Role Hierarchy
Trilo has two levels of roles:- Workspace roles: Control access across the entire workspace
- Project roles: Control access within specific projects
Workspace Roles
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Owner | Full control including billing and deletion |
| Admin | Manage members, settings, and all content |
| Member | Create and edit in accessible projects |
| Guest | Limited access to specific projects only |
Project Roles
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Admin | Full control over the project |
| Editor | Create and edit content |
| Viewer | View-only access |
Workspace Roles in Detail
Owner
The workspace owner has complete control: Can do everything, plus:- Access and modify billing
- Delete the workspace
- Transfer ownership
- View all analytics
- Every workspace has exactly one owner
- Ownership can be transferred to another Admin
- Usually the person who created the workspace
Admin
Administrators manage the workspace day-to-day: Can:- Invite and remove members
- Change member roles (except owner)
- Access all projects
- Modify workspace settings
- Create and archive areas and projects
- View workspace analytics
- Access billing (unless also owner)
- Delete the workspace
- Change the owner
Member
Regular team members who do the work: Can:- Access projects they’re added to
- Create and edit content in their projects
- Participate in chat
- Manage their own tasks
- Update their profile
- Access workspace settings
- Invite new members
- See projects they’re not part of
- Change other members’ roles
Guest
External collaborators with limited access: Can:- Access specific projects they’re invited to
- View and interact with allowed content
- Participate in project chat
- Be assigned tasks (if permitted)
- See other projects
- View workspace members list
- Access any settings
- Invite others
- See workspace structure outside their projects
Project Roles in Detail
Project Admin
Full control within a specific project: Can:- Manage project settings
- Add/remove project members
- Change project member roles
- Delete the project
- All Editor capabilities
Editor
Content creators and collaborators: Can:- Create and edit all content types
- Manage tasks (create, edit, assign)
- Upload resources
- Participate in chat
- Edit pages, spreadsheets, boards
Viewer
Read-only access: Can:- View all project content
- Read chat messages
- See task lists
- Edit any content
- Create tasks
- Send messages (in some configurations)
- Upload files
Permission Matrix
Workspace-Level Permissions
| Action | Owner | Admin | Member | Guest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View workspace settings | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Modify workspace settings | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Manage billing | Yes | No | No | No |
| Invite members | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Remove members | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Create areas | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Create projects | Yes | Yes | Limited | No |
| Access all projects | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Delete workspace | Yes | No | No | No |
Project-Level Permissions
| Action | Project Admin | Editor | Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| View project | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manage project settings | Yes | No | No |
| Add/remove members | Yes | No | No |
| Create tasks | Yes | Yes | No |
| Edit tasks | Yes | Yes | No |
| Create resources | Yes | Yes | No |
| Edit resources | Yes | Yes | No |
| Send messages | Yes | Yes | Varies |
| Delete project | Yes | No | No |
Managing Roles
Changing Workspace Roles
1
Go to Settings
Navigate to Settings > Members.
2
Find the member
Locate the person whose role you want to change.
3
Click the role
Click on their current role.
4
Select new role
Choose the new role from the dropdown.
5
Confirm
Changes take effect immediately.
- Owners can change any role
- Admins can change Member and Guest roles
- No one can change their own role to a higher level
Changing Project Roles
1
Go to project settings
Open the project and navigate to settings.
2
Select Members
Go to the Members section.
3
Find the member
Locate the person in the member list.
4
Change role
Select their new project role.
Role Strategies
Small Teams (2-10 people)
- Owner: Founder or team lead
- Admins: 1-2 key team members
- Members: Everyone else
Growing Teams (10-50 people)
- Owner: CEO or department head
- Admins: Team leads, department managers
- Members: Regular employees
- Guests: Contractors, external partners
Enterprise (50+ people)
- Owner: IT administrator or executive
- Admins: Department heads, team leads
- Members: Most employees
- Guests: External collaborators, clients
- Limiting Admin count
- Using Guests more liberally for external access
- Project-level permissions for fine-grained control
Best Practices
Start with minimal access
Start with minimal access
Give people the minimum permissions they need. It’s easier to grant more access than to restrict it later.
Limit Admin count
Limit Admin count
Too many admins can lead to inconsistent settings and confusion. Keep Admin count low.
Use Guests for external people
Use Guests for external people
Always use Guest role for people outside your organization. This protects sensitive information.
Review permissions regularly
Review permissions regularly
Audit who has access periodically. Remove access for people who no longer need it.
Document your permission structure
Document your permission structure
Write down who gets what role and why. This helps with consistency as your team grows.
Special Cases
Transferring Ownership
To transfer workspace ownership:- Both parties must have accounts
- Current owner initiates transfer
- New owner accepts
- Old owner becomes Admin
Temporary Elevated Access
When someone needs temporary higher access:- Elevate their role as needed
- Set a reminder to review
- Reduce role when no longer needed
Emergency Access
If the owner is unavailable:- Admins can handle most operations
- Contact Trilo support for ownership issues
- Have a backup plan for critical access
Troubleshooting
Member can't access a project
Member can't access a project
- Check if they’re added to the project
- Verify their project role allows access
- Ensure the project isn’t archived
Can't change someone's role
Can't change someone's role
- Verify you have permission (Admin+ to change roles)
- You can’t elevate someone above your own level
- Owners can only be changed through ownership transfer
Guest can see too much
Guest can see too much
- Review which projects they’re added to
- Check project-level permissions
- Remove from projects they shouldn’t access
Member should be Admin
Member should be Admin
- Only Owner or Admin can promote to Admin
- Go to Settings > Members
- Change their workspace role