Subscribers vs Users

No, Subscribers can’t actually do anything besides update their profile unless you actually add a plugin that makes use of that role: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Roles_and_Capabilities#Capability_vs._Role_Table

In the early days, the WordPress developers were thinking of adding a subscriptions system to WordPress, but in the end decided to leave that up to plugins. What they did do was implement the Subscriber role that subscription plugins could use the WordPress users system if they didn’t want to build their own users subscription system. To date, IIRC, only one subscription plugin (out of about twenty) uses the WordPress users system.

So, unless you’ve added a plugin that makes use of the Subscriber role, you have 1,255 people who can only log in and edit their profile.

The only other thing this is used for by WordPress is the setting at Settings -> Discussion, “Users must be registered and logged in to comment.”

If you aren’t using a plugin that uses the Subscriber role, and you aren’t requiring commenters to be logged in, I recommend unchecking “Anyone can register” at Settings -> General and just deleting the users with the Subscriber role, as most are probably just added by bots anyway (registration spam is almost as common as comment spam).

Hi James
Many Thanks for your detailed explanation – that sorts out any confusion or misconceptions that I had regards Subscribers and updates. It is not very clear on any WordPress documents nor Forums so I hope this helps others answer their questions too.

So to follow on from your answers above – what is the one subscription plugin that uses the WordPress users system as I would like to stick with the WordPress system as much as possible?

Many Thanks
Steve

Just to clarify – my main aim is that when I make a Post in WordPress I want it to be sent out to all my 1,255 subscribers that I have already registered to my site.

Well, as “luck” would have it, I can’t find it. ??

Subscribe2 was its name, it was one of the first email subscription plugins, and still actively developed, or so I thought. It’s been removed from the official plugin directory for whatever reason, so I don’t recommend seeking it out elsewhere.

https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/email-subscribers/ doesn’t use WordPress’s Users system, but it can import subscribers from it, so you could run the importer, then just delete their user accounts.

Hi James
Thanks for the suggestion. Found Subscribe2 already by chance and it has been sold to a development house who now sell on your email list – probably why WordPress is not happy to recommend it.

Regards the email-subscribers link by Gopiplus on looking at reviews there are some concerns about SQL Injection attack on the forum along with a few other problems of concern.

So if there isn’t a direct plugin that uses wordpress email subscription – which is a huge shame for simplicity! Then it seems a clunky / bulky email subscription plugin with full features and to import my users subscription list is the only way to go?

Well, to be honest, I’m willing to bet that the largest portion of those 1,255 “subscribers” are just spam registrations.

Registration spam is just as common as comment spam these days. WordPress powers 25% of the known websites now, so that registration link is pretty common, easy to target if you don’t have it switched off at Settings -> General.

Plus, it’s not like you were prompting them to subscribe anyway.

What I mean by all this is, I’d recommend just deleting all of them and starting with a subscriptions plugin you like. Don’t make sacrifices to import them, as the majority probably aren’t real, and I doubt any of them intended to subscribe in the first place.

I am sure some of these are spam! However we do post aggressively on Facebook and G+ etc. and other car technical forums so we would expect a good number of followers. But recently we have noticed bunches of registrations landing at the same time 6, 7 or even 10 that are all “.ru” we have been deleting these as we don’t sell or deal with Russia and guessed these were spam registrations.

I have had alook around and seen that “Mail Poet” seems to be the next best WordPress plug in that can utilise the existing User lists and database from WordPress without any export or import! An important feature for me as I want to stay within the WordPress framework as much as possible if I can – without copying and duplicating work and lists to a 3rd party plugin

So I am going to try MailPoet and see how this gets us going?

Thanks for your help and guidance/direction and I hope this post on the forum gives some answers and clarity to the questions of “How do you send a blog post or page to the WordPress users & subscribers lists”

Now we have the answers.

Many Thanks. Steve. Woodypeck.com

Excellent, I didn’t know MailPoet did that, but I’ve heard good things about it. ??

Seems to do exactly what I need it to so I have already downloaded the plugin and will do some learning tonight. Have checked the screens out and you choose a tick box to use wordpress users/subscribers lists or your Mailpoet subscribers. seems simple?

From the MailPoet press blurb……
?Send your latest posts automatically
?Autoresponders, i.e. “Send email 3 days after someone subscribes”
?Send emails to your WordPress users
?Start collecting subscribers in 2-clicks with our sign up widget
?Single or double opt-in, your choice
?Import subscribers in 2 steps
?Get stats for your newsletter: opens, clicks, unsubscribes
?Drag and drop subscription form designer
?Your newsletters look the same in Gmail, iPhone, Android, Outlook, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.
?Send with your web host, Gmail, any SMTP, like SendGrid, Amazon SES Mandrill, etc…
?Segment your lists based on unopened, opened and clicked

Excellent, looks like exactly what you need. ??