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Member Roles & Permissions

Understand the different access levels for share members.

Role Hierarchy​

Handrive uses four roles, from most to least privileged:

Owner (highest)
  ↓
Admin
  ↓
Editor
  ↓
Viewer (lowest)

Role Permissions​

PermissionOwnerAdminEditorViewer
View files✅✅✅✅
Download files✅✅✅✅
Upload files✅✅✅❌
Create folders✅✅✅❌
Rename files✅✅✅❌
Delete files✅✅✅❌
Manage tags✅✅✅❌
Add members✅✅❌❌
Remove members✅✅❌❌
Change member roles✅✅❌❌
Rename share✅✅❌❌
Delete share✅✅❌❌

Role Descriptions​

Owner​

  • The person who created the share
  • Full control over everything
  • Cannot be removed from the share
  • Only one owner per share

Admin​

  • Full access to files and member management
  • Can add/remove members and change roles
  • Can delete the share, but cannot remove the owner
  • Good for trusted collaborators who help manage access

Editor​

  • Can view, upload, edit, and delete files
  • Cannot manage other members
  • Ideal for active contributors

Viewer​

  • Read-only access
  • Can view and download files
  • Cannot make any changes
  • Good for stakeholders who need to see files but not modify them

Changing Roles​

Only Owners and Admins can change member roles:

  1. Open the share
  2. Click the Members button (or right-click → Members)
  3. Find the member
  4. Click their current role
  5. Select a new role
caution

Admins cannot promote someone to Owner or change the Owner's role.

Best Practices​

  • Start with Viewer - Give new members Viewer access, then upgrade as needed
  • Limit Admins - Only make trusted people Admins
  • Use Editor for collaborators - Most active team members only need Editor access
  • Review periodically - Remove access for people who no longer need it