Creating Users & Security Roles

In Handbook, managing users and their access to documents is critical to ensuring that your team has the appropriate permissions to view and edit policies and procedures.


In this guide, we'll explain the difference between Document Owners and security roles, and provide detailed instructions on how to create, edit, and manage users in your Handbook account.

Document Ownership vs. Security Roles

While Document Owners are responsible for managing specific documents within Handbook, security roles control a user’s access level across the entire platform. It's important to note that changing or clearing the Document Owner does not affect a user’s ability to access, view, or edit the document. These permissions are determined by a user's security role and edit permissions, which are separate from ownership.

  • Document Owner: The person designated as the document's owner is responsible for overseeing the document’s lifecycle (e.g., updates, reviews, and approvals). Ownership is related to internal workflows, not content editing or security access.
  • Security Roles: These roles (Owner, Admin, Manager, Employee) determine the level of access users have throughout the Handbook platform, including the ability to view and edit documents, manage settings, and perform administrative functions.

For example, if you clear the document owner for a specific file, it only removes that person’s responsibility for managing the document, but their edit permissions and ability to access the document remain unchanged.

If you'd like to enable automatic user syncing from your payroll or HR software, click here →

Creating Users

Follow these steps to create a new user and assign them the appropriate security role and permissions:

Navigate to the Users Section

  1. Log in to your Handbook account.
  2. From the main navigation menu, select Users.

Add a New User

  1. Click the Add User button.
  2. Fill in the user details:
    • First Name: Enter the user’s first name.
    • Last Name: Enter the user’s last name.
    • Email: Enter the user’s email address.
    • Role: Select the appropriate role (Owner, Admin, Manager, Employee).

Assign Locations and Policies

  1. Choose the locations the user will be associated with.
  2. Assign relevant policies and procedures to the user.

Set Permissions

  1. Define user permissions based on their role. (Roles explained below)

  2. Click Save to create the user.

    The new user will receive an email invitation to set up their account.


Tags

Tags are used to group together users. These groupings are then used when settings up Acknowledgements, so Handbook knows what users should acknowledge which documents. Tags can be anything that is relevant to your organization or team, such as departments, teams, and more. Learn more about tags →


Once you've clicked Send Invite, the user will receive a welcome email from Handbook explaining how to log in and give them a welcome tutorial.

Feature Permissions by Role

The following table outlines the different roles available in Handbook and their associated permissions:

Feature Owner Admin Manager Employee
Full access to all settings ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Full access to content ✅ ✅ ✅ (Their location only) ❌
Full access to billing ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌
Manage all locations ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Manage assigned locations ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Manage users ✅ ✅ ✅ (Their location only) ❌
View assigned policies ✅ ✅ ✅ (Their location only) ✅
Manage Incidents ✅ ✅ ✅ (Their location only) ❌

Key:

  • ✅ = Full access to the feature
  • ❌ = No access to the feature

Note: In the Enterprise plan, if you're utilizing the Locations feature, the Admin role can access all locations, while the Manager role can only access locations they have permission to view. Think of this as if the Admin is a regional manager and Manager as a store/general manager.

Managing Users

You can manage user information and adjust their roles as needed. Here’s how:


Edit User Information

  1. In the Users section, find the user you want to edit.
  2. Click on the Edit icon next to their name.
  3. Update the user’s details as needed and click Save.

Delete Users

  • To permanently delete a user: Click on the Delete button. Confirm the deletion in the prompt.

Reset Passwords

  1. If a user needs a password reset, they should click on the Reset Password button on the login page.
  2. The user will receive an email with instructions to reset their password.

Cancel 2FA

If a user gets locked out due to Two-Factor Authentication, someone with access to the Users page can select the user and click the Cancel 2FA button. The user will no longer need to use their 2FA method when logging in.


Manage User Roles

  1. To change a user’s role, select the desired role from the dropdown menu in the user’s profile.
  2. Click Save to apply the changes.

Note: You cannot bulk import users unless you’re using the Payroll Integration, available in the Advanced and Enterprise plans.

Tips for Effective User Management

  • Regular Updates: Regularly update user information to ensure accuracy. You can also integrate with a payroll provider to automatically update user details.
  • Role Assignments: Assign roles based on users' responsibilities to ensure security and proper access.
  • Deactivate Inactive Users: Deactivate users who no longer need access to keep your account secure.

By following these steps, you can efficiently manage users within Handbook, ensuring that everyone has the necessary access to perform their roles effectively. For additional support, please submit a ticket through our support system.

Was this helpful? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.