# Workspace roles

Source: https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/roles
Section: Workspaces
Description: Workspace and project roles and permissions for members, guests, and visitors, including custom roles

In Arcweave, roles define what users can see and do at both the **workspace** and **project** level, according to their set of **permissions**. Arcweave users can belong to one of the following categories:

- [**Workspace members**](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/roles#workspace-members)
  Users who share access to all projects in the workspace.
- [**Workspace guests**](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/roles#workspace-guests)
  Users invited to collaborate in specific projects only.
- [**Project visitors**](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/roles#project-visitors)
  Users who can view and play a public project via a link.

## Workspace members

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace members

A workspace member has access to all projects in a workspace, with permissions that vary based on the member's role.

The workspace includes three default roles:

- **Commenter**
- **Editor**
- **Owner**

These roles come with predefined permission sets that **cannot be modified**. In Team workspaces, owners can create additional custom roles instead.

### Commenter

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace members > Commenter

- Can view the workspace's **Projects** list.
- Can open and comment on all workspace projects.
- Can view the workspace's **People** list, including members and guests.

### Editor

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace members > Editor

- Includes all commenter permissions.
- Can edit all projects in the workspace.
- Can create new projects.
- Can export any project, including `.arcw` backups.
- Can duplicate, import, and manage project settings.
- Can view and create API keys when the workspace plan includes REST API access.
- Can delete only the projects they created, as their [project owner](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/roles#project-owner). Deleting other projects requires a custom role with the **Delete projects** permission.

### Owner

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace members > Owner

- Includes all editor permissions.
- Can invite or remove members and assign their roles.
- Can manage **Settings**, **Billing**, **Roles**, and all workspace-level configurations.
- Can delete any project and move projects to other workspaces.

> ℹ️ A permission does not override plan availability. For example, the Editor role includes API-key permissions, but REST API access is available only on Team workspaces.

> ✅ Multiple users can hold the same role.

> ℹ️ A workspace's initial owner is the user who created it, but additional owners can be assigned later.

## Roles section

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Roles section

The **Roles** section of the workspace allows you to manage user roles and their associated permissions. It is visible only to users with the **Manage roles** permission, which the default **Owner** role includes.

![The Roles section of an Arcweave Team workspace, demonstrating a custom role called Silent Beholder, who only has viewing permissions.](https://docs.arcweave.com/assets/roles.CHDaiTBv.png)

Each role is presented in its own tab, containing its name, description, and a list of permissions.

> ✅ **Team** workspaces allow owners to define **custom roles** with granular permissions.

## Add new roles

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Add new roles

Below the default roles, **Team workspaces** have access to a button for adding custom roles. This feature allows you to tailor roles to match your team's workflow. In other workspaces, the button opens an upgrade prompt.

To create a custom role (Team workspaces only):

1. Go to the **Roles** section of your workspace.
2. Click **+ New workspace role**.
3. Name and describe the role, then click **Save**.
4. Toggle the desired permissions on or off. A new role starts with no permissions.
5. Click **Save** in the unsaved changes bar at the bottom of the window.

## Delete custom roles

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Delete custom roles

Before deleting a custom role, [change the role of every member assigned to it](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/people#change-member-roles) in the workspace's **People** section. A role cannot be deleted while any workspace members still have it.

To delete a custom role (Team workspaces only), do the following:

1. Go to the **Roles** section of your workspace.
2. Select the role to delete.
3. Scroll down and click **Delete**.
4. Press **Delete** in the **Delete Role** dialog to confirm the deletion.

## List of permissions

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > List of permissions

Within each role tab, beneath the name and description, you'll find a list of available permissions.

**Default roles** have fixed permissions.

**Custom roles** (Team workspaces only) allow toggling permissions on or off to suit specific responsibilities. Custom roles can be configured using the following permissions:

| Permission                 | Description                                                                                                    |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Manage workspace**       | Edit workspace settings and delete workspace.                                                                  |
| **View memberships**       | See the list of members and Guests.                                                                            |
| **Manage memberships**     | Invite and edit member roles (requires view permissions).                                                      |
| **Delete memberships**     | Remove members (requires view permissions).                                                                    |
| **View projects list**     | Access project list and open all projects and Play Modes.                                                      |
| **Comment project**        | Add and reply to comments (requires view permissions).                                                         |
| **Edit projects**          | Modify project content (requires view permissions).                                                            |
| **Duplicate projects**     | Duplicate any project (requires view permissions).                                                             |
| **Manage projects**        | Change project-level settings (requires view permissions).                                                     |
| **Delete projects**        | Delete any project (requires view permissions).                                                                |
| **Create projects**        | Start new projects in the workspace (requires view permissions).                                               |
| **Export projects**        | Export projects to external formats (requires view permissions).                                               |
| **Export projects backup** | Export `.arcw` backup files (requires view permissions).                                                       |
| **Import projects**        | Import projects from `.json` files, `.arcw` backup files, or through the REST API (requires view permissions). |
| **Manage roles**           | Create, modify, and delete custom roles.                                                                       |
| **View API keys**          | See workspace API keys.                                                                                        |
| **Create API key**         | Generate new API keys (requires view permission).                                                              |
| **Manage API**             | Edit API key names and project permissions, or delete keys (requires view permission).                         |
| **Manage billing**         | Modify billing settings and view invoices.                                                                     |
| **Move project**           | Move projects to another workspace.                                                                            |

## Project roles

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Project roles

In addition to workspace roles, users can be granted **project-specific roles**, which control access and permissions within individual projects:

### Project commenter

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Project roles > Project commenter

- Can view the project and its Play Mode.
- Can add comments and replies.

### Project editor

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Project roles > Project editor

- Includes all project commenter permissions.
- Can edit the project.
- Can access the project's debugger.
- Can export the project.
- Can change the project's [public access](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/share#make-a-project-public).

### Project owner

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Project roles > Project owner

- Includes all project editor permissions.
- Can export a project backup.
- Can duplicate or delete the project.

The project owner is the workspace member who created, duplicated, or imported the project; this role cannot be assigned to guests. If the project owner is removed from the workspace, ownership passes to the workspace's longest-standing remaining **Owner**.

Project ownership does not by itself grant workspace membership-management permissions. Inviting guests, changing another guest's role, or removing another guest requires **Manage memberships** or **Delete memberships**, as appropriate. Project ownership cannot currently be transferred from the Share dialog.

> ℹ️ A project role adds project-specific permissions to any permissions the user already has from their workspace role. For example, a workspace commenter may also be a project editor on a specific project.

## Workspace guests

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace guests

Guests are users invited to collaborate on specific projects without being workspace members. Guests:

- Are assigned either **project commenter** or **project editor** roles.
- Can only access the specific projects they are invited to.
- Can enter the workspace's **Projects** list, where they see only those assigned projects.
- Cannot create workspace projects or delete projects through the Projects list.

> ℹ️ Guests are **not a workspace role**, but an implicit status based on access. If a guest loses all project roles, they are removed from the workspace.

> ⚠️ Guest editors count toward billing (1 seat each). Guest commenters do not. See more on [adding](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#add-seats) and [removing seats](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#remove-seats) on the **Workspace plans** page.

### Invite guests

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace guests > Invite guests

![The Arcweave window showing an open project and its "Share" modal. The modal allows the user to invite more collaborators to the project and to configure the project's private or public state.](https://docs.arcweave.com/assets/share.Dygv2dx1.png)

To invite a user to a project:

1. Open the project.
2. Click **Share** in the top menu.
3. Enter their email under **Email address**.
4. Choose a role: **Commenter** or **Editor**.
5. Click **Invite**.

You need **Manage memberships** permission to send a guest invitation or manage a pending one.

> ⚠️ Guest editors count toward billing (1 seat each). See more on [adding](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#add-seats) and [removing seats](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#remove-seats) on the **Workspace plans** page.

### Remove guests

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace guests > Remove guests

You can remove workspace guests from either the project's **Share** modal or the workspace's **People** section:

- Within the project:
  1. Open the project.
  2. Click **Share** in the top menu.
  3. Under **People with access**, locate the user's name
  4. Click the dropdown that displays their role.
  5. Select **Remove**.
- From the workspace's **People** section: See [People](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/people) > [Remove guests](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/people#remove-guests).

Removing another guest requires **Delete memberships** permission. A guest can remove themselves by choosing **Leave** for their own entry in the Share dialog.

### Change guest roles

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Workspace guests > Change guest roles

You can change the roles of workspace guests from either the project's **Share** modal or the workspace's **People** section:

- Within the project:
  1. Open the project.
  2. Click **Share** in the top menu.
  3. Under **People with access**, locate the user's name
  4. Click the dropdown that displays their role.
  5. Select a new role for the user.
- From the workspace's **People** section: See [People](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/people) > [Edit guest access](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/people#edit-guest-access).

Changing another guest's role requires **Manage memberships** permission. A guest editor can downgrade their own role to Commenter but cannot upgrade themselves.

> ⚠️ Guest editors count toward billing (1 seat each). See more on [adding](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#add-seats) and [removing seats](https://docs.arcweave.com/workspaces/billing-plans#remove-seats) on the **Workspace plans** page.

## Project visitors

Context: Arcweave docs > Workspaces > Workspace roles > Project visitors

Project visitors is the implicit role taken by users who view a public project or its Play Mode via a link. They:

- Do not require an Arcweave account.
- Cannot comment or interact with the project.
- Are not workspace members or guests and have no assignable role.

> ℹ️ The number of project visitors is not tracked and cannot be viewed in the workspace or project.