If you’re wrangling a team in yet another chat app, you know the drill: someone shares sensitive stuff in the wrong channel, or an eager intern starts deleting files. Sound familiar? If you’re using TamTam and want to avoid this kind of chaos, locking down who can do what is a must. This guide is for admins, team leads, and anyone who doesn’t want to mop up after permission disasters.
Let’s walk through making custom user roles and permissions in TamTam. We’ll cover the steps, what actually works, and some real talk on what you can skip. No fluff—just what you need to keep things tidy and secure.
Why Custom Roles Matter (and Where TamTam Fits In)
Most team chat platforms give you the basics: admin, member, maybe a guest. That’s fine for a book club. For anything bigger—especially if you’re sharing files, managing projects, or dealing with sensitive info—these cookie-cutter roles just don’t cut it.
TamTam lets you create custom roles with specific permissions. You can decide exactly who can do what: create channels, invite users, manage files, delete messages, and more. The idea is simple—give people what they need to do their job, and nothing more.
But (and this is important): TamTam’s permissions aren’t perfect. There are some gaps, and a few “gotchas” you should know about before you set everything up. We’ll call those out along the way.
Step 1: Audit Your Team’s Needs
Before you start clicking around, step back and look at how your team actually works. This isn’t busywork—it’ll save you headaches later.
- List your user types. Who’s on your team? Think: managers, regular staff, contractors, HR, IT, etc.
- Map out what they actually do. Who needs to create channels? Who just needs to lurk and read stuff? Who should never, ever touch the “delete” button?
- Spot sensitive areas. Where can things go wrong? Financial channels, HR files, client communications—these need tighter controls.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. Start simple. You can always add more roles later if you need them.
Step 2: Find TamTam’s Roles & Permissions Settings
TamTam doesn’t exactly hide its permissions panel, but it’s not front and center. Here’s where to look:
- Log in as an admin. Only admins can create or edit custom roles.
- Go to Settings > Team Management.
- Open the Roles or Permissions tab. Names might vary a bit depending on your TamTam version.
You’ll see a list of default roles (Admin, Member, Guest) and, if you’ve made any, your custom ones.
Step 3: Create a Custom Role
Let’s make a new role from scratch.
- Click “Add Role” (or whatever the button says—TamTam sometimes says “Create New Role”).
- Name your role. Make it obvious: “Project Manager,” “Read-Only Contractor,” etc.
- Set description (optional). Most teams skip this, but if you’re managing a big org, it helps.
Pitfall to avoid: Don’t clone the Admin role unless you want more admins. Start with Member, then build up.
Step 4: Assign Permissions
This is where you get granular. TamTam’s permission options might include:
- Create/delete channels
- Invite/remove users
- Send messages
- Delete/edit messages (own vs. others’)
- Share files
- Pin messages
- Manage integrations
- View audit logs
For each permission, check or uncheck what makes sense for the role.
Honest take on what matters:
- File sharing: Lock this down for external/contractor roles. TamTam sometimes treats file shares as “public” within a channel—don’t assume privacy.
- Delete messages: Only give this to trusted roles. Deleting is permanent—there’s no “undo.”
- Integrations: Be careful here. Connecting outside apps can open doors you didn’t mean to open.
- Audit logs: Only top-level admins need this. No one else cares (or should care).
What to skip: - Overly granular permissions (“Can react to messages with emojis”). Unless you’re running a kindergarten, leave these at default.
Step 5: Assign Users to Roles
Now, put people in their boxes:
- Go to Team Members.
- Select a user.
- Assign your new custom role.
You can do this in bulk, but double-check your assignments. It’s easy to mix up “Read Only” and “Full Member” if you’re moving fast.
Heads up: Changes take effect immediately. Let your team know if anything major is changing, or you’ll get a flood of “I can’t upload!” messages.
Step 6: Test Before You Trust
Don’t just assume you nailed it. Test:
- Create a test account (or ask a trusted team member) and assign the new role.
- Try to perform actions the role should and shouldn’t be able to do.
- Check if sensitive channels and files are locked down as expected.
Stuff that breaks: Sometimes, TamTam’s mobile app lags behind the web app on permissions. Always test both if your team uses both.
Step 7: Review and Adjust Over Time
Teams change. People come and go. Projects shift. Don’t set your roles and walk away.
- Quarterly review: Check who’s in what role. Remove old contractors and ex-employees.
- Permission creep: Over time, people collect more permissions than they need—dial this back regularly.
- Feedback: If people are blocked by permissions, adjust. But don’t open the floodgates.
Skip: Don’t automate role assignments unless you have a rock-solid HR system feeding TamTam. Manual is safer for most teams.
What Works Well (and What Doesn’t)
What’s good: - TamTam’s custom roles give you solid control over the basics. - Most day-to-day tasks (messaging, file sharing, channel creation) are easy to limit.
Where it falls short: - No “view-only” channels—if someone can see a channel, they can usually post. - Permission changes aren’t always instant, especially on mobile. - Audit logs are basic—don’t expect detailed forensics.
Ignore: - Don’t get lost in “advanced” settings unless you have specific needs. Defaults are fine for 90% of teams.
Pro Tips for Staying Sane
- Document your roles. Just a Google Doc is fine—note who gets what and why.
- One role per person. Multiple roles can get messy fast.
- Regular cleanups. Old roles pile up. Delete what you don’t use.
And if you’re scaling up fast, consider a real identity management tool. TamTam’s built-in stuff is fine for 50 people, but past that, you’ll want something stronger.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t try to design the perfect permission system on day one. Start with broad, simple roles. Lock down the sensitive stuff, and let the rest be. Tweak as you learn where things break or where people get stuck.
The goal isn’t to micromanage your team—it’s to keep collaboration smooth and safe, without turning into the “permission police.” Less is more. Start small, keep it tight, and adjust as you grow.