work is UI/UX for the editor modal, validation, and ensuring the roles editor Vue.js component refreshes correctly. Testing required for default roles, custom roles, and registration form dropdowns.

Related Issues

• None found in search

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Backlog summary: [RICE: 18] [Type: enhancement] [Effort: M] — Allow renaming role display labels in roles editor