If your team’s tripping over each other, missing leads, or accidentally deleting stuff in Overloop, it’s probably time to tighten up your roles and permissions. This guide is for sales managers, admins, or anyone who’s been handed the keys to your Overloop workspace and told to “make it work.” I’ll walk you through the real-world setup—what matters, what’s just noise, and how to avoid the classic mistakes that cause headaches down the road.
Why bother with roles and permissions?
Let’s be honest: nobody gets excited about permissions. But a bit of setup now saves you from the pain of lost data, privacy mishaps, and finger-pointing later. Here’s what good roles and permissions actually get you:
- Clarity: Everyone knows what they can (and can’t) do.
- Security: Sensitive info doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
- Control: You can keep junior reps from nuking your pipeline by accident.
- Accountability: It’s clear who’s responsible for what.
Overloop gives you the tools—if you use them right. Let’s dig in.
Step 1: Understand Overloop’s Role Structure
Before you start clicking around, it helps to know what you’re working with. Overloop uses a pretty standard tiered approach:
- Admins: Full access. Can manage billing, team, integrations, and settings. (Don’t give this to everyone.)
- Managers: Can see and edit most things, but can’t mess with billing or core settings.
- Users (Reps): Focused on their own pipeline, can manage their deals and contacts, but can’t see or change everything.
- Custom Roles: For when the defaults don’t fit—set granular permissions.
Don’t skip this: Write down who actually needs Admin access. (Hint: It’s rarely more than 2-3 people, even in big teams.)
Step 2: Map Out Your Team’s Real Needs
Here’s where most setups go wrong: they just slap “Admin” on every manager, and “User” on everyone else. But think about how your team works:
- Do you have junior reps who shouldn’t see pipeline-wide data?
- Do you want managers to see all deals but not mess with integrations?
- Do you have contractors who should only see certain leads?
Pro tip: Make a quick table (on paper or a doc) with team members and what they actually need to do. You’ll save time when assigning roles.
Step 3: Assign Default Roles in Overloop
Now, let’s get into the actual Overloop setup:
- Go to Settings → Team.
- Click “Invite Team Member” or select an existing user.
- Assign one of the default roles: Admin, Manager, or User.
What works: The default roles cover 80% of use cases. Most sales reps don’t need anything more than “User.”
What to ignore: Don’t bother with custom roles unless you have a real use case. Simpler is better—complex permission setups tend to confuse everyone (including future-you).
Step 4: Create Custom Roles (If You Really Need Them)
Sometimes, the defaults aren’t enough—maybe you need a role that can view analytics but can’t export data, or a contractor who only sees a subset of contacts.
Here’s how to set up a custom role:
- Go to Settings → Roles & Permissions.
- Click “Create Role.”
- Give the role a clear name. (Skip the jargon—call it “Contractor - Limited” or “Analytics Viewer.”)
- Toggle permissions on and off. Overloop lets you control things like:
- Viewing/exporting contacts and deals
- Editing pipelines
- Accessing specific integrations
- Deleting data (be careful!)
- Assign team members to the new role.
Honest take: More complexity means more things can break or get misconfigured. Only use custom roles if you’re sure you need them, and document what each one is for.
Step 5: Fine-Tune Permissions for Sensitive Data
Overloop lets you restrict access to certain pipelines, deals, or contact lists. This is handy if you have:
- Different teams (SDRs vs. AEs) working separate pipelines
- Outsourced teams or contractors
- Sensitive client lists
To restrict access:
- Go to the Pipeline or List settings.
- Look for “Visibility” or “Sharing” options.
- Set who can view or edit (Admins, specific users, roles).
What’s worth your time: Restricting high-value or sensitive pipelines. For most day-to-day stuff, open access within the team is fine—don’t overdo it.
Step 6: Test Your Setup (Don’t Skip This!)
Here’s where most people stumble: they set up roles, then never check if they actually work. Take five minutes to:
- Log in as a regular user (or use Overloop’s “View as” option if available).
- Try to access pipelines, contacts, and settings you want restricted.
- Make sure your “limited” users can’t do anything risky (like deleting deals or exporting lists).
Pro tip: Have someone else on your team double-check. You’ll always miss something by yourself.
Step 7: Keep Permissions Updated as Your Team Changes
People come and go, and roles shift. Build a habit:
- When hiring: Assign the right role from day one.
- When someone leaves: Remove their access immediately. Don’t just “deactivate”—make sure they’re out.
- When promoting: Adjust permissions, but don’t just hand out Admin access unless it’s needed.
What doesn’t work: “Set it and forget it.” Permissions are only secure if you actually maintain them.
Step 8: Avoid Common Pitfalls
No guide is complete without the stuff people get wrong. Here’s what to watch for:
- Too many Admins: More admins = more risk. Limit it to who really needs it.
- Forgotten accounts: Old users hanging around are a security risk. Remove them.
- Overly complex roles: If you need a spreadsheet to remember who can do what, you’ve gone too far.
- Poor documentation: If you create custom roles, jot down what they’re for. Future-you will thank you.
FAQs and Honest Answers
Q: Is it OK to give everyone Manager access?
A: Not really. It’s tempting, but more access means more accidents. Stick to “User” unless someone truly needs more.
Q: What happens if I mess up permissions?
A: Usually, someone can’t see what they need, or (worse) they can delete or export data they shouldn’t. Double-check your setup, and Overloop’s support can usually help if you get stuck.
Q: Should I audit permissions regularly?
A: Yes, but don’t make it complicated. Just review roles every quarter or when someone joins/leaves.
Keep It Simple—Iterate As You Grow
Don’t overthink it. Set up the basics, test with your team, and tweak as you go. Overloop’s roles and permissions can save you from a lot of pain, but only if you keep things straightforward. If you’re ever unsure, err on the side of less access—you can always add more later.
Now go clean up your Overloop permissions and get back to actually selling.