When you collaborate in a shared Space (Family or Workspace), roles are your guardrails. They keep sensitive projects private, prevent accidental changes, and make ownership clear so every teammate knows what they can do. Use Space roles to control who can join and manage the Space, and Board roles to decide who can view, comment, or fully manage each project.
Think of it like this: add people to the Space to give them the keys to the building, then use Board roles to choose which rooms they can enter and what they can do once inside.
If you’re brand new to collaboration, start here → Boards overview
📺 Watch the video: User Roles & Permissions
📺 Watch the video: User Roles & Permissions
✅ Who can use this feature?
Family: Space and board roles are available. Learn about Family
Workspace: Space and board roles are available. Learn about Workspace
Free & Premium (Personal Space): Collaboration is not available.
Looking for public, read‑only sharing without adding users? Try External Viewers → External Viewers
🖥️ Supported platforms
You can view and change board-roles on Web/Desktop, iOS, and Android.
Admin‑only settings like space permissions can be managed on Web/Desktop.
See all device support → Supported platforms
🧭 How roles work
Space roles apply to your Space (Family or Workspace). Board roles apply to individual boards inside that Space. A person can be a Space Member but a Board Viewer on one board and a Board Admin on another.
Not sure which to use? Add people to the Space first, then fine‑tune access per board.
🧑🤝🧑 Space roles (affect the whole Space)
Role | What they can do |
Space Admin | Manage billing and Space settings, invite/remove Space members, change Space roles, create boards, browse and join boards, edit tasks on boards they can access. |
Space Member | Work inside the Space: create boards, browse and join boards, edit tasks on boards they can access. Cannot manage billing or Space members. |
Space Guest | Cannot create boards, cannot browse all boards. |
Looking for one‑off viewing outside your Space? Use External Viewers → External Viewers
🗂️ Board roles (per board)
Role | What they can do |
Board Admin | Full control of the board. Add/remove board members, change board roles, edit all items, set board privacy, export board activity, save as template (when available). |
Board Member | Collaborate on the board. Create and edit tasks, sections, and files. Comment and mention teammates. Cannot change board privacy or member roles. |
Board Viewer | Read‑only access to the board. Can view tasks and sections. Cannot create, edit or change settings. |
Share progress with people outside your Space? Enable a public link with External Viewers → External Viewers
🔏 Board privacy and admin‑only actions
Board Admins can keep work safe and tidy with a few controls:
Board admins have the ability to enable settings that restrict non-admin members from archiving or deleting tasks.
Make board private - Only invited members can see the board. Great for hiring pipelines, HR, or confidential client work. Learn more about private boards here.
Public link for External Viewers - Share a read‑only view outside your Space for clients or stakeholders.
Tip: Use private boards for sensitive work inside one Workspace rather than creating multiple Workspaces. This keeps billing simpler and collaboration smoother.
✏️ Changing Roles & Permissions
Changing roles and permissions is quick and flexible. Space Admins and Board Admins can update anyone’s access in seconds, keeping work secure without slowing the team.
🔄 Changing Space roles (Web/Desktop)
Open Settings → Manage space.
Select the Space.
Next to a member, open the role menu and choose Admin, Member, or Guest.
🔧 Changing board roles
Open a board.
Open Members.
Next to a person, choose Admin, Member, or Viewer.
🧪 Best practices & Examples
Start with least privilege. Make most teammates Board Members and reserve Board Admin for a few owners. This prevents accidental privacy or settings changes.
Use private boards for sensitive work. Hiring, payroll, or client negotiations should be private with a small set of Members and one or two Admins.
Protect data with admin-only toggles. Turn on Only Admins can delete (and, if needed, Only Admins can archive) during launches or audits to avoid losing critical history.
Choose the right read-only. For people inside your Space, add them as Board Viewers. For people outside your Space, use External Viewers (public link) for a quick, no-login preview.
Client delivery example. Keep a client’s project board private. Your team are Members, the account lead is Admin. Share a public link via External Viewers so the client can follow progress without edits.
Company roadmap example. Keep the roadmap public inside the Space. Set most employees as Viewers, product team as Members, product ops as Admins.
🙋 FAQs
🔍 What’s the difference between Space roles and Board roles?
🔍 What’s the difference between Space roles and Board roles?
Space roles control access and billing for the whole Space. Board roles control permissions on a single board.
🧑💼 Can someone be a Board Admin without being a Space Admin?
🧑💼 Can someone be a Board Admin without being a Space Admin?
Yes. Board Admins manage that board only. Space Admins manage Space members, billing, and settings.
👀 Do Viewers get notifications or see Activity?
👀 Do Viewers get notifications or see Activity?
Viewers can see the board in read-only. They can view allowed activity logs on that board. For people outside your Space, use External Viewers instead.
🔐 Who can make a board private or change admin-only toggles?
🔐 Who can make a board private or change admin-only toggles?
Only Board Admins.
🚪 Can Guests browse all boards in the Space?
🚪 Can Guests browse all boards in the Space?
No. Guests only see boards they were added to.
📱 Where can I manage roles on mobile?
📱 Where can I manage roles on mobile?
Open a board → Members. For Space roles and advanced privacy settings, use Web/Desktop.