If you’re running B2B projects in Georep, chances are you’ve got more people poking around than you can comfortably keep track of. Maybe you’re juggling multiple partners, or you’ve got a team that changes every quarter. Either way, letting everyone have “admin” access is a disaster waiting to happen. This guide is for admins, PMs, and tech leads who want to lock things down without making collaboration a pain.
Let’s break down how to manage user permissions in Georep so your projects stay secure, your team stays productive, and nobody accidentally nukes your data.
Why Permissions Matter (Even If You Trust Your Team)
It’s tempting to skip the permission setup—after all, you trust your colleagues and partners. But here’s the thing: mistakes happen. Someone drags a folder into the wrong workspace, or a partner tweaks a setting you didn’t want changed. Worse, if someone’s account gets compromised, wide-open permissions make it a field day for attackers.
Controlling who can do what isn’t just about paranoia. It’s about:
- Limiting accidents: Most data loss is unintentional.
- Keeping client data separate: Especially important when you work with multiple external companies.
- Meeting security requirements: Some clients demand you prove you’re on top of this stuff.
- Making onboarding/offboarding easier: No more “Wait, who still has access to that?”
So, permissions are worth the five minutes. Let’s get into how to actually set this up.
Understanding Georep’s Permission System
Georep keeps things pretty straightforward compared to some enterprise monsters, but you still need to know what’s what.
Key concepts:
- Roles: Predefined sets of permissions you can assign to users (think Admin, Editor, Viewer).
- Teams: Groups of users, often mapped to departments or partner companies.
- Workspaces/Projects: The containers where your data, reports, or whatever else live.
- Resource-level permissions: Sometimes you’ll need to tweak access for a single file or folder.
Pro Tip: Don’t overthink it—most people either need to see stuff, edit stuff, or run the show. Try to avoid creating a custom role for every tiny edge case. That’s how you end up with permission spaghetti.
Step 1: Map Out Who Needs Access to What
Before you touch Georep, make a rough list. It doesn’t need to be pretty, but it’ll save you headaches.
- Who are your internal users? (by team, role, or project)
- Are there external partners or clients? What do they actually need to see or do?
- What’s sensitive? (client data, financials, etc.)
- Who really needs admin powers? (Hint: fewer than you think)
You can do this in a spreadsheet, on a whiteboard, or the back of a napkin. The point is to avoid “default to admin” just because it’s easier.
Step 2: Set Up Teams and Roles in Georep
Now, log into Georep and head to the “Teams & Permissions” section.
Creating Teams
- Internal teams: Group people by department or function (e.g., Sales, Engineering, Support).
- External partners: Give each partner or client their own team. Don’t lump external folks together—if one leaves, you want to remove just their access.
Assigning Roles
Georep usually includes these built-in roles:
- Admin: Full access. Can change settings, invite users, delete stuff.
- Editor: Can add/edit/delete content but can’t change permissions or settings.
- Viewer: Can see content but can’t change anything.
Don’t create more custom roles than you have to. Every custom role is another thing to remember to update later. If you’re tempted to make “Finance Editor Except For Invoices,” ask yourself if you’re solving a real problem or just adding complexity.
Step 3: Assign Permissions by Workspace or Project
The real power in Georep is restricting access by workspace or project. Here’s how to keep things tidy:
- Default to least privilege: Give people the lowest level of access they need to do their job.
- Grant access at the workspace/project level: Don’t micromanage individual files unless you really need to.
- Review inherited permissions: Georep may let permissions “trickle down” from parent folders or workspaces. Know who gets access automatically.
Example setup: - Client A’s team: Editor access to “Client A” workspace, no access elsewhere. - Internal marketing team: Viewer access to all client workspaces, Editor access to “Marketing” workspace. - Only IT and project leads: Admin access.
Pro Tip: If you have a one-off need (e.g., a partner needs to see a single report), grant temporary access, then remove it after. Permanent exceptions pile up fast.
Step 4: Manage Invitations and Offboarding
Inviting users:
- Always double-check you’re inviting the right person to the right team.
- Use business emails, not personal accounts, especially for external partners.
- Add a short “welcome” note with what they should and shouldn’t do.
Removing users:
- When someone leaves a partner company, remove them from their team, not just a project.
- For internal moves (e.g., someone switches departments), review all their permissions—don’t assume they’ll tell you what they still have access to.
- Set a recurring calendar reminder to audit user lists every month or quarter.
Step 5: Audit and Tweak Regularly
Set-and-forget is how permissions get out of hand. Here’s what actually works:
- Monthly review: Who has admin? Who doesn’t need access anymore? Who never logged in?
- Look for “permission creep”: Over time, people end up with more access than they need.
- Check for orphaned accounts: Ex-employees and old partners should be out, not lurking.
Ignore “audit everything weekly” advice unless you’re in a regulated industry. For most B2B teams, quarterly is plenty.
What Works Well (and Where Georep Falls Short)
What’s good:
- Georep’s roles and teams are simple. You won’t get lost in 100 permission toggles.
- Workspace-based permissions make it easy to separate clients or projects.
- Inviting/removing users is quick and doesn’t require jumping through hoops.
What’s not great:
- No real-time alerts for permission changes—if someone messes up, you won’t know right away.
- Reporting on who accessed what is basic. If you need detailed audit logs, Georep might not cut it.
- Custom roles are limited. If your org has unique needs, you may end up with awkward workarounds.
Things to skip:
- Don’t bother with file-by-file permissions unless you have a legal reason.
- Avoid “just-in-case” admin access—it never ends well.
- Don’t assume your team will remember to remove access when someone leaves. Build it into your process.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Automate what you can: If you have lots of turnover, look into integrations (like SSO or SCIM) to handle provisioning and deprovisioning.
- Document your setup: A simple Google Doc listing “Who has admin? Who’s responsible for what?” goes a long way.
- Test with a dummy account: Add yourself as a viewer to check what outsiders can see.
- Communicate: Let new users know what they’re allowed to do. Most permission screw-ups are just honest mistakes.
Most common screw-ups: - Granting admin “just for now” and forgetting to take it away. - Leaving external partners with access after a project ends. - Forgetting that inherited permissions can open up more than you think.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Review Often
Don’t let permissions become a second job. Set up clear teams and roles in Georep, resist the urge to make lots of one-off exceptions, and schedule regular check-ins. Your future self (and your clients) will thank you.
When in doubt, keep access tight and loosen only when necessary. It’s easier to say yes later than to clean up a mess. Keep it simple, review often, and you’ll avoid most headaches.