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

# User Types & Roles

> Categorize members by type and model your organizational structure with positions

User Types and Roles live on the same page but serve different purposes:

* **User type** = What kind of member they are (Scout, Volunteer, Student). A label for categorization and filtering.
* **Role** = What position they hold (President, Team Leader, Treasurer). About organizational structure and optionally granting permissions.
* **Permission** = What they can do in the platform (Admin, HR, Financial). System access. See [Permissions](/platform/permissions).

A member can be a "Volunteer" (type) who serves as "Team Leader" (role) with "HR Local" permission. These are three separate concepts.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/orgo-dc7abe63/cmshtb5BOtVAsAaF/images/platform/users/roles-list.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cmshtb5BOtVAsAaF&q=85&s=02d69c7da10317ddf56bd52e0f31dcfc" alt="User types and roles configuration page" style={{ width: "100%", borderRadius: "8px", border: "1px solid var(--border-color)", marginBottom: "1rem" }} width="3248" height="1522" data-path="images/platform/users/roles-list.png" />

***

## How to access

**Settings** → **Users & Profiles** → **Roles & User Types**

User types and roles share the same management page. User types are marked with a **User Type** badge; entries without the badge are organizational roles.

***

## User Types

### Do I need user types?

**Yes, if** your members fall into meaningfully different categories:

* Different fee structures (Student pays less than Professional)
* Different registration requirements (Leaders need qualifications, Scouts don't)
* Different communication needs (Volunteers get different newsletters than Alumni)
* Different access or privileges (only Full Members can vote)

**No, if** all your members are essentially the same. You can always add them later.

### Creating a user type

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Roles & User Types">
    **Settings** → **Users & Profiles** → **Roles & User Types** → click **Create Role**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable 'Is User Type'">
    Toggle **Is User Type** on. This makes it a membership category rather than an organizational role.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the name and description">
    Choose a clear, self-explanatory name. "Active Member" is better than "Type A".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    The user type is now available for assignment.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Assigning user types to members

| Method                      | How it works                                                                                                                                     | Best for                         |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- |
| **During registration**     | Include the "User Type" field on the [Registration Form](/platform/users/registration-form). Members self-select.                                | When members know their category |
| **After adhesion approval** | Configure a "User type after approval" in [Adhesion](/platform/users/adhesion) settings. Type is auto-assigned when the application is approved. | Formal membership processes      |
| **Manual assignment**       | Admin goes to the member's profile and assigns a type                                                                                            | One-off changes, corrections     |
| **Bulk import**             | Assign types during CSV member import                                                                                                            | Initial setup, migrations        |

### What user types affect

| Feature                                                | How user types interact                                                |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Registration Form](/platform/users/registration-form) | Each user type gets its own form with different fields.                |
| [Adhesion](/platform/users/adhesion)                   | Auto-assign a type when an application is approved.                    |
| **Filtering**                                          | Filter the member directory, event attendees, and newsletters by type. |
| **Fees**                                               | Different types can have different fee structures.                     |
| **Reporting**                                          | Generate reports segmented by type.                                    |
| **Communication**                                      | Send targeted newsletters to specific types.                           |

<Note>
  User types don't automatically grant permissions. A "Leader" user type doesn't give someone admin access. For that, use roles with permissions or assign permissions directly.
</Note>

### User type visibility

Control who can see user type labels in **Settings** → **Users & Profiles** → **Configuration**:

| Setting          | Who sees the type label        |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **User**         | Everyone                       |
| **HR Local**     | Local HR and above             |
| **HR Tenant**    | Organization-wide HR and above |
| **Admin Tenant** | Only organization admins       |

***

## Roles

### Role scopes

Every role has a scope that determines where it applies:

| Scope                   | Where it applies                     | Examples                                              |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **National**            | Organization-wide                    | National President, Secretary General, Board Member   |
| **Local Center**        | One specific branch                  | Branch President, Local Treasurer, Membership Officer |
| **Parent Local Center** | A parent center and all its children | Regional Director, Area Coordinator                   |
| **Unit**                | A specific unit or team              | Team Leader, Project Manager, Committee Chair         |

### Creating a role

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Roles & User Types">
    **Settings** → **Users & Profiles** → **Roles & User Types** → click **Create Role**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the basics">
    **Name** (e.g., "Branch President"), **Plural name** (e.g., "Branch Presidents"), and optionally a **Description**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the scope">
    Enable one or more: **Is National**, **Is Local Center**, **Is Local Center Parent**, or associate with a Unit Type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach permissions (optional)">
    Select system permissions this role should grant. Everyone assigned this role automatically gets these permissions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    The role is now available for assignment.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Role properties

| Property         | Description                                               |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**         | Role title displayed everywhere                           |
| **Name Plural**  | Used in listings (e.g., "Presidents")                     |
| **Position**     | Display order — lower numbers appear first                |
| **Chart Name**   | Name shown in organizational charts (if different)        |
| **Description**  | Explanation of responsibilities                           |
| **Is User Type** | Marks this as a membership category instead of a position |

### Assigning roles to members

**Manual:** Open the member's profile → Edit → **Roles** tab → add the role with optional start/end dates.

**Via Role Groups:** Automatically assign roles based on criteria. [Learn more →](/platform/groups/role-groups)

**Via import:** Bulk-assign roles during CSV member imports.

### Roles with permissions

Instead of assigning permissions to individuals, attach permissions to roles. Everyone with that role automatically gets those permissions.

| Role               | Attached permission  | What it grants                     |
| ------------------ | -------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Branch President   | ADMIN\_LOCAL         | Full control of their local center |
| Regional Director  | ADMIN\_PARENT\_LOCAL | Admin over a region                |
| Membership Officer | HR\_LOCAL            | Local member management            |
| National Treasurer | FINANCIAL\_TENANT    | Organization-wide financial access |

**Why this matters:** When someone steps down and a new person takes over, you just reassign the role. The old person loses permissions, the new person gains them. No manual permission juggling.

<Info>
  For the full list of permission levels, see [Permissions](/platform/permissions).
</Info>

### Using start and end dates

When assigning a role, set **start** and **end dates** to track terms:

* The role is active only between those dates
* Permissions attached to the role are only active during the term
* After the end date, the role becomes historical (visible in history but no longer active)

This is useful for elected positions with fixed terms (President 2025-2026).

***

## Common scenarios

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What's a good set of user types for a typical organization?">
    Keep it to 3-5 types. Examples:

    **Sports club:** Athlete, Coach, Volunteer, Alumni
    **Professional association:** Full Member, Associate, Student, Honorary
    **Youth org:** Scout, Leader, Parent, Volunteer
    **Community:** Member, Volunteer, Supporter

    You can always add more later. Starting with too many creates confusion.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I model my organization's structure with roles?">
    Think about positions, not people:

    1. **National level:** President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer, Board Members → National roles
    2. **Regional level:** Regional Directors → Parent Local Center roles
    3. **Local level:** Branch President, Local Treasurer → Local Center roles
    4. **Team level:** Team Leader, Project Manager → Unit roles

    Assign people to roles. The [organizational chart](/platform/organisational-chart) auto-generates from this structure.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I attach permissions to roles or assign them directly?">
    **Role-based permissions** when the permission should follow the position. Every Branch President should have ADMIN\_LOCAL — attach it to the role.

    **Direct permissions** for exceptions. Someone who needs temporary financial access — assign FINANCIAL\_LOCAL directly on their profile.

    Role-based is cleaner. Direct is for one-offs.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a member have multiple user types?">
    No — a member has one user type. If someone is both a "Volunteer" and an "Alumni", decide which is primary, or create a combined type like "Active Alumni". For multiple labels, consider using Tags instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I'm confused — is 'Leader' a user type or a role?">
    It depends on context:

    * If "Leader" is a **membership category** (like Scouts who've graduated), it's a **user type**
    * If "Leader" is a **position** (like Team Leader of Unit 5), it's a **role**

    If you need both, create a "Leader" user type AND specific role positions like "Unit Leader" with the right scope and permissions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A member is changing positions — how do I handle it?">
    Go to their profile → Roles tab → set an end date on the old role → add the new role with a start date. If both roles have permissions, the transition happens automatically.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related

* [Permissions](/platform/permissions) — System permission levels and access control
* [Registration Form](/platform/users/registration-form) — Per-type registration forms
* [Role Groups](/platform/groups/role-groups) — Automatic role assignment based on criteria
* [Organizational Chart](/platform/organisational-chart) — Visual representation of your role structure
* [Adhesion](/platform/users/adhesion) — Auto-assign user type on approval