Permission denied — what it means and how to fix it
A permission error means your role does not allow the action. That is different from a feature being locked by your plan.
First: is it a role or a plan?
| Permission problem | Plan problem | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | The button is missing, or the action is refused | The item is shown locked, naming the plan that unlocks it |
| Fix | An Owner changes your role | Upgrade the plan |
If a feature is shown locked with an upgrade prompt, see Why can't I see this feature? instead.
What each role can do
| Action | Owner | Admin | Manager | Employee | Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View assets | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Create assets | ● | ● | ● | — | — |
| Update assets | ● | ● | ● | ● | — |
| Delete assets | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Assign assets | ● | ● | ● | — | — |
| Manage categories | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Manage departments | ● | — | — | — | — |
| Manage users | ● | — | — | — | — |
| Organization settings | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Create maintenance | ● | ● | ● | — | — |
| Complete maintenance | ● | ● | ● | ● | — |
| View reports | ● | ● | ● | — | — |
| Check assets out and in | ● | ● | ● | ● | — |
| View checkouts | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Billing | ● | — | — | — | — |
| Integrations, API keys, webhooks | ● | — | — | — | — |
Common messages
"Unauthorized — only OWNER and ADMIN can import assets." CSV import is restricted to Owners and Admins.
"You don't have permission to delete assets." Deletion needs Owner or Admin. Managers can create and update but not delete.
Settings pages refusing access. Billing, Plan & Usage, Integrations, and Roles are Owner-only. Organization settings need Owner or Admin.
Work orders and service records invisible. Viewers cannot see them at all. This is the correct behaviour for the Viewer role, not a fault.
What to do
- Check your role at Settings → Profile.
- Work out the minimum role you need from the table above.
- Ask your Owner to change it. Only the Owner can change roles.
- Reload. Role changes take effect on your next request, not at your next sign-in — so there is no need to sign out.
Ask for the role you need, not the highest one
Most people asking for "more access" need Manager, which covers creating and updating assets, assigning them, managing maintenance, and viewing reports.
Admin adds deletion and category management. Owner adds billing, user management, and organization deletion. There should be one Owner.
Requirements
- Roles: Only the Owner can change roles, at Dashboard → Users.
Troubleshooting
My role was changed but nothing happened. Reload the page. Changes apply on the next request.
I'm an Admin and still cannot manage users. Admins can read users but not manage them. User management is Owner-only.
I'm the Owner and an action is still refused. It is almost certainly a plan gate rather than a permission. See Why can't I see this feature?.
Everything read-only suddenly. Check whether the subscription has expired — that blocks creation while leaving existing data readable.
I was signed out unexpectedly. Your account may have been deactivated. Deactivation ends access immediately, on the next request.
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