Best practices for setting up team roles and permissions in Proposify

If you’ve ever opened up a proposal tool and seen a tangle of users, random access levels, and “Who can see what?” chaos—yeah, you’re not alone. Getting team roles and permissions right isn’t glamorous, but it’s the difference between smooth workflows and accidental disasters. If your team is using Proposify to send sales docs or proposals, this guide is for you. I’ll break down what actually matters, what to avoid, and how to keep things locked down (without making everyone’s life miserable).


Why Roles and Permissions Matter (More Than You Think)

Let’s be honest: most teams don’t think about permissions until something goes wrong. Maybe a new hire sees sensitive pricing. Maybe someone deletes a template by mistake. Or maybe you just want to stop people from editing each other’s proposals at random.

The point of setting up roles and permissions is simple: - Protect sensitive info — Not everyone should see pricing, client notes, or contracts. - Prevent mistakes — Fewer people with edit/delete powers = fewer “oops” moments. - Keep things organized — When roles match real jobs, your team moves faster.

Proposify gives you a decent set of tools for this, but it’s only as good as your setup. Let’s walk through how to do it right.


Step 1: Map Out Real-World Roles Before You Click Anything

Don’t just copy Proposify’s default roles or guess. Start by writing down what your team actually does.

Ask yourself: - Who creates proposals from scratch? - Who just needs to view or comment? - Who sends proposals to clients? - Who handles templates or branding? - Who should see pricing, contracts, or client lists?

Pro tip: You’ll probably end up with fewer “power users” than you think. It’s fine—most people just want to do their part and move on.

Typical roles you might need: - Admins: The keys to the castle. Usually just 1-2 trusted people. - Sales reps/account managers: Create, edit, send, and track proposals—but shouldn’t touch templates or company settings. - Contributors/creators: Maybe your marketing or design team, who help write or design sections. - Viewers: Execs, legal, or others who just need to peek at content, not change it.


Step 2: Get to Know Proposify’s Built-In Roles (and Their Limits)

Proposify offers a few standard roles: - Admin: Full access—users, billing, templates, everything. - Manager: Can manage proposals and team members, but can’t access billing or delete the whole account. - Creator: Can make and edit proposals, but can’t mess with templates or team settings. - Contributor: Can collaborate on proposals but has limited ability to send or delete. - Viewer: Can see proposals, but can’t touch or send them.

What works: The built-in roles cover 80% of cases, and are easy to assign.

What’s clunky: If your workflow doesn’t fit these buckets, you’ll have to get creative. Proposify doesn’t do super-granular permissions (like “can edit pricing, but not send”), so don’t overthink it.


Step 3: Set Up Teams or Groups (If You Need Them)

If your org is more than a handful of people, group users by department or function.

  • Teams let you share proposal templates, content libraries, and folders.
  • They’re handy for keeping sales, design, and management separate.
  • Not every company needs this. If you’re under 10 people, skip it.

Don’t: Waste time building elaborate teams for every possible scenario. Start simple.


Step 4: Assign Roles Thoughtfully (Not Just by Job Title)

When you start adding users, don’t just click “Admin” because it’s easier. Assign the lowest level of access someone needs to do their job.

  • Give Admin rights to as few people as possible—ideally just the owner and a backup.
  • If you’re not sure, start with “Creator” or “Contributor” and bump up if people hit roadblocks.
  • Use “Viewer” for anyone who just wants to keep tabs on deals or status.

Pro tip: Run through a quick “what can they see/do?” checklist with new users. It’ll save you a lot of “Why can’t I…?” support tickets later.


Step 5: Lock Down Templates, Content, and Branding

Templates are where teams can really step on each other’s toes. If everyone can edit templates, you’ll get weird, inconsistent docs.

  • Restrict template editing to 1-2 trusted people (usually Admin).
  • Only allow trained users to touch content libraries or company branding.
  • For most teams, sales reps should only be able to use templates, not change them.

What to ignore: Don’t feel like you need to let everyone “customize” templates. It’s a recipe for chaos.


Step 6: Review Permissions Regularly (It’s Not Set-and-Forget)

People leave, change roles, or get promoted. Set a reminder to review roles every quarter—or anytime someone joins/leaves the team.

  • Remove access for former employees immediately. (Seriously, don’t put this off.)
  • Double-check that only the right people have Admin rights.
  • Ask team leads if their people are stuck waiting for permissions—or if anyone has more power than they really need.

Pro tip: A permissions review takes 10 minutes and can save you hours cleaning up mistakes.


Step 7: Communicate the “Why” to Your Team

People get twitchy when they’re suddenly locked out of things they used to access. Be upfront:

  • Explain that restricted access isn’t about trust—it’s about keeping deals moving and avoiding accidents.
  • Let folks know how to request more access if they genuinely need it.
  • Share a cheat sheet or quick Loom video on who to ask for what.

Step 8: Don’t Rely on Permissions for Training or Trust

Permissions aren’t a substitute for onboarding or process. Even with tight controls, someone can still send a proposal to the wrong client or skip an approval step.

  • Document your proposal process somewhere everyone can find it.
  • Show new hires how roles work, but focus on the workflow, not just where to click.
  • Encourage a “double-check before you send” culture.

What to Skip or Watch Out For

There’s a lot of advice out there, but not all of it’s worth your time:

  • Don’t create a unique role for every person. It’s a headache to manage, and people move around.
  • Don’t give everyone Admin in a panic. It’s common, but you’ll regret it when someone deletes the wrong thing.
  • Don’t stress about edge cases. 95% of your team just needs to create, send, or view proposals. The rest is overkill.

Quick Checklist Before You Launch

  • [ ] Mapped out team functions and real needs?
  • [ ] Assigned roles based on actual tasks (not just titles)?
  • [ ] Limited Admin rights?
  • [ ] Locked down templates and branding?
  • [ ] Scheduled regular permission reviews?
  • [ ] Told the team what’s changing and why?

If you’ve checked those boxes, you’re ahead of most teams.


Keep It Simple, Review Often

Setting up roles and permissions in Proposify isn’t rocket science, but it does require a little discipline. Start simple, don’t try to predict every possible scenario, and check in every so often as your team grows or changes. The best setups are the ones your team barely notices—because everything just works.

If you’re ever in doubt, err on the side of less access, not more. It’s much easier to grant new permissions than to clean up after a mess.

Good luck—and remember, the goal is to help your team close deals, not wrestle with settings.