> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.answeringagent.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# User Roles

> Understand the role-based access control system in Answering Agent.

# User Roles Guide

This guide explains the role-based access control system in Answering Agent.

## Role Overview

The system uses a simple role-based approach with 4 predefined roles:

| Role    | Description                  | Key Abilities                                   |
| ------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Owner   | Team owner with full control | All actions including billing and team deletion |
| Admin   | Full administrative access   | Everything except billing and team deletion     |
| Manager | Operational management       | Manage assigned resources, view reports         |
| User    | Basic team member            | View and interact with assigned resources       |

## Detailed Permissions

### Phone Numbers

| Action        | Owner | Admin | Manager | User |
| ------------- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ---- |
| View All      | ✓     | ✓     | ✓\*     | ✗    |
| View Assigned | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✓    |
| Create        | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✗    |
| Update        | ✓     | ✓     | ✓\*     | ✗    |
| Delete        | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |
| Assign Users  | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |

\*Managers can view/update all phone numbers only if they have no phone number assignments. If assigned to any phone numbers, they can only view/update their assigned numbers. **Admins always see all phone numbers regardless of assignments.**

### Calls & Related Data

| Action        | Owner | Admin | Manager | User |
| ------------- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ---- |
| View All      | ✓     | ✓     | ✓\*     | ✗    |
| View Assigned | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✓    |
| Update Status | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✓    |
| Export        | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✗    |

\*Same assignment-based visibility rules apply for managers. Admins always see all calls/data.

### User Management

| Action         | Owner | Admin | Manager | User |
| -------------- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ---- |
| Invite Users   | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |
| Remove Users   | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |
| Change Roles   | ✓     | ✓\*   | ✗       | ✗    |
| View All Users | ✓     | ✓     | ✓       | ✗    |

\*Admins cannot promote users to Owner role

### Settings & Billing

| Action        | Owner | Admin | Manager | User |
| ------------- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ---- |
| Team Settings | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |
| Billing       | ✓     | ✗     | ✗       | ✗    |
| API Keys      | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |
| Integrations  | ✓     | ✓     | ✗       | ✗    |

## Assignment-Based Visibility

A key concept in our permission system is **assignment-based visibility**:

* **Owners**: Always see ALL resources
* **Admins**: Always see ALL resources (assignments are ignored for simplicity)
* **Managers with NO assignments**: Can see ALL resources
* **Managers WITH assignments**: Can only see assigned resources
* **Users**: Always limited to assigned resources only

This allows flexible access control where managers can oversee everything or be limited to specific phone numbers, while keeping admin access simple and predictable.

## Role Hierarchy

Roles follow a strict hierarchy:

```
Owner → Admin → Manager → User
```

* Each role inherits all permissions from roles below it
* Users can only be managed by roles above them
* Only Owners can change billing or delete the team

## Best Practices

1. **Principle of Least Privilege**: Assign the minimum role necessary
2. **Use Assignments**: Limit manager access to relevant phone numbers
3. **Regular Audits**: Review user roles and assignments periodically
4. **Document Responsibilities**: Clearly define what each role should do in your organization

## Common Scenarios

### Scenario 1: Call Center Supervisor

* **Role**: Manager
* **Assignment**: Specific phone numbers for their team
* **Result**: Can view calls, tasks, and questions for their team only

### Scenario 2: Technical Administrator

* **Role**: Admin
* **Assignment**: None
* **Result**: Full access to all technical aspects, no billing access

### Scenario 3: Support Agent

* **Role**: User
* **Assignment**: Customer service phone numbers
* **Result**: Can view and handle calls for assigned numbers only

## API Considerations

When using the API:

* Permissions are enforced at the API level
* The same role hierarchy applies
* Partner API has additional considerations (see API documentation)