Roles & Capabilities

VetCarePress introduces a custom WordPress role and 12 granular capabilities to control access to every area of the plugin. This system integrates with WordPress’s native role and capability architecture, making it compatible with third-party role management plugins.

Custom Role: `vcp_staff`

The vcp_staff role is created automatically when VetCarePress is activated. It is designed for veterinary clinic employees who need access to the Staff Dashboard and patient management features without requiring full WordPress administrator privileges.

Staff users receive all VetCarePress capabilities except vcp_manage_settings, which is reserved for administrators.

Capability Reference

The following 12 capabilities control access to specific plugin features:

Capability	Description
`vcp_manage_customers`	Create, edit, delete customer records
`vcp_manage_patients`	Create, edit patients. Core capability for Staff Dashboard access
`vcp_manage_clinical_notes`	Add/edit clinical note records
`vcp_manage_diagnoses`	Add/edit diagnosis records
`vcp_manage_imaging`	Upload/manage medical imaging
`vcp_manage_laboratory`	Add lab results
`vcp_manage_treatments`	Manage treatment records
`vcp_manage_notifications`	Send notifications, view notification log
`vcp_manage_settings`	Access plugin settings (administrators only, NOT granted to staff)
`vcp_upload_files`	Upload files to records
`vcp_view_reports`	View medical records and reports
`vcp_manage_share_tokens`	Generate and revoke share links

Capability Assignment by Role

Role	Capabilities Granted
`vcp_staff`	All 12 capabilities except `vcp_manage_settings`
`administrator`	All 12 capabilities

The Administrator role automatically receives every VetCarePress capability on plugin activation, including vcp_manage_settings.

Assigning the Staff Role

Navigate to WP-Admin > Users > All Users.
Click Edit on the user you want to assign.
In the Role dropdown, select Staff.
Click Update User.

The user will immediately gain access to the Staff Dashboard and all staff-level features.

Staff Dashboard Access Requirement

The Staff Dashboard requires the vcp_manage_patients capability. Users who lack this capability will see an access denied message when attempting to load the dashboard. This is the minimum capability needed for any meaningful interaction with VetCarePress clinical features.

Customizing Capabilities

Capabilities can be added to or removed from any role using WordPress role management plugins such as User Role Editor. This allows you to create custom permission schemes. For example:

A receptionist role with only vcp_manage_customers and vcp_manage_patients.
A lab technician role with vcp_manage_patients and vcp_manage_laboratory.
A veterinarian role with all clinical capabilities but not vcp_manage_notifications.

When customizing capabilities, always ensure that vcp_manage_patients is included for any role that needs Staff Dashboard access.

See also: Developer Reference, REST API, FAQ

Roles & Capabilities