Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

Overview

Every member of your AskElephant workspace has a role that determines what they can see and do. Think of roles as permission levels — they ensure the right people have access to the right information and features.

Whether you're setting up your team for the first time or joining an existing workspace, understanding these roles will help you navigate the platform confidently and know exactly what to expect.

The Three Main Roles

AskElephant has three core roles, each designed for different responsibilities:

Owner

Best for: Workspace administrators who manage the entire team and workspace.

What Owners can do:

Add, remove, and edit all team members
Assign and change roles (except for other Owners)
Manage workspace settings and integrations (like Zoom, CRM, and calendar connections)
View all meetings in the workspace (except those marked private)
Reactivate inactive team members
Set default privacy settings for the workspace

Manager

Best for: Team leads who oversee individual contributors.

What Managers can do:

Invite new team members (Users only)
Update team member profiles
Deactivate or reactivate Users
View all non-private meetings in the workspace
Manage meetings they own or participate in
Set privacy for their own meetings

What Managers can't do:

Change or deactivate Owners or other Managers
Promote anyone to Manager or Owner level
Access workspace-level settings

User

Best for: Team members focused on their own work and contributions.

What Users can do:

Update their own profile
View meetings they own or are invited to
Create and manage AI chats
View companies and contacts across the workspace
Mark their own meetings as private

What Users can't do:

Invite or manage other team members
Edit other people's profiles
Access workspace settings

Account Statuses

Beyond the three main roles, you may encounter two additional statuses:

Inactive – A team member who has been temporarily deactivated and cannot log in. An Owner or Manager can reactivate them at any time.

Not Invited – A team member account has been created but the invitation email hasn't been sent yet. They won't be able to log in until an Owner or Manager sends the invitation.

How Permissions Work

Your interface adapts to your role – You'll only see buttons, settings, and options that apply to your permission level. If you can't do something, it's likely because your role doesn't include that action.

Workspaces are separate – If you're part of multiple workspaces, your role might be different in each one. Your permissions in one workspace don't affect your access in another.

Security comes first – AskElephant enforces permissions both behind the scenes and in the interface. All permission changes are logged for transparency and security.

Meeting Privacy

Here's how meeting privacy works:

Owners can mark any meeting in the workspace as private, plus their own meetings.
Managers can mark only their own meetings as private.
Users cannot mark meetings as private.

Private meetings stay hidden from everyone except the owner and invited participants. This gives you control over sensitive conversations and team-only discussions.

Quick Reference Table

Feature / Action	Owner	Manager	User
Invite new users	✅	✅ (User level only)	❌
Change team member roles	✅ (to Owner/Manager/User)*	✅ (User level only)	❌
Deactivate/reactivate users	✅ (Workspace level)	✅ (User level only)	❌
Edit other team members	✅ (Workspace level)	✅ (User level only)	❌
Access workspace settings	✅	❌	❌
Configure integrations (CRM, Notion, Linear, etc.)	✅	❌	❌
View all meetings	✅	✅	✅
Manage meetings they own	✅	✅	✅
Manage workspace meetings	✅	✅	❌
Set default meeting privacy	✅	✅	❌
Access personal AI chats	✅	✅	✅
View companies & contacts	✅	✅	✅
Update personal profile/settings	✅	✅	✅
Mark meetings as private	✅	✅	❌
Create Workflows	✅	✅	❌

*Owners can not change another owner to a manager or user.

Troubleshooting

Can't see a feature or button? Check your role in your profile settings. If you need more access, ask your Manager or Owner to review your permissions.

Need to change someone's role? Only Owners and Managers can adjust roles. Contact your workspace Owner if you need permission changes.

Not sure who to reach out to? Your Owner has full control over the workspace and can answer questions about permissions or make adjustments.

Next Steps

Check your profile to confirm your current role
If you're an Owner or Manager, take time to familiarize your team with their roles
Reach out to the Herd in our community forum if you have questions about how roles work in your specific situation

Need Additional Help?

If you have questions or need further assistance, the AskElephant support team is here to help!

You can reach our support team in several ways:

click the chat button in the bottom right corner of your screen,
email us at support@askelephant.ai
or use @askelephant support in your dedicated Slack channel.

We're committed to getting you the answers you need as quickly as possible.

Role type & permissions