How to manage user roles in ClickUp
In ClickUp, understanding and managing user roles is essential to keep your Workspace secure, organized, and easy to maintain. This guide explains how to identify each role, what they can do, and how to adjust permissions step by step.
Use this article when you need to review existing roles, grant more access to trusted users, or limit what people can change in your Workspace.
Overview of ClickUp user roles
Every person added to a Workspace is assigned a role. Roles determine what data they can see and what settings they can change.
The main Workspace-level roles are:
- Owner: Full control over the Workspace, billing, and security.
- Admin: Manages people, settings, and most advanced features.
- Member: Works on tasks and projects with standard access.
- Guest: Limited access, usually for clients or contractors.
Guests and members are user types, while owner and admin are higher-privilege roles that apply at the Workspace level.
ClickUp owner role explained
The owner is the highest level of control in a ClickUp Workspace. There can be more than one owner, but each Workspace must always have at least one.
Main responsibilities of a ClickUp owner
Owners are typically responsible for overall governance and security. They can:
- Access and manage billing, including subscriptions and invoices.
- Change Workspace-wide security settings and advanced permissions.
- Promote members to admins or owners, or demote them.
- Delete the Workspace, if needed.
- Manage default settings that affect all users.
What only a ClickUp owner can do
Some actions are restricted to owners and cannot be performed by admins or members. These usually involve:
- Final control over billing and payment details.
- Workspace deletion or transfer of ownership.
- Critical security items that would affect every user.
Use the owner role sparingly and assign it only to people you fully trust with top-level control.
ClickUp admin role explained
Admins help owners manage the Workspace day to day. They have more access than members, but less than owners.
Core capabilities of ClickUp admins
Admins can typically:
- Invite new members and guests to the Workspace.
- Remove users or change their roles and permissions, except for owners.
- Configure most Workspace settings such as Spaces, custom fields, and templates.
- Set up or manage security and sharing configurations within limits defined by owners.
- Review and maintain user activity at the Workspace level.
When to assign the ClickUp admin role
Assign the admin role to team leads, system owners, or internal champions who:
- Support other users and handle setup tasks.
- Need to manage Spaces, integrations, or automations.
- Should control who has access to sensitive data.
Do not assign admin to external partners or temporary collaborators, as it gives broad access to configuration and user management.
ClickUp member type explained
Members are full users who work on tasks, views, and projects without managing high-level Workspace settings.
Capabilities of ClickUp members
Members can usually:
- Create and edit tasks, docs, and views they have access to.
- Comment, assign tasks, and collaborate with teammates.
- Use core features like dashboards, Whiteboards, and docs within their permissions.
- Share items with other members or guests if allowed by Workspace settings.
Members cannot access sensitive billing or security controls, and they cannot promote themselves to admin or owner.
Ideal use cases for ClickUp members
Use the member type for:
- Internal employees who work regularly in your Workspace.
- Team members who need to create and manage work, but not global settings.
- People who require more access than guests, such as cross-functional collaborators.
Guest access in ClickUp
Guests are limited users, often used for people outside your organization.
What guests can do in ClickUp
Guests typically:
- Access only the tasks, docs, or views that are explicitly shared with them.
- Comment on or update items if granted edit permissions.
- Cannot see most Workspace-level settings or private internal areas.
Guests are ideal for clients, vendors, or contractors who need visibility into specific work but should not see your entire Workspace.
How to check your ClickUp role
Follow these steps to confirm your current role in the Workspace:
- Open your ClickUp Workspace.
- Click on your avatar or profile menu in the top corner.
- Look for an item such as People or Workspace settings, depending on your plan and interface.
- Open the people or members list to see each person’s role and user type.
- Locate your name and check whether you are listed as owner, admin, member, or guest.
If you do not see role information, you may be a guest or have limited access; contact an owner or admin for clarification.
How to change roles in ClickUp
Only Workspace owners and admins can change roles for other people. Guests cannot promote themselves, and members cannot elevate their own access.
Steps for owners and admins to change roles
- Sign in to ClickUp using an owner or admin account.
- Open your Workspace settings or people management area.
- Find the user whose role you want to change.
- Select their current role or user type field.
- Choose the new option, such as owner, admin, or member.
- Confirm the change and notify the user if necessary.
Use promotions and demotions cautiously to avoid giving more control than needed or unexpectedly reducing essential access.
Security tips for ClickUp role management
Careful role assignments protect your Workspace from accidental changes and unauthorized access.
- Limit the number of owners to a small group of trusted leaders.
- Review admin users regularly and remove access for people who have changed teams or left the company.
- Use guests for clients or external contributors instead of members.
- Apply the principle of least privilege: give only the access necessary for each person to do their work.
- Periodically audit shared items to ensure guests only see what they should.
Learn more about ClickUp roles and best practices
For the full, official description of each role and the latest capabilities, see the original help center article on user roles here: ClickUp owner, admin, and member type user roles.
If you need expert help designing a Workspace structure, permission model, or rollout plan, you can work with a specialized consulting team such as Consultevo to tailor ClickUp to your organization.
By assigning the right role to each person and reviewing access on a regular schedule, you keep your ClickUp Workspace secure, compliant, and easy for every user to navigate.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.
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