Summary: This guide will help you understand the strategy behind setting up Users & Roles. There are many ways to invite users to your database, but we highly recommend using a phased approach to keep things organized and secure.
Before You Begin
Unique Email Addresses: All users in the system must have a unique email address. You cannot assign the same email address to multiple different users or spouses.
How to Add a User: For all the stages below, the steps to actually invite the user are exactly the same: Go to Account Settings (⚙️) > Users & Roles > Users > Add New User.
The Four Stages of Rollout
It is helpful to think of your rollout in four distinct stages to avoid overwhelming yourself or your congregation.
Stage One (Now): Invite Secondary Admins
Determine another person (or two!) that will help you set up and organize your database from the very beginning.
Recommended Role: Assign them to the Admin (Full Access) role so they have the permissions needed to help you build out your account.
Stage Two (After Data is Moved): Invite Staff Users
Once your data is migrated and organized, it's time to bring in your staff. By default, your account provides several built-in roles that are perfect for staff members:
| Default Role | What They Can Access |
|---|---|
| Admin (Full Access) | Full access to everything in your account (including financial contributions). |
| Standard (Default Permissions) | People: View/edit all fields & use communication tools. Tags: View/edit/create tags and assign people. Events: View/edit/create events, volunteer management, and check-in. Follow Ups: View and assign. Forms: View, edit, create, and delete. History: View pages visited and messages sent. (Note: No financial access). |
| Limited (View People Only) | People: View all profile fields and notes, and use the Email/Export tools for that information. |
Best Practices for Customizing Staff Roles:
While the default roles are a great starting point, you may want more granular control. If you create custom roles, keep these guidelines in mind:
Keep it Broad: Aim to have very few roles assigned to only one user. Administrative upkeep on hyper-granular permissions becomes overwhelming fast. Instead, create roles that cover entire departments (e.g., "Financial Team", "Secretarial", "Standard+").
Start Generic: As you customize Profile Fields, Tags, and Forms, you'll likely want to restrict access to certain sensitive areas. However, starting with "Access All" in these areas gives you the flexibility to get your staff onboarded quickly. You can update and restrict permissions later once your custom fields are fully built!
Here is an example of All Access:
Stage Three (As Needs Arise): Invite Volunteer Users
Wait to invite your volunteers until after you've fully customized your Profile Fields, Tags, Events, and Forms. This minimizes the need to constantly update their permission settings later!
Recommended Role: A common default role assigned to volunteers is Check In. This allows them to access Check-In screens for events, add new people at the check-in station, and update profile pictures, without seeing sensitive database info.
Stage Four (Once You're 100% Comfortable): Invite Individual Members
We highly recommend waiting until you, your staff, and your volunteers are all completely confident in the system before venturing into Member Access.
Recommended Role: When you are ready, use the default Member role. This allows individuals limited access to view/edit their own personal and family profile information, view their giving history, and use the Online Giving portal.