Board Permissions
Copera Boards include a granular permission system that gives you fine-grained control over who can see, edit, create, and manage data within a board. Rather than a simple "viewer/editor" split, Copera provides multiple permission roles that can be combined to create exactly the access level each team member needs.
Permission Roles
Copera defines the following permission roles, organized into logical categories:
Admin
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Admin | Full control over the board, including managing members, settings, automations, and all data. Admins automatically inherit all other permissions. |
Global Permissions
These permissions apply to all rows in the board, regardless of assignment:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| View All | See every row in the board, including rows assigned to other users and unassigned rows. |
| Create Row | Add new rows to any table in the board. |
| Delete Row | Remove rows from any table in the board. |
| Edit All | Modify any column value on any row. Automatically includes Edit Own and Edit Unassigned. |
Assigned Row Permissions
These permissions apply specifically to rows where the user is assigned (listed in a Users column):
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| View Own | See only rows that are assigned to you. This is the baseline permission for all board members and is always enabled. |
| Edit Own | Modify column values on rows that are assigned to you. Automatically granted when Edit All is enabled. |
Unassigned Row Permissions
These permissions apply to rows that have no user assigned:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit Unassigned | Modify column values on rows that are not assigned to anyone. Automatically grants View Unassigned. |
| View Unassigned | See rows that are not assigned to anyone. Automatically granted when Edit Unassigned, Edit All, or View All is enabled. |
Feature Access Permissions
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Access Tables | View and interact with tables in the board. |
| Access Slices | View and interact with board slices (filtered subsets of a table). |
| Comments | Post and read comments on rows. |
Role Hierarchy and Automatic Inheritance
Permissions follow an inheritance hierarchy to avoid conflicts and simplify configuration:
- Admin automatically grants every other permission.
- Edit All automatically grants Edit Own and Edit Unassigned.
- Edit Unassigned automatically grants View Unassigned.
- View All automatically grants View Unassigned.
When a higher-level permission is active, the inherited lower-level permissions are shown as checked and disabled in the interface, indicating they cannot be independently toggled off.
Access Levels
In addition to individual permission roles, each board member has an access level that determines their broad relationship with the board:
- Member -- Standard access, governed by the specific roles assigned.
- Admin -- Full access with the Admin role enabled.
The access level is displayed as a label next to each member's name in the board member list.
Assigning Permissions
Adding Members to a Board
- Open the board settings and navigate to the Members section.
- Click Add Members and search for workspace users.
- Select the users you want to add. New members start with the default View Own permission.
Configuring Roles
- In the member list, click the role dropdown next to a member's name.
- The role menu displays all available permissions grouped by category.
- Check or uncheck individual permissions. Changes take effect immediately.
- Inherited permissions (e.g., Edit Own when Edit All is active) appear as disabled checkboxes.
Removing Members
Click the remove button next to a member's name to revoke their access to the board entirely. A confirmation may be required depending on your workspace settings.
External Users
External users (guests invited from outside your workspace) have restricted permission options. The Admin role cannot be assigned to external users, ensuring that full board control remains with your organization's team members.
Board-Level vs. Workspace-Level Permissions
Board permissions operate independently of workspace-level roles:
- Workspace administrators can access board settings regardless of their board-level role.
- Board-level permissions only affect what a user can do within that specific board.
- A user can be an Admin on one board and a View-Only member on another, giving you maximum flexibility.
Permissions Summary Table
| Permission | View Rows | Edit Rows | Create Rows | Delete Rows | Manage Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Own | Assigned only | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| View All | All rows | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Edit Own | Assigned only | Assigned only | -- | -- | -- |
| Edit All | All rows | All rows | -- | -- | -- |
| Edit Unassigned | Unassigned | Unassigned | -- | -- | -- |
| View Unassigned | Unassigned | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Create Row | -- | -- | Yes | -- | -- |
| Delete Row | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- |
| Admin | All rows | All rows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Best Practices
- Start with minimal permissions and add more as needed. It is easier to grant access than to revoke it.
- Use Edit Own for task boards where each member should only modify their own assignments.
- Reserve Admin access for board owners and project leads who need to manage settings and automations.
- Review permissions periodically as team composition changes, especially after project transitions.
Next Steps
- Learn about Automations and how permissions affect who can create and manage them.
- Explore Board Views to give different team members customized perspectives of the same board.
- See Import & Export for data management options that may be restricted by permissions.