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Every member of your workspace has exactly one role. A role is a set of permissions, one for each area of Mercora, that says whether the member can’t see it, can view it, or can change it. This page helps you understand what each permission covers and set up roles that fit your team. Roles are managed under Settings → Roles.
Before you start: creating and editing roles is for workspace admins. A role can only open areas whose module is turned on, so decide your modules first.

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Permission levels

Each permission has one of three levels: Some permissions only go up to View because there is nothing to change: Dashboard and Reports. Copilot is either None or Use.

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Permissions

Permissions are grouped the same way as modules.

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Core app

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Workflows

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Shared capabilities

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Administration

A permission shown indented under another only takes effect while its parent is at least View. In the role editor it reads “Requires” followed by the parent’s name until then. Each kind of push to an external system is its own permission, so you can, for example, let someone push invoices without letting them push contracts.

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Built-in roles

Every workspace starts with three built-in roles: User access, Email and Files are left out of Operator and Viewer on purpose: managing members, and acting as the whole workspace in its shared mailboxes and files, are things an admin grants deliberately. You can adjust the permissions of a built-in role. You can’t delete a built-in role or change whether it’s an admin role.

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Custom roles

Admins can create roles for the way your team works, such as “Trade finance” or “Logistics”.
1

Open Roles

Go to Settings → Roles and click New role.
2

Name the role

Give it a Name (up to 60 characters) and, optionally, a Description.
3

Choose a starting point

Under Copy permissions from, pick No access — start empty, or an existing role to copy its permissions once. Later changes to that role don’t carry over. Copying never turns on Workspace admin, and copying an admin role leaves User access at None.
4

Set the permissions

Choose None, View or Edit for each permission. Use Set all to… on a group to set every permission in it at once, or Search permissions… to find one. Until you grant something, the dialog reminds you that the member won’t see Home or the Inbox without Dashboard, Copilot or a workflow permission.
5

Create the role

Click Create role. You can then assign it to members under Settings → Members.
The New role dialog with the permission grid

Creating a role, starting empty. Each permission gets None, View or Edit. Invoice sync carries a Module off badge, and stays greyed out until Documents is at least View.

In the role editor, a permission whose module is turned off for the workspace shows a Module off badge. You can still set it, and it takes effect if the module is turned on later. To edit a role, click it in the list, make your changes and click Save changes. To delete a custom role, click its delete icon. If members still use it, choose a role to Move members to first, then click Delete role.

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Admins

Turning on Workspace admin for a role gives it full access everywhere, plus member management, roles, settings and integrations. An admin role ignores the permission grid. Mercora protects your workspace from losing its last admin. You can’t demote or remove the last admin, turn off Workspace admin on the role the only admins hold, or delete that role while it holds them. Give another member an admin role first.

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How modules and permissions combine

A member can only use an area when both are true:
  • The area’s module is turned on for the workspace. See Modules.
  • The member’s role grants at least View on the matching permission, or Edit to make changes.
If a member is missing either one, the area doesn’t appear in their sidebar. If they open a link to a page their role doesn’t allow, Mercora shows a message that their role doesn’t allow it and suggests asking a workspace admin. Some features need more than one permission. For example, pushing an invoice to an external system needs Edit on Documents and Edit on Invoice sync, and the External systems sync and Invoice sync modules turned on.

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Next steps

Members

Invite teammates and give each one a role.

Modules

Turn on the areas your roles grant.

Walkthrough

See what a member does day to day, on one sugar trade.