Overview
Access roles determine what modules users can see and what actions they can perform across Formalize. Setting up appropriate access roles ensures security, protects sensitive data, and grants team members the exact permissions needed for their responsibilities.
Navigating to Access Roles
To access role management settings:
Navigate to Settings.
Select Users & Access from the side menu.
Open the Access Roles tab.
Types of Permissions
When creating or modifying Access Roles, you can restrict access for individual modules using the following permission types:
View: Allows reading content within the module.
Add: Allows creating new items.
Edit: Allows modifying existing items.
Delete: Allows permanently deleting items from the archive.
Archive: Allows moving active items into the module's archive.
View Archived Items: Allows searching and viewing items currently in the archive.
Export: Allows exporting data reports and reports within the module.
Show Module in Sidebar (only for Questionnaires): Controls whether the module appears in the user's navigation menu.
View External Respondents (only for Questionnaires): Allows viewing responses submitted by external third parties (e.g., external vendor questionnaire responses).
Conditional Permissions: Restricts View, Edit, or Delete permissions exclusively to items where the user is designated as the Responsible User and/or the item is connected to a specific Company Entity.
Configuring Access Roles
How to Edit an Existing Role
Go to Settings -> Users & Access -> Access Roles.
Click Edit next to the role you want to modify.
Expand a module by clicking the Arrow (
>) next to its name to reveal specific permission toggles.Check or uncheck the permissions as required.
Expand Conditions to see conditional permission settings.
Click Save to confirm your changes.
How to Create a Custom Role
Go to Settings- > Users & Access -> Access Roles.
Click + Create.
Enter a descriptive Role Name (e.g., Vendor Manager).
Expand each module and select the checkboxes for the desired permissions.
Click Save.
Assigning Roles to Users
Once created, custom and pre-defined roles can be assigned to platform users:
Go to Settings -> Users & Access -> Users.
Select an existing user to edit, or click Options -> + Add User.
In the Access Role dropdown menu, select the desired role.
Click Save.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What happens if I update a role that is already assigned to users?
Updates to a role apply automatically and immediately to all users assigned to that role. You do not need to update individual user accounts.
Can users change their own access role?
No. Users cannot edit their own assigned role. Role modifications must be performed by another user who has administrator permissions to manage access rights.
How do I manage multi-entity setups?
For step-by-step instructions on setting up entity-restricted access roles, see How to Set Up Entity-Based Access Roles.How do I see all users within a role?
In Access Roles -> select the desired role -> Select the Users tab and view all users currently assigned to this role.
We hope this article was helpful!
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us via chat in the bottom right corner of the page — our team is always happy to assist you further.