If you’ve ever tried to wrangle dozens (or hundreds) of users in a platform, you know permissions can go sideways fast. People get access to stuff they shouldn’t, or can’t see what they need. It’s a mess. This guide is for admins and ops folks at bigger companies who want to get user roles and permissions right in Wonderway—or at least avoid the usual headaches.
Let’s get into it.
Why user roles and permissions matter (especially if you’re big)
Permissions aren’t just about locking things down. They make sure people see what they need, and nothing extra. In a big organization, sloppy permissions can lead to:
- Security risks (accidental or otherwise)
- Compliance problems (especially if you’re in a regulated industry)
- Endless “can you fix my access?” tickets
Wonderway gives you a decent toolkit for handling this, but you’ll need to plan a bit.
Step 1: Map out your org’s needs before touching Wonderway
Don’t skip this, even if you’re tempted to dive in. If you set things up based on gut feeling, you’ll be redoing it in a month.
What to do:
- List your user groups: Think teams, departments, or geographies—not individual names. Example: Sales, Customer Success, Managers, External Partners.
- Figure out what each group needs to do: Who creates content? Who only views reports? Who manages users?
- Spot your exceptions: Is there a group that needs weird access? Write it down now.
Pro tip: If you’re stuck, start with your org chart. Don’t get too granular—broad roles are easier to manage.
Step 2: Understand Wonderway’s role and permission model
Before you start clicking around, get clear on what Wonderway actually lets you control. As of 2024, here’s what you get (not more, not less):
- Built-in roles: Wonderway gives you a few standard roles like Admin, Manager, User, and sometimes a custom role option. Each has preset permissions.
- Permissions are mostly role-based: You assign a role to a user, and that’s it. No fancy field-level security or “mix and match” settings.
- Some role customization: You might be able to tweak a custom role (depending on your Wonderway plan), but don’t expect granular, Salesforce-level controls.
- Group management: You can organize users into groups or teams, but this is mostly for reporting—not permissions.
What this means: You can’t create super-fine-grained permissions for every scenario. Keep your structure simple, or you’ll fight the tool.
Step 3: Set up your core roles in Wonderway
Now that you know what you want and what Wonderway can do, it’s time to set up roles.
- Log in as an Admin.
- Navigate to the “Users,” “Roles,” or “Settings” area—naming varies, but it’ll be under Admin settings.
- Review the built-in roles:
- Admin: Full access. Can manage users, content, settings. Don’t hand this out like candy.
- Manager: Usually can view reports, manage their team, but can’t change global settings.
- User: Can take training, view assigned content, not much else.
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Custom Role (if available): Lets you pick and choose from a menu of permissions. Sometimes only on higher-tier plans.
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Assign roles based on your mapping:
- Give Admins only to trusted ops or IT folks.
- Managers go to team leads.
- Everyone else gets User (unless you genuinely need more).
What doesn’t work: Don’t try to hack around missing permissions with workarounds (like sharing logins or creating “fake” teams). It’ll bite you later.
Step 4: Bulk import and organize users (don’t do it one at a time)
If you’re dealing with more than a handful of users, don’t waste time adding them individually.
Options:
- CSV import: Wonderway usually offers a CSV upload for bulk user management. Prepare your spreadsheet with columns for name, email, role, and (if supported) group or team.
- Directory sync (SCIM/SAML/SSO): If you’re using Okta, Azure AD, or similar, you can connect Wonderway to sync users and groups automatically. This is gold for large orgs, but setup can be a pain and may need IT help.
- Manual add: Only for exceptions or last-minute users.
Pro tip: Test with a small group first. Clean up your data before importing—bad CSVs create headaches.
Step 5: Review and adjust permissions for special cases
Even the best mapping will have edge cases. Here’s how to handle them:
- Custom roles: If Wonderway supports custom roles and you need them, create a new role, pick the right permissions, and assign sparingly. Don’t overuse.
- Temporary access: For contractors or short-term projects, assign the lowest possible role and set a calendar reminder to remove their access later.
- External partners: If you must add external users, lock their permissions as tightly as possible and avoid giving them access to sensitive data.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time trying to set up “per user” exceptions for everything. It’s not worth the admin overhead.
Step 6: Set up and test group/team structures
Wonderway’s groups are more for reporting, but they can help you keep things tidy.
- Set up teams/groups that match your real-world departments or regions.
- Assign users to the right group during import or via bulk edit.
- Check visibility: Log in as a Manager-level user and make sure they only see their team’s data.
Honest take: Don’t expect group-based permissions to do heavy lifting. They’re mostly for filtering dashboards or assigning content at a group level.
Step 7: Audit permissions regularly
People move around. Teams change. If you don’t audit, old users will have access they shouldn’t.
- Quarterly review: Set a recurring calendar event to review who has Admin and Manager roles.
- Offboarding: Make sure there’s a process for disabling users who leave the company.
- Spot-check: Occasionally log in as a regular User to see if they can access anything weird.
Pro tip: Wonderway may have audit logs—use them if you’re in a regulated industry.
Step 8: Train your admins and managers (but keep it simple)
Most permission problems are people problems. If your admins don’t know how roles work, mistakes will happen.
- Create a quick doc or video showing how to add/remove users and assign roles. Keep it short.
- Explain why roles matter—not just how to click buttons.
- Show how to spot permission issues (like someone seeing the wrong reports).
Don’t: Run a 2-hour training. If it takes that long, your setup is too complicated.
What to skip and what to watch out for
- Don’t try to recreate your whole org chart in Wonderway. Stick to broad groups and the built-in roles.
- Don’t assign everyone as Admin “just in case.” It’s not safer—just riskier.
- Don’t ignore regular audits. Permissions drift over time.
- Watch for changes after product updates. Sometimes new features mess with old permission setups.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple and iterate
Setting up roles and permissions in Wonderway for a big org isn’t rocket science, but it does take some upfront thinking. Don’t overcomplicate it—start with broad roles, keep your groups tidy, and check back now and then. If something feels clunky, tweak it. You’ll save yourself (and your users) a lot of pain by not trying to make the system do what it can’t.
Stick with what works, keep the process lightweight, and focus on what really matters—getting people the right access without the drama.