Admin, Editor and View only suit most teams, but sometimes you want someone to change some things and not others. A finance clerk should record bank checks and invoices but not change contracts; a requester should raise purchase requests but not edit suppliers. Custom roles let an admin create roles like these by choosing what each one may change.
How custom roles work
- Someone with a custom role sees everything in their areas, like an Editor.
- They can only change what their role allows.
- Some things always work, whatever the role: tasks, the audit trail (their actions are recorded as usual) and their own stakeholder entry, for example to set their own cover while away.
- Admin-only settings stay admin-only. A custom role can't be given admin powers.
- Admin, Editor, View only and Auditor work exactly as before.
What a role can allow
| Permission | What it lets people change |
|---|---|
| Suppliers | Add and change suppliers, their documents, checks, contracts, category plans and savings. |
| Payments | Invoices, payments and bank detail changes. On a supplier, only its payment details. |
| Purchase requests | Raise them and sign them off. |
| Sourcing | Run sourcing and tenders. |
| Stakeholders | Add and change people on the Stakeholders page. |
| Set-up | Teams, areas and document templates. |
Uploading or linking documents works for anyone whose role includes Suppliers, Payments, Purchase requests or Sourcing.
How to create a role
- Open the account button (top right) › Organisation and scroll to Custom roles. Only admins see it.
- Select Add a role.
- Enter a Role name, such as "Finance" (up to 60 characters).
- Under This role can change:, tick the permissions.
- Select Save role. You'll see "Role "Finance" saved. Give it to people in the Team tab."
Each role is listed with its permissions and how many people have it. A role with nothing ticked shows "Can't change anything except tasks and their own entry". Use Edit to change a role (it applies to everyone who has it straight away) and Delete, then click again, to remove it. You can have up to 20 custom roles.
Giving someone a custom role
- Existing members: on the Team tab, open the role drop-down next to their name. Your roles are listed under Your roles. You'll see "Role updated".
- New colleagues: under Invite a colleague, choose the role from Your roles in the role list before you select Invite. They get it when they join.
The Team tab and the "Waiting to join" list show the role's name. People with a custom role see it at the top of the account panel ("Signed in as … · Finance").
Example roles
| Role | Permissions | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | Payments, Purchase requests | Accounts payable: penny tests, call-backs, bank changes, invoices and finance sign-offs. |
| Requester | Purchase requests | Staff who only ask to buy things and track their requests. |
| Buyer | Suppliers, Sourcing, Purchase requests | Procurement staff who run tenders and onboard suppliers, but don't touch payments. |
| Contract manager | Suppliers | People who look after contracts, renewals and documents. |
When something isn't allowed
If someone tries to change something their role doesn't allow, nothing is saved and they see, for example, "Your role (Requester) can't change suppliers. Ask an admin if you need to." The database checks the same rules, so they can't be got round.
Good to know
- Budget holders and anyone who signs off purchase requests need Purchase requests in their role, or their sign-off can't be saved.
- A custom role is a limited Editor. If you change someone to Admin, Editor, View only or Auditor, the custom role no longer applies.
- You can't delete a role while anyone has it, including invitations not yet accepted: "Someone still has this role. Give them another role first."
- Custom roles don't limit which suppliers people see. To do that, use access by area or Teams. See Invite your team and set roles.
- Teams decide what people see (their areas and modules); custom roles decide what they can change. You can use both.
- Custom roles are included in every plan.
Related
- Invite your team and set roles
- Account, team and security
- Approval limits and separation of duties
- Settings