soderlind/vmfa-editorial-workflow

Role-based folder access, move restrictions, and Inbox workflow for Virtual Media Folders.

1.4.0 2026-01-26 09:20 UTC

Requires

• php: >=8.3
• yahnis-elsts/plugin-update-checker: ^5.6

Requires (Dev)

• brain/monkey: ^2.6
• dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer: ^1.0
• phpcompatibility/php-compatibility: ^9.3
• phpunit/phpunit: ^10.5
• wp-coding-standards/wpcs: ^3.0
• yoast/phpunit-polyfills: ^2.0

GPL-2.0-or-later

README

Role-based folder access, move restrictions, and Inbox workflow for Virtual Media Folders.

Description

This add-on extends Virtual Media Folders with enterprise-grade editorial workflow features:

• Per-role folder visibility — Control which folders each role can see
• Move/assignment restrictions — Define who can move media into which folders
• Inbox workflow — Contributors upload to an inbox; editors triage and move onward
• Review workflow — Track items needing review with dedicated admin screen
• Internationalization — Fully translatable with Norwegian Bokmål included

Requirements

• WordPress 6.8+
• PHP 8.3+
• Virtual Media Folders plugin

Installation

1. Download vmfa-editorial-workflow.zip
2. Upload via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
3. Activate via WordPress Admin → Plugins

Plugin updates are handled automatically via GitHub. No need to manually download and install updates.

Configuration

Folder Permissions

Navigate to Media → VMF Settings → Editorial Workflow to configure:

1. Permission Matrix — Set view/move/upload/remove permissions per folder per role
2. Inbox Mapping — Assign default upload folders for each role
3. Approved Folder — Choose which folder approved items are moved to

Supported Roles

The permission settings automatically include all roles that have the upload_files capability — not just Editor and Author. This means custom roles are fully supported:

• Custom roles like "Contributor with upload" or "Shop Manager" will appear automatically
• Any role granted the upload_files capability via plugins (e.g., Members, User Role Editor) will be configurable
• Administrator is excluded from settings as they always have full access to all folders

To add the upload_files capability to a custom role, you can use a role management plugin or run the following WP-CLI command:

# Example: Grant 'upload_files' capability to a custom role
wp role create media_contributor "Media Contributor" --clone=subscriber 
wp cap add media_contributor upload_files

Default Permissions

Out of the box, the plugin applies sensible defaults:

• Editor — Full access to all folders by default (can be restricted via settings)
• Author — No access by default (must be explicitly granted permissions)
• Custom roles — No access by default (must be explicitly granted permissions)

Permission Types

Permission	Description
View	Can see the folder in the sidebar and browse media inside it
Move To	Can drag-and-drop or assign media INTO this folder
Upload To	New uploads from this role can be routed to this folder via Inbox Mapping
Delete	Can delete this folder (system folders are always protected)

Note: Moving media from Folder A to Folder B only requires "Move To" permission on Folder B (and "View" on both). Anyone can remove media to Uncategorized.

Workflow Folders

On activation, the plugin creates protected system folders:

• /Workflow/Needs Review — Items pending editorial review
• /Workflow/Approved — Items that have been approved

These folders cannot be renamed or deleted.

Review Screen

Access Media → Review to:

• View all items needing review
• Bulk approve items (moves to Approved folder)
• Bulk assign items to destination folders
• See notification badge with count of pending items

Development

See docs/development.md for build instructions, testing, hooks reference, and REST API documentation.

License

GPL-2.0-or-later