How to set up user roles and team collaboration features within Handwrite

If you’re trying to wrangle a team inside your note-taking or knowledge base, you need more than just a shared login. This guide is for folks who want to actually work together in Handwrite—without making a mess. Whether you’re onboarding new hires, keeping client info private, or just tired of “who edited this?” mysteries, this is for you.

We’ll walk through setting up user roles, controlling permissions, and making the most of team features in Handwrite. I’ll also call out the stuff you can safely ignore, plus some real talk about what works and what’s half-baked.

Why Bother With User Roles?

Let’s be honest: if you’re a solo user, you don’t need all this. But once your group’s bigger than two people, you want some basic controls:

  • Prevent accidental edits or deletes.
  • Keep sensitive stuff private: Not everyone needs to see payroll or client contracts.
  • Delegate work: Give editing power to the right folks, keep others as viewers.

Handwrite’s team features aren’t rocket science, but they’ll save you a ton of headaches if you set them up early.

Step 1: Get on a Paid Team Plan

First things first: Handwrite’s collaboration features are mostly locked to paid plans. If you’re on the free tier, you’re limited to basic sharing—no granular roles, no audit trails.

How to check/upgrade:

  1. Click on your profile icon (usually top right).
  2. Go to “Billing” or “Subscription.”
  3. If you’re not on a “Team” or “Business” plan, upgrade. Yes, you’ll pay, but it’s table stakes for real collaboration tools.

Pro tip: Don’t overbuy. Start with the minimum number of users and add more only if you need them.

Step 2: Create or Join a Workspace

Handwrite organizes collaboration around “workspaces”—think of these as buckets for teams, projects, or departments.

To create a workspace:

  1. Click the workspace switcher (often on the sidebar or under your profile).
  2. Hit “Create Workspace.”
  3. Name it something obvious (e.g., “Marketing Team 2024” or “Client Projects”).

To join an existing workspace:
Get an invite link from an admin, or ask them to add you via your email address.

What to ignore: Don’t create separate workspaces for every tiny project. It’s overkill. Group related stuff together.

Step 3: Invite Your Team

Now, bring your people in.

  1. Inside your workspace, find “Members” or “Team Settings.”
  2. Click “Invite Members.”
  3. Enter email addresses. (Don’t forget, every invite counts toward your paid seat total.)
  4. Assign a default role (viewer, editor, admin) if the option’s there; otherwise, you’ll set it in the next step.

Reality check: Don’t invite everyone in your company just because you can. Start with folks who need access now. You can always add more.

Step 4: Set User Roles and Permissions

Here’s the meat of it. Handwrite usually offers at least these role types:

  • Admin: Full control. Can manage billing, settings, roles, and content.
  • Editor: Can create, edit, and delete content.
  • Viewer: Can see stuff, but can’t change or remove it.

How to assign/change roles:

  1. Go to “Members” in your workspace settings.
  2. Next to each person, you’ll see their current role. Click to change.
  3. Save changes. That’s it.

What works well:

  • Granularity: You can usually set roles per workspace, so someone can be an admin in one and just a viewer in another.
  • Quick toggling: Changing roles is fast.

What’s lacking (as of mid-2024):

  • No custom roles: You can’t create a “Commenter Only” or “Upload Files But Not Edit” role. If you need more control, Handwrite might not cut it yet.
  • No time-limited access: You have to remember to remove users when they leave or change teams.

Pro tip: Make at least two people admins, in case one is out or leaves.

Step 5: Fine-Tune Document-Level Permissions (If You Need To)

Most teams do fine with workspace-level roles. But sometimes you want to restrict access to a specific folder or doc—like HR files, or client-specific notes.

How to set doc/folder permissions:

  1. Navigate to the doc or folder.
  2. Click the “Share” or “Permissions” button (usually an icon of a lock or a person).
  3. Add/remove people or groups, and set their access (view, edit, etc.).

Honest take:
Handwrite’s document-level permissions are basic. You can’t set complex rules (like, “Jane can edit but not delete”). And if you go nuts with individual settings, it’s easy to lose track of who can see what. Simpler is better.

Step 6: Use Collaboration Features Without Driving Each Other Nuts

Once your roles are set, here’s how to actually work together in Handwrite:

  • Real-time editing: Multiple people can edit the same doc at once. There’s basic change tracking, but not a full audit log.
  • Comments: Use the comment feature for feedback or questions. This keeps edits and discussions separate.
  • Mentions: Tag teammates with @ to get their attention. Don’t overdo it—nobody likes unnecessary notifications.
  • Version history: If someone makes a mess, you can roll back to earlier versions.

Things to watch out for:

  • Notifications can get noisy: Default settings may ping users for every change. Encourage folks to tweak their preferences.
  • Conflict resolution is basic: If two people edit the same sentence, you might get a merge conflict or overwrite. Not a huge deal, but don’t expect Google Docs-level magic.
  • Mobile support is so-so: The app works, but advanced collaboration is easier on desktop.

Step 7: Remove or Change Users When Needed

People come and go. Don’t let ex-employees or clients linger in your workspace.

To remove someone:

  1. Go to “Members” in your workspace.
  2. Find the person, click the “Remove” (trash can) icon.
  3. Confirm.

To change someone’s role:
Just switch their role in the same spot.

Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to review your member list every month or quarter. It’s easy to forget.

What to Skip (or Delay)

  • Integrations: Handwrite has some, but they’re not that deep yet. Don’t waste hours trying to set up fancy Slack or Zapier flows unless you absolutely need them.
  • Custom branding: Unless you’re client-facing, skip this for now.
  • Guest access: Handwrite’s “guest” role is limited. If you need external reviewers, consider just sending PDFs.

Real-World Tips

  • Keep your role structure simple: Too many roles = confusion. Stick with admin, editor, and viewer for now.
  • Document your process: Jot down somewhere how you add/remove users and assign roles. Saves time when onboarding.
  • Don’t rely on Handwrite for security-critical info: It’s fine for everyday docs. For legal, HR, or sensitive data, check your org’s security rules first.

Wrapping Up: Don’t Overcomplicate It

Getting user roles and team features set up in Handwrite is mostly straightforward. The big trap? Overthinking it. Start with the basics, keep your permission structure lean, and adjust as your team grows. You can always add more complexity later—but it’s a pain to untangle if you go wild up front.

Most importantly, check in with your team every so often. Is something annoying? Too many notifications? Permissions too tight or too loose? Tweak as you go.

Keep it simple, iterate, and get back to real work.