---
title: How to Control Who Can Export Your Store Data
description: Control which WordPress users can export your WooCommerce store data with the User Capability option.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/restrict-export-user-capability/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# How to Control Who Can Export Your Store Data

To control who can export store data in Export Products, Orders & Customers for WooCommerce, go to WPFactory > Export > General and set User Capability to the WordPress capability a user needs. The default, manage_options, allows administrators only; manage_woocommerce adds shop managers. Never leave the field blank. The option is free.

### Set the User Capability

1. Go to **WPFactory > Export > General** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Export**).
2. Find **User Capability** (`alg_export_csv_xml_user_capability`).
3. Enter the WordPress capability a user must have to export.
4. Click **Save changes**.

### Common values

| Value | Who can export |
| --- | --- |
| `manage_options` (default) | Administrators only. |
| `manage_woocommerce` | Administrators and shop managers. |

**Security warning:** the option allows a blank value, which removes the capability check entirely. With it blank, anyone (including logged-out visitors) could trigger an export URL and download your data. Always keep a capability set. `manage_woocommerce` is the lowest value we recommend.

### How the check works

The export download endpoints check the current user against this capability before streaming a file. Set it to the least-privileged role that genuinely needs exports, and no lower.

### Applies to every tool

User Capability governs all five export tools (Products, Orders, Order Items, Customers, Customers from Orders) and both CSV and XML output. It is a free option.

### Need a hand?

User Capability is free in [Export Products, Orders & Customers for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/export-woocommerce/). Our team answers every ticket on the [Export WooCommerce support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/export-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [How to Export Your Store Data to XML](https://wpfactory.com/docs/export-woocommerce-xml/)
- [How to Export WooCommerce Order Data](https://wpfactory.com/docs/order-data-export/)
- [How to Run an Export from the Export Dashboard](https://wpfactory.com/docs/export-dashboard-date-ranges/)
- [How to Add Custom Meta Field Columns to Your Export](https://wpfactory.com/docs/add-custom-meta-fields-export/)
- [How to Export WooCommerce Products, Orders, and Customers](https://wpfactory.com/docs/export-products-orders-customers/)