Understanding roles and permissions in deskbird is essential to ensure users have the right level of access, whether they're booking for themselves, managing a team, or configuring office-wide settings. This article provides a clear overview of each role and the actions they're authorized to perform.
In addition to system roles, you can define custom roles to grant exactly the permissions your team needs. Learn more here: Custom roles and their permissions
1. Permissions overview
The following table outlines the actions available to each system role in deskbird:
| Task | User | Group Manager | Manager | Office Admin | Global Admin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book a resource for themselves | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Set their status | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Book for other users in their group * | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Set the status for users in their group(s) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Set status for all users in the company | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Change office setup and booking rules (per office) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage users and roles (excl. assigning Global Admins), invite users via email | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create, update, deactivate and delete users via .csv | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Assign other Global Admins | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Change booking rules across all offices | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Access Workforce / Office Analytics ** | ❌ | Limited | Full | Full | Full |
| Access Office Analytics ** | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Limited | Full |
| Book on behalf of visitors (guest bookings) *** | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional | ✅ | ✅ |
| See meeting room details when the protected mode is active | Only as participant | Only for managed group | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Access Service Requests dashboard (catering) **** | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional |
| Generate and manage API/SCIM token | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
* (Group) Managers can make bookings for others unless the area access is restricted for the selected person and the area is hidden from them.
** Limited access: Group managers and office admins can only view data for the group(s) and/or office(s) they manage.
*** Conditional: Can be configured via Admin > Booking settings > Booking for guests
**** Conditional: Access can be granted via Admin > Catering & services > Users with access to the services dashboard.
2. Role descriptions & best practices
- User: This is the default role assigned to any regular employee. Users can book desks or rooms for themselves and set their own status (e.g., working from home, in the office), but cannot act on behalf of others or access configuration settings.
- Group Manager: Ideal for team leads, HR reps, or office assistants. Group Managers can manage bookings and statuses for users in the group(s) they oversee but cannot access global or office-wide admin settings.
- Manager: This role has a broader scope than Group Managers. Managers can act on behalf of any user across the company, but they cannot change settings. This is typically used for senior HR or department heads.
-
Office Admin: Office Admins can manage settings for one or more specific offices, including booking rules and office configuration. They also manage users but cannot assign Global Admin roles. This role should only be assigned to trained individuals familiar with deskbird settings.
💡 Note: When assigning this role, also ensure that the respective office(s) to which the user should have access are set in their profile. Otherwise, they'll receive an error when attempting to enter the Admin panel. - Global Admin: The highest-level role in deskbird. Global Admins have unrestricted access across the entire account, including the ability to delete users, update settings across all offices, and assign other Global Admins. This role should be reserved for a small number of deskbird experts within your company.