Permissions in detail

Keep your Workspace secure. Understand how to control members' and guests' access to Workspace items.

What you'll need

  • On our Free Forever Plan, everyone who joins your Workspace can only have full access to create and edit items.
  • On our paid plans, you can give members and guests specific permissions to Folders, Lists, tasks, Dashboards, Docs, Goals, and Goal Folders, and select views.
  • Members and guests receive permissions based on the item and its location.
  • On our Enterprise Plan, you can also set permissions on Spaces
  • All plans can set Invite Permissions per user role.

How do permissions work?

Permissions are applied to items and locations in the Hierarchy

The permissions you have to each specific item or location are determined in the following order:

Business Plus and Enterprise Plans can set Custom Role Permissions per user role. Permission settings may override your ability to perform certain actions.

Steps Yes No
1. Did you create the item? You can access the item with full permissions. Go to step 2.
2. Do you have full, edit, comment, or view-only permissions to the item? You can access the item with that level of permission. Go to step 3.
3. Are you in a Team with permission to the item?

You can access the item with that level of permission.

Go to step 4.
4. Is the item private?

You can't see or access the item.

Private items are only available to the people and Teams with permission to the item.

Go to step 5.
5. Is the item a Space, and are you a guest? You won't have access to this item because guests don't have access to Spaces. Go to step 6.
6. Do you have permission to the item based on your permissions throughout the Hierarchy?

Your permissions to the item are inherited from the Hierarchy.

For example:

Each employee has a task in the Payroll List with their salary amount.

Each task is shared with the employee, so they can only see their own salary.

The Payroll List is private and only shared with the payroll team.

The payroll team inherits full permissions to all of the Payroll List tasks because they have permissions to the Payroll List.

You have full access to the item.

For example:

A task is created to fix a bug on the mobile app.

No permissions are set on the task, the Bug List, the Mobile app team Folder, or the Engineering Space.

The task, List, Folder, and Space are not private.

Everyone (except for guests) has full access to the bug task.

If the Engineering Space is private, you'll only have access to the bug task if:

  • You created the Space.
  • You joined the Space.
  • You are in a Team with access to the Space.

Conflicting permissions

It's possible to have different permissions to the same item. In this case, permissions set on the most granular level of the Hierarchy or the highest permission level are applied.

Permissions on tasks override Lists and permissions on Lists override Folders.

  • For example: You have comment permissions on a bug task you submitted. You have view-only permissions to the Bug List. You can only comment on the task you submitted. You can only view all other tasks in the Bug List.

Permissions for individual people override permissions granted to Teams.

  • For example: Sam has comment permissions on their own payroll task that includes their salary.
    Sam is also a member of the payroll Team, who has full permissions to the task. Sam can only comment on their own payroll task.

Full permissions override edit permissions, edit overrides comment, and comment overrides view-only permissions.

  • For example: A task is added to two separate Lists. You have view-only permissions to one of the Lists, and comment permissions to the other List. You inherit the highest permission, so you can comment on the task.

How are permissions applied?

Four permission levels can be applied to certain items and locations. These permissions are applied differently based on the item or location and user role. 

For example:

  • The edit permissions on a Folder allow members to share that Folder.
  • Guests can't share anything, even with edit permissions.

Click the links in the following table for more detailed information on each item and user role:

Item

Full Members, Owners, and Admins can access?

Limited Members and Limited Members read only can access if the item or location is shared with them?

Guests can access can access if the item or location is shared with them?

Tasks Yes Yes Yes
Folders Yes Yes Yes
Lists Yes Yes Yes
Spaces

Members

Space permissions for members are only available on the Enterprise Plan.

Yes

No. Spaces can't be shared with guests. 

Everything view

Yes

Yes

No

Chat

Hierarchy locations and their Chats share permissions and sharing. When a member is given access to a location, they are also given access to the Chat and vice versa. 

Yes

?

No

Dashboards Yes ? Yes. Guests are always view only. 
Docs Yes  ? Yes

Chat view

Chat view is only available if the Chat ClickApp is disabled.

Yes Chat access for these user roles is coming soon! No
Doc view Yes ? Yes
Embed view Yes ? No
Form view Yes ? No
Goals and Goal Folders Yes ? Yes

Whiteboards

Yes ? Yes
Whiteboard views Yes ? Yes
Protect and unprotect views Yes ? No

Tasks

What you can and can't do with tasks varies by user role. Workspace owners and admins have the same permission options as members. By default, creators of Spaces, Folders, Lists, and tasks cannot have these permissions edited by others.

Subtasks and nested subtasks inherit their primary parent task's permissions.

Members

Member Permission level Description
Full

Members with Full access can

Can edit and delete a task.

Can perform all of the following actions.

Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can merge, move, print, convert to List, add to another List, add to Favorites, add to LineUp, use templates, and archive the task.

Can share tasks with others, including guests.

Can publicly share tasks.

Can only give others edit, comment, or view-only permissions.

Can add, change, and remove assignees.

Can create and add tasks to Relationships.

Can view Relationships linked to any tasks they have permission to access.

  • If they don't have permissions to a task linked as a Relationship, only the Relationship displays. The task does not. 

Members with Edit access can't

Can't create or delete tasks or subtasks.

Comment

Members with Comment access can

Can comment, copy task links and IDs, print, attach emails and files, and add to Favorites and LineUp.

Can react with emoji, assign and resolve their own assigned comments, and complete assigned checklist items.

Can share tasks with others, including guests. 

Can publicly share tasks.

Can only give others comment- or view-only permissions. 

Assignees can change the task status, add other assignees, or remove themselves as the task assignee. 

Members with Comment access can't

Can't create, edit, delete, or track time within tasks or subtasks.

View only

Members with View only access can

Can view tasks, copy links and IDs, print, and add to Favorites and LineUp.

Members with View only access can't

Can't create, edit, or delete tasks or subtasks.

Can't comment on or edit tasks.

Guests

Guest Permission level Description
Full

Guests with Full access can

Can duplicate, move, and merge tasks.

Can convert tasks to Lists or subtasks, archive and delete tasks.

Can add to Favorites, use templates, add comments.

Can add, change, and remove assignees, edit, assign, resolve, and delete their own comments, assign and resolve other people's comments.

Can view, edit, and print the task description.

Can restore the task description from the history.

Can edit custom task types, including Milestones

Can create and add tasks to Relationships.

Can view Relationships linked to any tasks they have permission to access.

  • If they don't have permissions to a task linked as a Relationship, only the Relationship displays. The task does not. 

Guests with Full access can't

Can't manage Custom Fields for this task's List.

Can't share the task.

Edit

Guests with Edit access can

Can merge and move tasks.

Convert tasks to Lists.

Can add to Favorites, use templates, and archive the task. 

Can view, edit, and print the task description.

Can restore the task description from the history.

Can add, change, and remove assignees, and add comments.

Can edit, assign, resolve, and delete their own comments, assign and resolve other people's comments.

Can create and add tasks to Relationships.

Can view Relationships linked to any tasks they have permission to access.

  • If they don't have permissions to a task linked as a Relationship, only the Relationship displays. The task does not. 

Guests with Edit access can't

Can't create tasks, subtasks, or convert a task to a subtask.

Can't delete the task.

Can't perform any other actions.

Comment

Guests with Comment access can

Can copy links and task IDs, print, attach emails, and add to Favorites.

Can download task attachments.

Can add comments, edit, assign, resolve, and delete their own comments, resolve and reassign comments they've been assigned.

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to.

Can view Relationships linked to any tasks they have permission to access.

  • If they don't have permissions to a task linked as a Relationship, only the Relationship displays. The task does not. 

Guests with comment access can't

Can't edit the task.

Can't perform any other actions.

View only

Guests with View only access can

Can view tasks, copy links and IDs, print the task, add to Favorites.

Can view Relationships linked to any tasks they have permission to access.

  • If they don't have permissions to a task linked as a Relationship, only the Relationship displays. The task does not.

Guests with View only access can't

Can't add comments.

Can't perform any other actions.

Folders

What you can and can't do with a Folder varies by user role. Workspace owners and admins have the same permission options as members. By default, creators of Spaces, Folders, Lists, and tasks cannot have these permissions edited by others.

Members

Member Permission level Description
Full

Members with Full access can

Can create tasks in this Folder.

Can edit Folder settings and delete the Folder.

Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can edit tasks in this Folder and Folder settings.

Can share Folders with others, including guests.

Members with Edit access can't

Can't create tasks or delete the Folder.

Comment

Members with Comment access can

Can comment on Tasks in this Folder.

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to in this Folder.

Members with Comment access can't

Can't edit Folder settings.

View only

Members with View only access can

Can view items in this Folder, and share Folders with others, including guests.

Members with View only access can't

Can't comment or edit on tasks in this Folder, or edit Folder settings.

Guests

Guest Permission level

Description

Full

Guests with Full access can

Can create tasks in this Folder, copy Folder links, and add to Favorites.

Guests with Full access can't

Can't edit Folder settings.

Edit

Guests with Edit access can

Can edit, copy Folder links, and add to Favorites.

Guests with Edit access can't

Can't create tasks in this Folder or edit Folder settings.

Comment

Guests with Comment access can

Can comment, copy links, and add to Favorites.

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to in this Folder.

Guests with Comment access can't

Can't edit Folder settings.

View only

Guests with View only access can

Can view items in this Folder, copy links, and add to Favorites. 

Guests with View only access can't

Can't comment or edit on tasks in this Folder, or edit Folder settings.

Lists

What you can and can't do with a List varies by user role. Workspace owners and admins have the same permission options as members. By default, creators of Spaces, Folders, Lists, and tasks cannot have these permissions edited by others.

Members

Member Permission level Description
Full

Members with Full access can

Can create tasks in this List, edit List settings, and delete the List.

Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can edit tasks in this List and List settings. 

Can share Lists with others, including guests.

Members with Edit access can't

Can't create tasks or delete the List.

Comment

Members with Comment access can

Can comment on tasks in this List.

Can view List Info, copy links, and add to Favorites.

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to in this List.

Members with Comment access can't

Can't edit List settings.

View only

Members with View only access can

Can view this List, List Info, copy links, and add to Favorites.

Members with View only access can't

Can't comment, edit tasks in this List, or edit List settings.

Guests

Guest Permission level Description
Full

Guests with Full access can

Can create tasks, copy links, edit List Info, and add to Favorites.

Guests with Full access can't

Can't edit List settings.

Edit

Guests with Edit access can

Can edit tasks, copy links, edit List Info, and add to Favorites.

Guests with Edit access can't

Can't edit List settings.

Comment

Guests with Comment access can

Can comment, copy links, view List Info, and add to Favorites. 

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to in this List.

Guests with Comment access can't

Can't edit List settings.

View only

Guests with View only access can

Can view this List, copy links, view List Info, and add to Favorites.

Guests with View only access can't

Can't comment, edit tasks, or edit List settings.

Spaces

On the Enterprise Plan, you can give individual members Space permissions. Guests cannot have Spaces shared with them. By default, creators of Spaces, Folders, Lists, and tasks cannot have these permissions edited by others.

Members

Member Permission level Description
Full

Members with Full access can

Can create or delete Lists and Folders in the Space.

Can share the Space with others.

Members with Full access can't

Can't delete the Space or edit Space settings unless they created the Space.

Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can view this Space, copy links, and add the Space to Favorites.

Can archive Lists or Folders in the Space.

Members with Edit access can't

Can't create or delete Lists or Folders in the Space.

Can't share the Space with others.

Comment

Members with Comment access can

Can comment on tasks that live in Lists in the Space.

Can view List Info of Lists in the Space.

Can view this Space, copy links, and add the Space to Favorites.

Assignees can change the status and set assignee(s) on the tasks they're assigned to in Lists that live in the Space.

Members with Comment access can't

Can't edit Space settings.

Can't archive Lists or Folders in the Space.

View only

Members with View-only access can

Can view this Space, copy links, and add the Space to Favorites.

Members with View-only access can't

Can't comment or edit tasks that live in Lists in this Space.

Can't edit Space settings.

Views

User Role

Description

Members

Can access public views. 

Can access private views shared with them. 

Can create views.

Guests

Can access public views of items shared with them. 

Can access private views shared with them. 

Can create views if they have been given individual guest permissions.

Protect and unprotect views

There are two permission options related to protecting views:

  • Can protect and unprotect view: Can protect this view and unprotect it to save changes.
  • Can't unprotect view: Can't save changes to this view.

Screenshot of view protection permissions.png

Chat

Hierarchy locations and their Chats share permissions and sharing. When a member is given access to a location, they are also given access to the Chat and vice versa. Guests cannot access Chat.

Chat view

If the Chat ClickApp is disabled in your Workspace, you can use Chat view.

You can set unique permissions that just apply to a Chat view.

  • Can manage chat: Can edit settings and delete this view.
  • Can't manage or delete chat: Can view, add comments, copy, and add to Favorites.
    Can't edit settings or delete this Chat view.

Screenshot of Chat view permissions.png

Embed view

You can set unique permissions that just apply to an Embed view.

  • Can manage Embed view: Can edit view settings and delete this view.
  • Can't manage Embed view: Can view, copy, and add to Favorites.
    Can't edit settings or delete this view.

Screenshot of Embed view permissions.png

Form view

You can set unique permissions that just apply to a Form view.

  • Can edit and manage Form: Can edit Form fields, Form and view settings, and delete this view.
  • Can't edit or manage Form: Can view, submit, copy, and add to Favorites.
    Can't edit Form fields, Form or view settings, or delete this view.

Screenshot of Form view permissions.png

Doc view

You can set permissions to a Doc that is shared as a Doc view. Permissions set on a Doc view also apply to the Doc itself.

Permission level Description
Edit

Members and guests with Edit access can

Can edit Doc, edit Doc and view settings, and delete this view.

Can share Docs with others, including guests.

Comment

Members and guests with Comment access can

Can view, add, edit, and delete their own comments.

Can copy the view and add to Favorites.

Members and guests with Comment access can't

Can't edit Doc, view or Doc settings, or delete this view.

View only

Members and guests with View-only access can

Can view this Doc

Can see Doc history

Members and guests with View-only access can't

Can't edit Doc, add comments, edit view or Doc settings, or delete this view.

Dashboards

What you can and can't do with Dashboards varies by user role. Workspace owners and admins have the same permission options as members.

Members

Member Permission level Description
Full

Members with Full access can

Can add, edit, and delete cards.

Can edit settings and delete this Dashboard.

Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can add, edit, and remove cards. 

Can share Dashboards with others, including guests.

Members with Edit access can't

Can't delete the Dashboard.

View only

Members with View-only access can

Can view this Dashboard.

Can comment, edit and delete their own comments in Chat cards.

Members with View-only access can't

Can't add, edit, or delete cards.

Can't edit or delete this Dashboard.

Guests

There is only one Dashboard permission option available for guests.

View only: Can view this Dashboard. Can comment, edit, and delete their own comments in Chat cards.

Guests must be given access to the tasks, Lists, or Folders referenced in Dashboard cards to see all data.

Docs

Permissions set on Docs also apply when Docs are shared as a view or in the Sidebar.

Permission level Description
Edit

Members with Edit access can

Can edit the Doc, Doc settings, and delete the Doc.

Can share Docs with others, including guests. They can also publicly share Docs and pages.

Guests with Edit access can

Can edit the Doc, Doc settings, and delete the Doc.

Can't share Docs with others.

Comment

Members and guests with Comment access can

Can view the Doc, add, edit, and delete their own comments.

View only

Members and guests with View-only access can

Can view the Doc.

Members and guests with View-only access can't

Can't edit doc, add comments, edit Doc settings, or delete the view.

Goals and Goal Folders

You can set unique permissions that just apply to Goals and Goal Folders.

Permission level Description
Edit

Members and guests with Edit access can

Can create, edit, move, and delete goals.

Can share Goals with others, including guests.

View only

Members and guests with View-only access can

Can't create, edit, move, or delete goals.

Conflicting permissions

In the event that someone has conflicting permissions in ClickUp, then the most specific and highest permission will be honored.
  • Task-level permissions override List level permissions, which override Folder and Space level permissions.
    • For example: Sam has view only permissions to a private task. They have comment permissions to the private List where the task lives. Sam has view only access to that specific task, and comment permissions to the other tasks in the List.
  • Permissions set for a specific person always override Team permissions.
    • For example: A private task is shared with Alex (view only) and Team A (comment). Alex is a member of Team A. Alex has view only permissions to the private task.
  • Create & Edit (full) permissions override can edit permissions, which override can comment, which override can view permissions.

Team permissions

Users on the Business Plus and Enterprise Plans can share items with and set permissions for Teams.
Screenshot of someone sharing an item with a Team.png 
When a user has both Team and individual permissions for an item or location, the individual user permission is applied.
For example, Jamie has comment permissions on a List. The Content Team (which includes Jamie) has edit permissions for an individual task in that List.
Jamie, as a member of the Content Team, can edit that one task. Through individual permissions, Jamie can comment on all other tasks in the List. Other people in the Content Team can edit that one task, but cannot see the other tasks in the List.
If you share an item with a Team and a member of the Team hasn't been given individual permission to access it, you'll be prompted to give them access and set permissions.

Doc permissions

When a Doc is attached to a task, the Doc inherits permissions from the task.
For example, Casey is given comment permissions to a private task. Casey has comment permissions to the Docs attached to the task.
When Docs are added to locations, such as Folders or Lists, they'll inherit permissions from the location.
For example, Nick is a guest in the Workspace. Sam shares a List with Nick with comment permissions. Nick can comment on Docs added to the List.

Permissions for Tasks in Multiple Lists

Tasks can be added to other Lists using the Tasks in Multiple Lists feature.
For example, Steve has view only permissions to List 1, and comment permissions to List 2. A task is created in List 1, and added to List 2.
Steve has comment permissions to the task through their permissions on List 2. If a user has edit permissions in List 1 and full permissions in List 2, they aren't able to add a task from List 1 to List 2. 

Permissions when sharing private items

Workspace members with access to private items can share them with other people. They can only give other people the same or fewer permissions.
For example, Sam gives Jessie comment permissions to a private task. Jessie also shares the task with Jordan, a guest. Jessie can only give Jordan comment or view only permissions.

Example of permissions logic

For example, Sam creates a task but doesn't make it private. Alex tries to access the task.
  1. Alex isn't the task owner. If they were, they would get full permissions.
  2. Alex doesn't have individual permissions to the task.
  3. Alex isn't a member of a team with permissions to the task.
  4. The task isn't private.
We can't tell if Alex should be able to open the task yet. We need to check the Hierarchy where the task lives. We check if Alex has permissions on the List where the task lives:
  1. Alex isn't the List owner.
  2. Alex doesn't have individual permissions to the List.
  3. Alex isn't a member of a team with access to the List.
  4. The List isn't private.
Next, we check if Alex has permissions on the Folder where the List lives:
  1. Alex isn't the Folder owner.
  2. Alex doesn't have individual permissions to the Folder.
  3. Alex isn't a member of a team with access to the Folder.
  4. The Folder isn't private.
Then, we check if Alex has access to the Space where the Folder lives:
  1. Alex isn't the Space owner.
  2. Alex doesn't have individual permissions to the Space.
  3. Alex isn't a member of a team with access to the Space.
  4. The Space isn't private.
  5. Alex is not a guest.
Result: Alex gets full access to the task. This is because members have access to public Hierarchy locations and public tasks by default. The task, List, Folder, and Space are all public.

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