Working with Access and Permissions
When you invite new team members to your Canopy account, you will be asked to assign a Permission Set to them.
A permission set is a defined collection of permissions or access rights. For example, you may have a role in your firm where someone needs access to run administrative items, but does not need to interact with contacts.
For example, the 'Admin (No Billing)' permission set restricts access to billing features while allowing administrative functions. Similarly, the 'Staff (All Clients, No Billing)' permission set provides access to all client-related functionalities but excludes any ability to manage billing data or notifications.
At a high-level, there are two main roles team members can have in Canopy: an Admin or Staff user. Each permission set has different levels of access rights. In total, you have access to six (6) preset permissions that can be applied to team members:
Admin
Admin (No Billing)
Staff (All Contacts)
Staff (All Contacts, No Billing)
Staff (Assigned Contacts)
Staff (Assigned Contacts, No Billing)
Admin (No Billing): Provides most administrative access but restricts billing features.
Staff (All Contacts, No Billing): Offers access to all client-related activities without billing privileges.
Heads-up! By default, only Admin users are allowed to create custom permissions for the account.
An Admin can set or change a permission set when adding a team member or at any time. To change or edit roles:
Click on your profile button.
Select Settings.
On the left-hand pane, select Access and Permissions.
All permissions are broken down by:
Canopy modules
their respective features
and a short description
You can toggle a feature permission on and off by clicking the button next to the permission. But you cannot edit these preset permission sets. To customize permissions, create or duplicate a preset permission set.
Duplicate Permission Sets
Let’s start by duplicating an existing permission set. In Access and Permissions:
Scroll to the icon next to Done on the right side of the window.
Next, name your Permission Set.
Click Duplicate.
Now, you’ll be able to edit the permission set. This becomes a customized permission set and you have the ability to turn on or off features.
You can toggle each feature as a one-off or you could decide to activate access to all of the module features by clicking the top toggle button for that module.
Once finished, click Save. Now, that role appears in your Permission Set list.
Create New Permission Sets
You may also create a permission set from scratch by selecting Add Permission Set. It’s the same process as duplicating, except all features are deactivated or grayed out to start. Go ahead and activate the permissions…don’t forget to name it! And click save it.
There is no wrong way to create or manage permission sets - it’s really up to you and the needs of your firm.
Assign Permission Sets to Users
You will be asked to assign a permission set when you add a new user in Canopy, but you can also apply and change permission sets to your firm's users at any time. You can do this in a couple of different places, either in Team Organizations or from a user's profile.
When assigning permission sets, consider whether the user requires access to billing features. For instance, roles such as 'Admin (No Billing)' or 'Staff (All Clients, No Billing)' specifically exclude billing tasks and ensure sensitive financial information remains protected.
In Settings:
Click on Team Organization
Use the drop down menu next to a user's name to change their assigned permission set
In a user's profile:
Next to User Permission Set is a dropdown where you can change their assigned permission set
Troubleshooting and Specific Changes Related to Billing Permissions
If an employee with the 'Admin (No Billing)' role requires full access to billing features, update their role to 'Admin' to grant access.
Double-check the assigned roles if employees face restricted access issues or receive unintended billing notifications. Review and adjust their permissions accordingly in Canopy Settings.