If you’re running a team with shared phone lines, figuring out who can do what in your phone system matters—a lot. If you’ve landed here, you’re probably using Callhippo or considering it, and you want to make sure your team has the right access without making a mess of things. Whether you’re a small team just getting started or you’ve inherited a Callhippo account with permissions all over the place, this guide will walk you through what actually works, what’s confusing, and how to keep things tidy.
Why User Roles and Permissions Matter (and Where They Go Wrong)
Before you dive into the nuts and bolts, let’s get real. Too many teams treat permissions as an afterthought—until someone accidentally deletes a number or can’t access call recordings when they need them.
Here’s what you don’t want: - Everyone is an admin—so no one is really responsible. - No one knows who can see what, so support tickets pile up. - You hand out permissions “just in case,” and regret it later.
The good news: Callhippo’s role and permission system is pretty straightforward, but it’s easy to miss the small stuff that leads to headaches later. Let’s fix that.
Step 1: Get to Know Callhippo’s User Roles
Callhippo comes with a few built-in roles. You can also create custom roles if you’re on certain plans, but don’t overcomplicate things unless you really need to. Here’s what you get out of the box:
- Admin: Full access to everything—users, numbers, billing, settings, reports. Usually best left to a small handful of trusted folks.
- Supervisor/Manager: Can access most team-level controls, see reports, manage users in their group, but can’t mess with billing or global settings.
- User/Agent: Can make and receive calls, access their voicemails and recordings, but can’t change team-wide settings.
- Custom Roles: Available on some plans—lets you pick and choose permissions. Helpful if you have edge cases (like an HR person who needs call logs but not settings).
Pro tip: Don’t fall into the trap of creating a custom role for every possible scenario. Start simple. Most teams only need Admin and User, plus maybe Supervisor for bigger groups.
Step 2: Assign Roles When You Add or Invite Users
You assign roles to users when you invite them into your Callhippo account. Here’s how it actually works:
- Log in as an Admin. Only Admins can add or edit users.
- Go to the “Users” or “Team” section. It’s usually in the sidebar.
- Click “Add User” or “Invite User.”
- Enter the user’s email and basic info.
- Pick their role from the dropdown. Resist the urge to give everyone Admin “just in case.”
- Send the invite. The user gets an email to join and set up their password.
If you need to change someone’s role later (and you probably will), just click on their name, hit “Edit,” and update their role.
What works: The process is pretty painless. You can see at a glance who’s who, and you don’t have to jump through hoops to change roles.
What to watch out for: If you have a big team, it’s easy to lose track of who has which permissions. Check the user list every few months and clean up anyone who doesn’t need access.
Step 3: Customize Permissions (If You Really Need To)
If your plan supports custom roles or permission tweaks, you’ll see an option to edit or create roles. Here’s how to do it—and when it’s actually worth the hassle:
How to Create or Edit a Custom Role
- Go to the Roles/Permissions section (typically under “Settings”).
- Click “Add Role” or select an existing role to edit.
- Check/uncheck permissions based on what you want the role to do (e.g., “Can view call logs,” “Can add numbers,” “Can manage billing”).
- Name the role something obvious. (“Outbound Only” is better than “Role 3.”)
- Save changes and assign it to users as needed.
When Should You Use Custom Roles?
- You have contractors or part-timers who only need partial access.
- Someone needs reporting access but shouldn’t touch numbers or billing.
- You need to limit access to sensitive recordings or customer data.
When Should You Ignore Custom Roles?
- If your team is under 10 people and you trust them—don’t overdo it.
- If you’re just getting started. Get the basics working first.
Reality check: Most teams never need more than three roles. If you’re spending more time fiddling with permissions than actually making calls, you’ve gone too far.
Step 4: Review and Audit Permissions Regularly
Set a reminder every quarter (or whenever someone leaves) to check your user list and roles. Here’s a quick audit checklist:
- Are there ex-employees still listed? Remove them ASAP.
- Is anyone an Admin who shouldn’t be? Downgrade them.
- Are people using the right roles? If someone got promoted, update their permissions.
- Any custom roles you no longer need? Delete or merge them.
Pro tip: Callhippo doesn’t always nag you to review roles, so it’s on you to keep things clean. A little regular maintenance prevents big headaches later.
Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Permission Problems
Things don’t always go smoothly. Here’s what typically trips people up (and how to fix it):
- User can’t see the numbers they need: Check their role and assigned numbers. By default, users might only see numbers assigned to them.
- User can’t access call recordings: Only certain roles have this. Double-check permissions.
- Someone can’t log in or never got the invite: Resend the invite. Sometimes the email lands in spam.
- Admin accidentally deleted a number or user: There’s no undo—so be careful. If something critical disappears, contact Callhippo support, but don’t expect miracles.
- Permissions not updating after a change: Log out and back in, or ask the user to refresh.
Don’t waste time: If you’re stuck, it’s often faster to remove and re-add the user than to troubleshoot for half an hour.
Step 6: Best Practices for Keeping It Simple (and Safe)
Here’s what actually works in the real world:
- Limit Admin access. Only give it to people who really need it.
- Document who has what role. A simple spreadsheet works wonders.
- Avoid “just in case” permissions. If someone needs more access later, you can always bump them up.
- Remove users as soon as they leave. Don’t wait until you “get around to it.”
- Communicate changes. If you change someone’s permissions, let them know—otherwise, you’ll get panicked Slack messages at 9pm.
What to Ignore (Unless You Love Headaches)
- Granular permissions for tiny teams. You don’t need a custom role for every edge case.
- Over-engineering with dozens of roles. It sounds impressive, but it’s a pain to manage.
- “Set it and forget it.” Skipping regular reviews is how you end up with a security mess.
Wrapping Up
User roles and permissions in Callhippo aren’t rocket science, but they do matter—especially if you want to avoid drama down the line. Keep it simple: stick to a few clear roles, review them regularly, and don’t hand out Admin like it’s candy. When in doubt, start with less access and add more only when it’s actually needed. That way, you spend less time babysitting your phone system and more time actually getting work done.