> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trilo.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Roles and Permissions

> Understand access control and what each role can do in Trilo

Roles and permissions control what people can see and do in your workspace. Understanding these helps you set up appropriate access for everyone on your team.

## Role Hierarchy

Trilo has two levels of roles:

1. **Workspace roles**: Control access across the entire workspace
2. **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

**Notes:**

* 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

**Cannot:**

* 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

**Cannot:**

* 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)

**Cannot:**

* 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

**Cannot:**

* 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Settings">
    Navigate to **Settings > Members**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the member">
    Locate the person whose role you want to change.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the role">
    Click on their current role.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select new role">
    Choose the new role from the dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Changes take effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Who can change roles:**

* 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to project settings">
    Open the project and navigate to settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Members">
    Go to the Members section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the member">
    Locate the person in the member list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change role">
    Select their new project role.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Role Strategies

### Small Teams (2-10 people)

* **Owner**: Founder or team lead
* **Admins**: 1-2 key team members
* **Members**: Everyone else

Keep it simple—most people can be Members.

### Growing Teams (10-50 people)

* **Owner**: CEO or department head
* **Admins**: Team leads, department managers
* **Members**: Regular employees
* **Guests**: Contractors, external partners

Use project roles to give specific people more control in their areas.

### Enterprise (50+ people)

* **Owner**: IT administrator or executive
* **Admins**: Department heads, team leads
* **Members**: Most employees
* **Guests**: External collaborators, clients

Use detailed project permissions and consider:

* Limiting Admin count
* Using Guests more liberally for external access
* Project-level permissions for fine-grained control

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Start with minimal access">
    Give people the minimum permissions they need. It's easier to grant more access than to restrict it later.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Limit Admin count">
    Too many admins can lead to inconsistent settings and confusion. Keep Admin count low.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use Guests for external people">
    Always use Guest role for people outside your organization. This protects sensitive information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Review permissions regularly">
    Audit who has access periodically. Remove access for people who no longer need it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Document your permission structure">
    Write down who gets what role and why. This helps with consistency as your team grows.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Special Cases

### Transferring Ownership

To transfer workspace ownership:

1. Both parties must have accounts
2. Current owner initiates transfer
3. New owner accepts
4. Old owner becomes Admin

### Temporary Elevated Access

When someone needs temporary higher access:

1. Elevate their role as needed
2. Set a reminder to review
3. 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

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Guest can see too much">
    * Review which projects they're added to
    * Check project-level permissions
    * Remove from projects they shouldn't access
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Member should be Admin">
    * Only Owner or Admin can promote to Admin
    * Go to Settings > Members
    * Change their workspace role
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Inviting Members" icon="user-plus" href="/collaboration/inviting-members">
    Add people to your workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Real-time Collaboration" icon="users" href="/collaboration/real-time-collaboration">
    Learn about working together.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>