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WordPress Error Cases

Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page.

“Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page.” in WordPress: causes and what to check

Updated 2026-10-31

WordPress shows this message when the logged-in account lacks the capability a screen requires. When an administrator sees it on every admin screen, the role data in the database is usually damaged or no longer matches the table prefix.

Which of these matches what you see?

The administrator role has lost its capabilities. The role list is stored in the wp_user_roles option, and each account’s role in the wp_capabilities user meta key; when either is damaged or empty, WordPress treats the account as having no rights.

Those option and user meta keys include the table prefix. When wp-config.php sets a new prefix and the keys keep the old one, WordPress finds no role for any account.

That screen requires a capability the role does not have, or a plugin registered the page with a capability no role holds. The plugin’s settings show which roles can open it.

Common causes

Damaged role data: The serialized value in the wp_user_roles option is cut off or was edited outside WordPress.
Table prefix mismatch: wp-config.php uses a prefix that differs from the one in the option and user meta keys.
A role editor plugin: A plugin removed capabilities from the administrator role or deleted the role.
A membership or security plugin: A plugin filters capabilities and blocks the screen for some accounts.

References

  1. Roles and Capabilities (WordPress.org Documentation)

What the system does

A corrupted roles table is within scope. This item changes site data directly: when the health check finds it, it is included in the quote, and before paying the recovery fee you confirm it by ticking it in the Recovery Authorization Consent Form. Fixes are made on a copy of your site in the recovery station and written back only after re-verification passes. In your site’s database, the protected tables (members, comments, orders and form submissions) are copied as structure only. In SSH and FTP mode, the system creates a pre-recovery backup on your host before writing back and restores from it if verification after write-back fails. If the recovery cannot be completed, the recovery fee is refunded in full.

  1. Initial assessment: Enter the site URL
  2. Copy to the recovery station: Work runs on the copy
  3. Find the cause: Item-by-item checks
  4. Recover and re-check: Home and inner pages
  5. Write back or deliver: Only after re-checks pass

Use WP119 when every admin screen shows this message and the Users screen cannot be opened to check roles.

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