If you’re working with a team in Canopy, you need to get your user roles and permissions sorted—otherwise, you’ll either drown in chaos or spend all day chasing down who did what. This guide is for admins, team leads, and anyone who’s tired of permissions headaches. You’ll get practical steps, honest advice, and real-world tips for setting up user roles and permissions in Canopy so your team stays secure and productive (without driving you nuts).
Why Roles and Permissions Matter—And Where People Get It Wrong
Let’s cut through the noise: the point of roles and permissions is to give the right people access to the right stuff, nothing more, nothing less.
- Too open: Everyone can do everything. Great until someone accidentally deletes a client or shares sensitive info.
- Too locked down: People can’t get their work done. They ping you every five minutes for access, and you become the bottleneck.
You want just enough structure to protect your data but not so much that it slows people down. Canopy’s system is flexible but not perfect out of the box. You’ll need to tweak it to fit how your team actually works.
Step 1: Understand Canopy’s User Role System
Before you start inviting people, get a grip on what roles Canopy actually offers and what power they come with.
The Main Roles
- Admin: Full access to everything—settings, billing, permissions, and all client data. Usually reserved for one or two trusted folks.
- Manager: Can see and manage most client data, assign tasks, and oversee workflows. Can’t mess with billing or high-level settings.
- Staff/User: Can work on assigned tasks, see what they need, but can’t see or change sensitive info or settings.
Pro Tip
If you’re not sure what a role can or can’t do, create a throwaway user and test it yourself. Don’t trust the documentation blindly—sometimes it lags behind product changes.
Step 2: Map Out Who Needs What Access
Don’t just copy your org chart. Think about what people actually do in Canopy.
- Make a quick list of your team members.
- For each, write down:
- What tasks they’ll do in Canopy (client communication, documents, billing, etc.)
- What data they must access
- What you’d rather they not touch
You’ll probably spot a few groups—admins, client-facing users, back-office folks, etc.
What to skip: Don’t overcomplicate with custom roles unless you have to. Start with the defaults. You can always tweak later.
Step 3: Set Up Roles in Canopy
Here’s how to actually put roles in place:
- Go to Team Management: In Canopy, head to the “Team” or “Users” section (label may change, but you’ll find it in the main menu).
- Add Users: Click “Add User” or “Invite Member.” Enter their email and pick a role.
- Assign Roles: For each user, choose Admin, Manager, or Staff. (If you see custom roles, skip them for now unless you’re confident.)
- Review Permissions: Double-check what each role can access. Canopy sometimes updates permissions quietly, so don’t assume.
- Send Invites: Fire off the invites. Users will get an email with instructions.
Note: If you’re moving people over from another system, go slow. Add a couple of users, test, then scale up.
Step 4: Fine-Tune Permissions (If You Must)
Canopy gives you some room to adjust permissions within roles, but don’t get sucked into the weeds unless you really need to.
- Folder or client-level permissions: You can sometimes restrict access to certain clients or folders. Use this if you have contractors or part-timers who shouldn’t see everything.
- Feature toggles: Maybe you want some staff to access time tracking or communication, but not billing. Adjust this in the user settings.
What to ignore: Avoid micromanaging every permission unless you’re handling sensitive financial or legal data. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time managing the system than getting work done.
Step 5: Audit and Test—Don’t Trust, Verify
The #1 mistake is assuming your setup works because you clicked the right boxes. Here’s what to do:
- Login as different roles: Use incognito mode or dummy accounts to see what each user can do.
- Try to break it: See if staff can access admin-only data. Try deleting something you shouldn’t be able to.
- Ask for feedback: Have a few team members use the system for a week. Listen for access problems or things they can’t do.
If you find gaps, fix them right away. Permissions issues only get uglier with time.
Step 6: Set Up a Process for Ongoing Management
Permissions aren’t a “set it and forget it” thing. People change roles, join, leave, or switch teams.
- Schedule a quarterly review: Pick a date to review active users and their permissions.
- Remove old accounts: When someone leaves, yank their access immediately. One old account can open you up to serious risk.
- Keep documentation simple: Write down (somewhere) who’s supposed to have what access. Even a simple spreadsheet beats guessing.
Honest Take
Most teams skip this step—and regret it after an incident. Don’t be one of those teams.
Step 7: Handle Edge Cases and Common Headaches
No system is perfect. Here’s where things get messy (and what to do):
- Temporary access needs: If someone just needs access for a project, set a calendar reminder to remove them later. Canopy doesn’t always make temp roles easy.
- Contractors & external partners: Give them the bare minimum. Don’t trust NDAs to protect you if your system is wide open.
- Role creep: Over time, people get more and more access “just in case.” Push back, or you’ll end up with everyone as an admin.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Works: Using the built-in roles for 90% of users, testing as you go, and reviewing permissions regularly.
- Doesn’t work: Overengineering with dozens of custom roles, ignoring ongoing maintenance, or assuming “default” means “secure.”
- Ignore: Fancy “role templates” unless you’re running a huge org. For most teams, it’s just extra work.
Pro Tips for a Smooth Setup
- Communicate early: Let people know what they’ll be able to see and do. Surprises = frustration.
- Document exceptions: If someone really needs admin access, note why. It’ll help when you review later.
- Don’t rush invites: Get your roles and structure set up before inviting everyone. Otherwise, you’ll spend days fixing mistakes.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate As You Go
The goal isn’t to build the perfect system on day one. Start simple, get your core roles right, and adjust as your team grows or changes. If something’s not working, fix it—don’t be afraid to tweak your setup.
Most problems come from neglect or overcomplication. If you keep your roles and permissions clear, your team can focus on the real work—and you’ll sleep better at night.