Bringing a new person onto your team is enough work as it is. If you’re the one responsible for setting up their access in Ringcentral, you don’t need a maze of vague documentation or guesswork around permissions. This guide is for admins, IT, and managers who just want to get new employees up and running—without accidentally making them a super-admin or leaving them locked out of what they need.
Let’s walk through onboarding someone to Ringcentral, step by step, with a clear focus on user roles and permissions. We’ll stick to what matters, skip the fluff, and call out the gotchas along the way.
1. Know What You’re Setting Up (and Why Roles Matter)
Before you dive into the admin portal, get clear on two things:
- What does your new hire actually need to do in Ringcentral?
- What could go wrong if they have too much (or too little) access?
Ringcentral roles aren’t just about who can make calls. They control access to messages, meetings, analytics, billing, and even who can add or remove other users. If you hand out admin rights like candy, you’re asking for trouble. On the other hand, if someone can’t even set up their voicemail, you’ll be babysitting every little request.
Pro tip: Don’t just copy what the last admin did. Take 5 minutes to review what roles are available and how they map to your org’s actual needs.
2. Prep Before You Add Anyone
It’s tempting to just click “Add User” and fill in the blanks. But slow down—doing a little homework upfront saves you rework later.
Checklist: - Have the new hire’s full legal name and preferred email address ready. (Typos here mean headaches later.) - Decide which phone number(s) or extension they’ll get. If you’re reusing an old line, make sure it’s been cleared. - Figure out what features they’ll need: phone, messaging, meetings, fax, etc. - Choose their user role: Admin, Standard User, Receptionist, etc. (More on this in the next step.)
If you’re onboarding several people, consider using Ringcentral’s bulk import feature. It works—but only if your spreadsheet is spot-on. Double-check the formatting, or expect errors.
3. Add the New User in Ringcentral
Head to the Ringcentral Admin Portal:
- Log in as an admin. (If you’re not, you’ll hit roadblocks fast.)
- Go to "Users" > "Add User".
- Enter their info carefully:
- Name
- Email (this is where activation instructions go)
- Department, if you use it
- Assign a phone number or extension.
- Pick the right license. (Standard, Premium, etc. Don’t overpay for features they’ll never use.)
- Choose their role. Here’s where most people mess up. Don’t just leave everyone as “Standard User”—see the next section.
What to ignore: All the checkbox options for features you don’t use (like fax, paging, or call queues, unless you actually need them). Less is more at this stage.
4. Understand and Assign User Roles (Don’t Just Hit “Next”)
Ringcentral’s built-in roles are powerful, but also kind of blunt. Here’s what you need to know:
- Super Admin: Can do everything. Avoid unless absolutely necessary.
- Admin: Can manage users and settings, but not billing.
- Billing Admin: Handles invoices, payment info, etc.
- Standard User: Everyday stuff—calls, meetings, messages.
- Receptionist: Designed for those who answer and transfer lots of calls.
- Custom Roles: You can create these if none of the above fit.
How to assign a role: - During the user creation process, you’ll see a spot to assign their role. - Don’t guess—if you’re unsure, start with “Standard User.” You can always grant more access later.
Honest take: The default roles work for most companies. Creating custom roles is only worth it if you have a real need for fine-tuned control. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time managing permissions than it saves.
Pro tip: If someone only needs to cover the phones when your main receptionist is out, don’t make them a full Receptionist. Just delegate access when needed.
5. Fine-Tune Permissions (If You Really Need To)
If you do need something more granular than the default roles, you can tweak permissions:
- Go to Admin Portal > Roles.
- Either edit an existing role or create a new one.
- Pick exactly what the role can (and can’t) do: manage users, view call logs, change company settings, etc.
Caution: Custom roles can be a rabbit hole. Only set them up if you actually need to restrict or grant specific permissions. Otherwise, stick with the defaults to avoid confusion down the line.
6. Send Activation and Make Sure They Can Actually Log In
Ringcentral will send your new user an activation email. Here’s where things can go sideways:
- The email lands in spam. Tell the new hire to check their junk folder.
- The email link expires. If they sit on it for days, you’ll have to resend.
- They use the wrong email address. Double-check before you send.
Once they’ve activated their account, ask them to log in and confirm they can: - Make and receive calls (if relevant) - Send and receive messages - Join meetings
Don’t assume it worked—test it. You’d be surprised how often there’s a typo, or the assigned license doesn’t match what’s needed.
7. Double-Check Their Access (Trust, But Verify)
It’s easy to get trigger-happy with settings and assume everything’s fine. Spend 5 minutes to:
- Log in as the user (if allowed) and see what they see.
- Ask them to do a basic task: place a call, send a message, or schedule a meeting.
- Check that their role is correct under “Users > Roles.”
If anything’s off, fix it now. It’s a lot easier than explaining why someone missed a call—or worse, why someone had access to sensitive data they shouldn’t have.
8. Train Them on the Basics (But Don’t Overwhelm)
Handing someone a login and saying “good luck” is a recipe for support tickets. But don’t dump a 50-page manual on them either.
What actually helps: - A quick intro to the Ringcentral desktop or mobile app - How to make a call, transfer, check voicemail - Where to get help (link to official Ringcentral support, or your internal IT contact) - Remind them not to share passwords or forward activation emails
Skip the deep-dive on analytics or admin settings—unless that’s part of their job. Most people just want to know how to get started.
9. Review and Adjust as Needed
Roles and permissions aren’t set-and-forget. People change teams, get promoted, or take on new duties.
- Set a reminder every 3-6 months to audit who has admin or billing access.
- Remove or downgrade old users as soon as they leave.
- Don’t be afraid to tweak roles if someone’s job changes.
This isn’t about being paranoid—it’s about avoiding messes later.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works:
- Starting with the minimum necessary permissions
- Using built-in roles unless you have a clear reason to customize
- Testing access before you walk away
What doesn’t:
- Giving everyone admin rights “just in case”
- Ignoring the onboarding email—users miss it all the time
- Overcomplicating roles for a tiny team
Ignore:
- Every single optional feature during setup, unless you know you need it
- Pressure to use Ringcentral’s add-ons right out of the gate
Keep It Simple and Iterate
That’s really it: onboarding someone to Ringcentral doesn’t need to be a saga. Start small, avoid the urge to over-permission, and check that things actually work before moving on. If you run into snags, fix them, document what worked for next time, and move on. Keep it simple, keep it secure, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you go.