Users and Roles
Buildocs uses a four-level role system. Every user in a tenant has exactly one role, and that role determines what they can see and do across all projects.
Role hierarchy
Roles are ranked from highest to lowest. A higher role always includes everything a lower role can do.
| Role | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | 4 | Full control; can manage users and billing |
| Project Manager | 3 | Can manage projects, forms, and users |
| Member | 2 | Can create and edit forms in assigned projects |
| Viewer | 1 | Read-only access to assigned projects |
Project access
Roles also determine how a user gains access to projects:
- Admin, Project Manager — automatically have access to every project in the tenant. No explicit assignment is needed.
- Member, Viewer — can only access projects they have been explicitly assigned to. Access is granted at invite time or can be updated later.
What each role can do
Admin
- Everything a Project Manager can do
- Can delete users
- Can transfer projects to other tenants
- Can assign any role to other users
- At least two Admins must exist in a tenant at all times — the system prevents removing the Admin role if only two remain
Project Manager
- Can create and delete projects
- Can invite new users and assign them Member or Viewer roles
- Can update user roles (Member and Viewer only — cannot promote to Admin)
- Can manage form translations (initialize, sync, auto-translate, edit entries)
- Can restore form revisions
- Can access all projects automatically
Member
- Can create, edit, and delete forms within their assigned projects
- Can view project details and submissions
- Cannot manage users or create projects
Viewer
- Read-only access to assigned projects
- Can view forms, projects, and submissions
- Cannot create, edit, or delete anything
Permissions summary
| Action | Admin | PM | Member | Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invite users | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Delete users | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Assign Admin role | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Assign Project Manager role | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Assign Member / Viewer role | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Create projects | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Access all projects | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Create / edit / delete forms | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| View forms and submissions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manage translations | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Restore form revisions | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Transfer projects | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Edit own profile | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Inviting users
Only Project Managers and above can invite new users. To invite someone:
- Go to Users in the tenant navigation
- Click Invite User
- Fill in the user's name, email, and select a role
- For Member or Viewer roles, select which projects they should have access to
- Click Send Invitation
The invited user receives an email with a link to confirm their account and set a password.
Admin accounts have access to all projects automatically — the project selection step only applies to Member and Viewer invitations.
Updating roles and project access
Project Managers and above can update existing users' roles and project assignments from the Users page. Select any user and edit their role or project list. The change takes effect immediately.
A Project Manager cannot promote a user to Admin — that requires an existing Admin.
Self-service profile
Every user regardless of role can update their own name, phone number, timezone, and password from the profile settings page. Users cannot change their own role.