> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.porcia.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Roles & Permissions
> Understanding user roles and permissions in Porcia
# Roles & Permissions
Porcia uses role-based access control to manage what team members can see and do in your workspace. This guide explains the different roles and their permissions.
## User Roles
Porcia has two main user roles:
Full access to all workspace features including billing and team management
Standard access to core features with some restrictions
## Role Comparison
| Feature | Admin | Member |
| ----------------------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| **Vendor Management** | | |
| View vendors | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Add/edit vendors | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Delete vendors | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Upload documents | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| **Negotiations** | | |
| View negotiations | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Start negotiations | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Assign negotiations | ✅ Yes | ✅ Own only |
| Delete negotiations | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| **Analytics** | | |
| View team analytics | ✅ Yes | ✅ Limited |
| View individual usage | ✅ All users | ✅ Own only |
| Export reports | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| **Integrations** | | |
| Connect integrations | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Disconnect integrations | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| View integration status | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| **Team Management** | | |
| Invite team members | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Remove team members | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Change roles | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| View team list | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| **Billing** | | |
| View billing | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Manage subscription | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Add/remove seats | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Update payment method | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| **Workspace Settings** | | |
| Edit workspace details | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Configure preferences | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Manage notifications | ✅ Yes | ✅ Own only |
## Admin Role
### Permissions
Admins have full access to all workspace features:
**Vendor Management:**
* View, add, edit, and delete all vendors
* Upload and manage documents
* Configure vendor settings
* Merge duplicate vendors
* Archive vendors
**Team Management:**
* Invite and remove team members
* Change user roles
* View team activity
* Manage team permissions
* Configure team settings
**Billing & Subscription:**
* View billing information
* Manage subscription plan
* Add or remove seats
* Update payment method
* View invoices and receipts
**Integrations:**
* Connect email integrations
* Connect SSO providers
* Install browser extension
* Configure integration settings
* Disconnect integrations
**Analytics & Reporting:**
* View all team analytics
* See individual user usage
* Export all reports
* Configure analytics settings
* Set up custom dashboards
**Workspace Settings:**
* Edit workspace information
* Configure workspace preferences
* Manage notification rules
* Set discovery settings
* Configure security settings
### Responsibilities
Admins are responsible for:
1. **Team oversight** - Managing team members and access
2. **Billing management** - Ensuring subscription is active
3. **Integration setup** - Connecting data sources
4. **Security** - Maintaining workspace security
5. **Compliance** - Ensuring proper data handling
### Best Practices for Admins
1. **Limit admin access** - Only promote trusted team members
2. **Regular audits** - Review team access quarterly
3. **Monitor activity** - Check activity logs for unusual behavior
4. **Secure account** - Use strong password and 2FA
5. **Document decisions** - Keep notes on important changes
## Member Role
### Permissions
Members have standard access to core features:
**Vendor Management:**
* View all vendors
* Add and edit vendors
* Upload documents
* Add comments and notes
* Tag and categorize vendors
**Negotiations:**
* View all negotiations
* Start new negotiations
* Assign negotiations to themselves
* Collaborate on negotiations
* Track negotiation outcomes
**Analytics:**
* View team-wide analytics (aggregated)
* View their own usage data
* Export their own reports
* See vendor spending
* View optimization insights
**Personal Settings:**
* Update their profile
* Configure their notifications
* Manage their browser extension
* Set their preferences
* View their activity
### Restrictions
Members cannot:
* ❌ Invite or remove team members
* ❌ Change user roles
* ❌ View billing information
* ❌ Manage subscription
* ❌ Connect or disconnect integrations
* ❌ Delete vendors or negotiations
* ❌ Edit workspace settings
* ❌ View other users' individual usage (unless anonymous mode is off)
### Best Practices for Members
1. **Stay active** - Regularly use Porcia to track vendors
2. **Collaborate** - Add comments and notes for team
3. **Report issues** - Flag problems to admins
4. **Follow guidelines** - Adhere to workspace policies
5. **Protect data** - Don't share sensitive information
## Changing Roles
### Promoting to Admin
To promote a Member to Admin:
Navigate to **Settings → Team**
Locate the member you want to promote
Click the **Role** dropdown and select **Admin**
Confirm the role change in the dialog
**What happens:**
* Member immediately gains admin permissions
* They can now access billing and team management
* They receive a notification about the role change
* Activity is logged in audit trail
Only promote trusted team members to Admin. Admins have full access to billing, team management, and can remove other team members.
### Demoting to Member
To demote an Admin to Member:
Navigate to **Settings → Team**
Locate the admin you want to demote
Click the **Role** dropdown and select **Member**
Confirm the role change in the dialog
**What happens:**
* Admin loses admin permissions immediately
* They can no longer access billing or team management
* They retain access to core features
* Activity is logged in audit trail
You cannot demote yourself if you're the only admin. Promote another team member to admin first.
## Permission Scenarios
### Scenario 1: New Team Member
**Situation:** Hiring a new employee who needs access to Porcia
**Recommended approach:**
1. Invite as **Member** initially
2. Let them get familiar with the platform
3. Promote to **Admin** after 30 days if needed
4. Provide training on their role and responsibilities
### Scenario 2: Contractor or Consultant
**Situation:** External consultant needs temporary access
**Recommended approach:**
1. Invite as **Member** only
2. Limit their access duration
3. Remove when project is complete
4. Never promote contractors to Admin
### Scenario 3: Department Lead
**Situation:** Department lead needs to manage their team's vendors
**Recommended approach:**
1. Invite as **Member** initially
2. They can manage vendors for their department
3. Promote to **Admin** if they need to invite their team
4. Consider creating separate workspace for department (Enterprise)
### Scenario 4: Finance Team Member
**Situation:** Finance team needs to view spending but not manage vendors
**Recommended approach:**
1. Invite as **Member**
2. They can view all vendor spending
3. They can export reports
4. They cannot modify vendor data
5. Promote to **Admin** if they need billing access
## Security Considerations
### Admin Security
**Protect admin accounts:**
* Use strong, unique passwords
* Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
* Don't share admin credentials
* Log out when not in use
* Review admin activity regularly
**Admin account compromise:**
If an admin account is compromised:
1. Immediately change password
2. Review recent activity
3. Check for unauthorized changes
4. Remove suspicious team members
5. Contact support if needed
### Member Security
**Protect member accounts:**
* Use strong passwords
* Enable 2FA
* Don't share credentials
* Report suspicious activity
* Keep browser extension updated
**Member account compromise:**
If a member account is compromised:
1. Admin should immediately remove the member
2. Change password if account is recovered
3. Review activity for unauthorized actions
4. Re-invite member with new credentials
## Audit Trail
### Activity Logging
All role-related actions are logged:
**Logged events:**
* Role changes (promotions/demotions)
* Team member additions/removals
* Permission changes
* Billing changes (admin only)
* Integration changes (admin only)
**View audit log:**
1. Go to **Settings → Security → Audit Log** (Admin only)
2. Filter by event type, user, or date
3. Export audit log if needed
### Compliance
Audit logs help with:
* Security investigations
* Compliance audits
* Access reviews
* Incident response
* Policy enforcement
## Future Roles (Coming Soon)
Porcia is planning additional roles:
**Viewer Role:**
* Read-only access to vendors and analytics
* Cannot edit or add data
* Useful for executives or stakeholders
**Billing Admin:**
* Access to billing only
* Cannot manage team or vendors
* Useful for finance team members
**Custom Roles:**
* Define custom permission sets
* Assign to specific team members
* Enterprise plan feature
## Best Practices
### Role Assignment
1. **Start restrictive** - Begin with Member role, promote as needed
2. **Regular reviews** - Audit roles quarterly
3. **Principle of least privilege** - Give minimum access needed
4. **Document decisions** - Keep notes on why roles were assigned
5. **Train users** - Ensure users understand their permissions
### Role Management
1. **Limit admins** - Keep admin count low (2-3 for most teams)
2. **Backup admin** - Always have at least 2 admins
3. **Offboarding** - Remove access immediately when someone leaves
4. **Role rotation** - Consider rotating admin duties
5. **Emergency access** - Have a plan for admin account recovery
### Security
1. **Enable 2FA** - Require for all admins
2. **Strong passwords** - Enforce password policies
3. **Regular audits** - Review access logs monthly
4. **Incident response** - Have a plan for compromised accounts
5. **Training** - Educate team on security best practices
## Troubleshooting
### Can't Perform Action
If a team member can't perform an action:
1. **Check their role** - Verify they have the right permissions
2. **Review restrictions** - Some actions are admin-only
3. **Check workspace status** - Ensure subscription is active
4. **Clear cache** - Try logging out and back in
5. **Contact admin** - Request role change if needed
### Role Change Not Working
If you can't change someone's role:
1. **Verify you're an admin** - Only admins can change roles
2. **Check if last admin** - Can't demote yourself if you're the only admin
3. **Refresh page** - Try reloading the page
4. **Check permissions** - Ensure you have team management access
5. **Contact support** - If issue persists
## Next Steps
Learn how to manage your team
Configure workspace preferences
Manage subscription and billing