Role-based access control (RBAC) sounds fancier than it is. If you run a team, you know the real problem: too many people with too many permissions, or not enough. Either way, things break—data leaks, folks get blocked, or you spend your day untangling who can see what.
This guide is for anyone using Inboxlogy who wants to stop permissions from turning into a mess. Maybe you’re scaling up, or maybe last week’s “oops” made you realize you need to lock things down. Either way, I’ll walk you through setting up RBAC the right way—without making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Why RBAC Matters (And What to Ignore)
Before you dive in, here’s the honest truth: most teams don’t need ninja-level security from day one. What you do need is enough control to stop accidental chaos—like the intern deleting your whole inbox or a contractor peeking at payroll.
RBAC is about giving people just enough access to do their jobs, and no more. Anything else is just busywork or, worse, a security risk.
Ignore the hype about “zero trust” unless you’re running a bank. For most teams, three to five clear roles is plenty.
Step 1: Map Out Your Team’s Real Roles
Don’t start in Inboxlogy. Start with a notepad or a whiteboard. Seriously—most permission messes happen because nobody thinks through who needs what.
Ask yourself: - Who needs admin rights? (This should be a short list.) - Who just needs to reply to messages? - Who should see analytics or billing? - Are there folks (interns, vendors) who should only see certain inboxes?
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, start strict and loosen up later. It’s easier to add permissions than yank them away.
Step 2: Get to Know Inboxlogy’s Roles and Permissions
Inboxlogy comes with some built-in roles, but you can customize them. Here’s what you’ll likely see:
- Admin: Full control—settings, billing, member management, and all inboxes.
- Manager: Can assign conversations, manage most settings, but can’t change billing or delete the workspace.
- Agent: Can see and reply to assigned inboxes, but can’t mess with settings.
- Custom: You can tweak permissions if the defaults don’t fit.
What works: Sticking close to these defaults usually covers 90% of teams.
What doesn’t: Creating a dozen custom roles for every edge case. That’s a maintenance nightmare and nobody will remember who can do what.
Step 3: Set Up Roles Inside Inboxlogy
Alright, now you’re ready to get your hands dirty.
1. Open Team Settings
- Log in as an Admin.
- Go to the “Team” or “Members” section (Inboxlogy sometimes changes menu names—look around if you don’t see it right away).
2. Review Existing Members
- Check who’s already a member.
- See what roles they’ve got. You might spot some surprises—like your old marketing contractor still having admin rights. Now’s the time to fix that.
3. Add or Edit Roles
- To add someone new: Click “Invite Member” or similar.
- Enter their email.
- Pick a role that matches your mapped-out needs.
- To change an existing member’s role: Find their name, hit “Edit” or the gear icon, and update their role.
4. Use Custom Roles (If You Really Need To)
- Hit “Create Custom Role.”
- Name it clearly—e.g., “Finance Viewer” or “Temporary Contractor.”
- Tick only the permissions you actually need.
Warning: Only use custom roles if the built-ins don’t cut it. Every custom role is one more thing to manage and explain.
Step 4: Assign Inboxes and Permissions
Roles are just part of the puzzle. Inboxlogy also lets you control which inboxes each person can see or manage.
Here’s how:
- Go to the “Inboxes” or “Shared Inboxes” page.
- For each inbox, check who has access.
- Add or remove members as needed.
- Example: Finance team only gets the “Payroll” inbox, support agents get “Customer Support,” etc.
Pro tip: Don’t give everyone access to every inbox. That’s how things slip through the cracks—or worse, how private info gets shared by accident.
Step 5: Test Your Setup (Don’t Skip This)
This is the step most teams skip, and it bites them later.
How to test: - Log in as (or with) a test user for each role. - Double-check: - Can they see what they’re supposed to? - Are they blocked from what they shouldn’t see? - Can they change settings, billing, or team members? (They shouldn’t unless you want them to.)
If you find holes or bottlenecks, tweak the roles or inbox permissions now—before anyone gets frustrated.
Step 6: Keep It Tidy—Regular Maintenance
Permissions drift over time. People leave, new folks join, or roles change. If you never review permissions, you’ll end up with ex-employees still able to snoop around.
What works: - Set a reminder—once a quarter, maybe—to review roles and permissions. - Remove anyone who’s left, and downgrade roles for people who don’t need broad access anymore.
What doesn’t: - Letting roles sprawl without oversight. That’s how you end up on the front page of r/sysadmin with a horror story.
Extra Tips (From Someone Who’s Cleaned Up These Messes)
- Avoid “just in case” admins: Only give admin rights to people who really need them. “What if I’m on vacation?” is not a good reason to make everyone an admin.
- Document your choices: Keep a simple doc listing who’s got what role, and why. Doesn’t have to be fancy—a Google Doc works.
- Don’t be afraid to say no: People will ask for more access than they need. Push back politely. “I’ll add permissions if you run into a blocker” is usually enough.
- Audit logs are your friend: If you’re worried about who did what, check Inboxlogy’s audit logs for changes.
The Bottom Line
Setting up role-based access in Inboxlogy isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Start with clear, simple roles. Only grant access people actually need. Test it, review it every so often, and don’t let things sprawl out of control.
You don’t need the perfect system—just one that works for your team right now. Tweak as you go, and don’t make it harder than it needs to be.