A WordPress User Profile is the information users wish to show along with their name when commenting on a WordPress.com site. User Profiles are flexible and can be edited or updated in the “Profile” tab on the admin page’s sidebar.
Benefits of a User Profile
The only information WordPress only requires in a user profile is a nickname and email address. Users can provide supplementary details about themselves which theme developers can then use to display their bio and links on the site’s front-end. User passwords can also be changed from the Profile screen.
Developers can create dynamic profiles for users by adding fields such as their address, email preference, twitter field, or whatever else they like. Furthermore, given the flexibility of a user profile and user role, with plugins, one can even create a WordPress forum.
Developers can also use WordPress as a membership website where admins may not want users to be able to log in to the admin area. In such cases, there are plugins that permit site owners to grant users the ability to edit and view their profiles from the site’s front-end. Of note, site users assigned by the site owner with a subscriber role can only manage their profile.
