If you’ve ever found yourself cleaning up a mess caused by “everyone has admin”—or spent an afternoon untangling who can see what—this guide’s for you. Managing user roles and permissions isn’t glamorous, but in a shared environment like Postdrips, it’s the difference between smooth teamwork and chaos. Whether you’re a team lead, an admin, or just the person everyone turns to when something breaks, you’ll find what you need here to keep things secure and hassle-free.
Why bother with roles and permissions?
Let’s be honest: Setting up roles and permissions feels tedious, especially when you just want to get started. But skipping it comes back to haunt you. “Too many cooks” isn’t just a saying—when everyone can edit, delete, or invite people, accidents happen. Worse, you risk sensitive info leaking or workflows getting derailed.
A bit of setup now means:
- People see only what they need to see.
- You avoid surprise deletions or unwanted changes.
- Onboarding/offboarding is faster (and less stressful).
- Audits and compliance headaches shrink.
So, let’s dive in. No fluff—just what you need to know to get Postdrips humming.
Understanding Postdrips roles: What actually matters
Most platforms throw a ton of role options at you. In practice, Postdrips keeps it simple. Here’s the breakdown:
- Owner: Full control—billing, settings, everything. There’s usually just one.
- Admin: Almost as powerful as Owner, minus billing and transfer-of-ownership. Can manage users and settings.
- Editor: Can create, edit, and delete content, but can’t mess with users or settings.
- Viewer: Read-only. Can see content, but can’t change a thing.
That’s it. No need to overcomplicate. If you’re tempted to invent custom roles for every edge case, don’t. Start with these, and only get fancy if you hit a real wall.
Step-by-step: Setting up user roles and permissions in Postdrips
Here’s how to get your team set up the right way from the start.
1. Audit your team
Before you invite anyone, get clear on who needs what:
- Who actually needs to edit content? Fewer is better.
- Who just needs to see progress or results? Make them Viewers.
- Who will manage users and settings? Only people you trust deeply.
Keep a simple list. You’ll thank yourself later.
2. Invite your team with the right roles
In Postdrips, adding users is straightforward:
- Go to the “Team” or “Users” section in your dashboard.
- Click “Invite User” (or similar).
- Enter their email, and—here’s the key part—assign their role before sending.
Pro tip: Don’t default everyone to Editor or Admin. Start with Viewer, then bump up access if they actually need it.
3. Review permissions for sensitive data
If your team handles anything confidential (client info, campaign data, drafts not ready for prime time), double-check:
- Are the right projects or folders locked down?
- Can Viewers see things they shouldn’t?
- Is there a way to restrict certain content to just Admins or Editors?
Worth noting: Postdrips doesn’t do super-granular, per-file permissions out of the box. If you need “Bob can see Folder A but not Folder B,” you’ll need to organize your workspace accordingly—split things into separate projects or workspaces.
4. Regularly review and update roles
People’s jobs change. Projects end. Don’t let your user list go stale. Every quarter (or when someone leaves), run through:
- Who still needs access?
- Who’s changed roles?
- Any old emails or contractors lingering?
Remove, downgrade, or promote as needed. It’s boring, but it’s better than a “who the heck is this?” moment down the road.
5. Understand what each role can—and can’t—do
Here’s where most teams trip up: assuming everyone knows their limits. Make it clear:
- Owners/Admins: Can add/remove users, change settings, and access everything.
- Editors: Can only change content, not users or settings.
- Viewers: Can’t break anything.
If people need to request more access, set up a simple process—Slack message, email, whatever. Don’t let them “borrow” someone else’s login (not secure, and traceability goes out the window).
What works—and what to skip
What actually works
- Start strict, loosen later: It’s easier to give access than to take it away.
- Keep roles simple: Resist the urge to invent special cases unless you really need them.
- Document your choices: A short doc explaining “who gets what” saves confusion and arguments.
What doesn’t (and what to ignore)
- Everyone as Editor/Admin: It feels efficient, but it’s a recipe for mistakes.
- One-off exceptions: If you start bending the rules for every request, you’ll lose track fast.
- Relying on memory: “Oh, I’ll remember to remove their access when they leave.” You won’t. Make it a checklist item.
Common headaches (and how to fix them)
- Forgotten users: Set a calendar reminder to check your user list.
- People sharing logins: Remind your team that individual accounts protect them, too. If something goes wrong, you want to know who did what.
- Unclear permission boundaries: If someone’s unsure what they can do, it’s on you as admin to clarify.
Advanced tips (if you really need them)
- Audit logs: If you need to know who did what, check if your Postdrips plan includes activity/audit logs. Not all tiers do.
- API or integrations: If you use integrations with other tools (like Slack or Zapier), check what data those integrations can access. Sometimes, an integration with “Editor” rights can do more than you expect.
- Workspace segmentation: For very large teams, split into multiple workspaces instead of trying to control access at a micro level. It keeps things cleaner.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, stay secure
Roles and permissions aren’t glamorous, but they’re the bedrock of secure, productive collaboration. Don’t overthink it—start with the basics, check in regularly, and adjust as your team grows. Most importantly: Keep it simple. The less you have to babysit, the better.
Now, go set things up—and buy yourself a coffee with the time you save not fixing permission disasters.