---
title: "Approve Entries Field Not Showing for Non-Admin Users"
date: 2026-04-23
author: "GravityKit"
link: "https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/approve-entries-field-not-showing-for-non-admin-users/"
---

If the Approve Entries field is visible for Administrators and Editors but not for other user roles (like Authors, Contributors, or Subscribers), the issue is a missing capability.

![Contact list with approval checkmarks and X marks for entries](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/file-9vFSEKROdw.png)

## The Cause

The Approve Entries field requires the `gravityview_moderate_entries` capability to be visible and functional. This capability is only granted to **Editors** and **Administrators** by default.

This means that even if you set the field's visibility to "Any Logged-in User" or "Authors or higher", users without the `gravityview_moderate_entries` capability won't see the field.

## Solutions

### Option 1: Change the User's Role to Editor

The simplest solution is to change the user's role from Author (or lower) to Editor. Editors have the moderation capability by default.

- Go to **Users → All Users**
- Click on the user you want to modify
- Change their **Role** to "Editor"
- Click **Update User**

### Option 2: Add the Capability to the Existing Role

If you need users to remain as Authors (or another role), you can add just the moderation capability using the [Members plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/members/):

- Install and activate the [Members plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/members/)
- Go to **Members → Roles**
- Click on the role you want to modify (e.g., "Author")
- Find and enable the `gravityview_moderate_entries` capability
- Click **Update**

This gives users in that role permission to moderate entries while keeping their other permissions unchanged.

## Common Scenarios

If this was working before and suddenly stopped, here are some common reasons why:

- **Site migration or staging copy** - Custom capabilities don't always transfer between environments
- **Role editor changes** - Some role editor plugins may reset capabilities when modifying a role
- **Custom or membership roles** - Roles created by plugins like MemberPress or WooCommerce Memberships won't have GravityView capabilities by default

Regardless of the cause, the fix is the same: add the `gravityview_moderate_entries` capability to the affected role using the steps above.

## Related Articles

- [GravityView Capabilities](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/roles-and-capabilities/gravityview-capabilities/) - Complete list of GravityView capabilities
- [Creating an Entry Moderator Role](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/edit-entry/how-to-allow-a-user-to-edit-all-entries/) - How to create a custom role for entry moderation
- [Approving or Rejecting Entries](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/entry-approval/approving-or-rejecting-entries-in-gravityview/) - How to use the approval system