What permissions can I assign to my team member?

Collaborate and work together with others on your business by inviting them into your account as a team member. Adding team members is a paid add-on that can be added or removed from your subscription anytime.

You can invite your team members as an admin, employee, contractor or accountant, depending on what kind of role you want to give them. You can also customize these roles further with client access and project manager settings.

 

As an owner, if you’re looking for an accountant that’s FreshBooks certified, reach out to get matched with one of our certified Accounting Partners. As an accountant, learn more about our Accounting Partner Program and create an Accountant Hub here.

 

• Overview of Permissions
• Role Details
  • Business Owner
  • Admin
  • Manager
  • Employee
  • Accountant
  • Accountant - Full Access
  • Contractor
  • Unassigned
• Extra Settings
  • Client Access
  • Project Manager

 

Overview of Permissions

Different levels of access and permissions are determined by the role you assign your team member. Use the symbols to review what sections in the FreshBooks account they have access to, and jump to any role to learn the specific details of what they're able to do.

All roles except contractors use your business’ account. Contractors get their own separate account where some shared time tracking and project information will be visible in their account.

When you’re ready, use these steps to invite a team member. If you delete a team member, you'll also need to downgrade your account to remove any unused team member seats.

Legend

• Checkmark symbol (✓) - The team member can view the section and have full access to it, including the ability to create, edit, and delete in that section
• X symbol (X) - The team member cannot view that section, therefore they do not have any access to actions inside that section
• Exclamation point symbol (!) - The team member can view the section but have limited access inside it - go to the specific team member role for details

 

	Business Owner	Admin	Manager	Employee	Accountant	Accountant - Full Access	Contractor	Unassigned
Dashboard	✓	✓	X	X	✓	✓	X	X
Clients	✓	✓	!	X	X	✓	X	X
Estimates	✓	✓	!	X	X	✓	X	X
Invoices	✓	✓	!	X	!	✓	X	X
Payments	✓	!	!	X	!	!	X	X
Expenses	✓	✓	!	!	!	✓	X	X
Projects	✓	✓	✓	!	X	✓	!	X
Time Tracking	✓	✓	✓	!	X	✓	!	X
Payroll	✓	✓	X	X	X	X	X	X
Accounting	!	!	X	X	✓	✓	X	X
Reports	✓	✓	!	X	!	✓	X	X
Apps	✓	!	X	X	X	✓	X	X
Team Members	✓	✓	X	X	X	✓	X	X
Items and Services	✓	✓	!	X	X	✓	X	X
Bank Connections	✓	✓	X	X	X	✓	X	X
Settings	✓	!	!	X	!	✓	X	X

 

Role Details

Business Owner

A business owner is the one who has created the FreshBooks account. The owner has full access to everything in their account, and can activate Advanced Accounting for accountant-specific access like managing the Chart of Accounts and creating journal entries.

 

Admin

When an admin logs into the business’ account, they can view the below sections. Some limitations apply in specific sections:

• Dashboard
• Clients - Manage clients, can import CSV of clients, export clients into CSV, and manage credits
• Estimates - Can add and manage estimates, also activate e-signatures on proposals
• Invoices - Can add and manage invoices and payments, and view received invoices (To Me)
  • Recurring Templates
  • Retainers
• Payments - Can add and manage invoice payments, process refunds, manage other income, manage Checkout Links, and use Advanced Payments
  • Can’t set up online payment options
• Expenses - Can create new expense subcategories and import CSV file of expenses
  • Bills
  • Vendors
  • Uploads - Can upload and manage uploaded documents
• Projects - Can manage project settings, view project profitability graphs, and access team cost rates
• Time Tracking - Can manage both their and team’s time entries
• Payroll - Can manage FreshBooks Payroll powered by Gusto and access payroll information
• Accounting - Can manage bank reconciliation and view accounting reports, can’t create custom accounts in Chart of Accounts or create journal entries
  • Chart of Accounts
• Reports - Can view all reports and the Audit Log, including amounts on Time Entry Details report
• Apps - Only add, manage, or remove their own apps
• Team Members - Can add, invite, and manage unassigned and assigned team members
• Item and Services - Also import CSV file of items
• Bank Connections
• Settings
  • Business Profile - Access basic information, brand appearance, email customization, and notifications
  • Connections and Integrations - Can access payroll, can't set up online payment options 
  • Advanced Preferences - Access time tracking, team members, and recurring templates preferences
• Billing and Upgrade - Can’t cancel the FreshBooks account

 

Manager

When a manager logs into the business’ account, they can view the below sections. Some limitations apply in specific sections:

• Clients - Dependent on client access, can create, archive, and delete, can import CSV of clients and export clients into CSV, can't delete credits
• Estimates - Can activate e-signatures on proposals, can't access received estimates
• Invoices - Can add and manage invoices and payments, can't access received invoices
  
  • Recurring Templates
  • Retainers
•  Payments - Only manage Other Income section, can create Checkout Links and use Advanced Payments
  • Can’t view invoice payments or view Checkout Link payments
• Expenses - Only their own expenses, can import CSV file of expenses
  • Bills - Only their own bills
  • Uploads - Can upload their own documents
• Projects - Can manage projects but project profitability including team costs is not visible
• Time Tracking - Can add and edit both their and team’s time entries
• Reports - Only the Accounts Aging, Accounts Payable Aging (for their own bills only), Time Entry Details (including billable rates only) and Retainer Summary reports
• Item and Services - Can't import CSV file of items
• Settings - Can only access brand appearance and time tracking preferences

 

Employee

When an employee logs into the business’ account, they can view the below sections. Some limitations apply in specific sections:

Can view all clients when tracking time by default, access to clients can be managed if client access is available.

• Time Tracking - Only their own time entries
• Projects - Only projects they’re invited to, can view project-related invoices and expenses if assigned as project manager
• Expenses - Only their own expenses, can’t import CSV file of expenses
  • Bills - Only their own bills
  • Uploads - Can upload their own documents

 

Accountant

Invite up to 10 accountants per business at no extra cost, on Plus, Premium, and Select plans. An accountant logs into your FreshBooks account and only has limited access to specific sections in your account.

When an accountant logs into the business’ account, they can view the below sections. Some limitations apply in specific sections:

• Dashboard
• Invoices - Only view invoices and manage payments to invoices
  • Recurring Templates
• Payments - Only manage other income, can't process online payment refunds
• Expenses - Can’t manage bank connections, create recurring expenses, or import CSV file of expenses
  • Bills
  • Vendors
  • Uploads - Can upload and manage uploaded documents
• Accounting - Can access bank reconciliation
  • Chart of Accounts - Can manage the Chart of Accounts and create journal entries
• Reports - No access to Retainer Summary, Profitability Summary or Profitability Details reports

 

Accountant - Full Access

An Accountant - Full Access user has a separate account of their own on the Accountant Hub. Accountant - Full Access users have full access to your account once you’ve accepted an invitation from them, or once accepting an invitation sent by the business owner only.

 

Accountant Hub

• Billing - If your account is paid for by the Firm, the Accountant - Full Access manages your FreshBooks subscription and receipts

 

Accountant Full-Access View

The Accountant - Full Access role gives your accountant access to your entire FreshBooks account. Some limitations apply in specific sections:

• Payments - Can add and manage invoice payments, other income, Checkout Links, and use Advanced Payments
  • Can’t set up online payment options or process refunds
• Payroll - Can't manage FreshBooks Payroll
• Billing and Upgrade - If not paid for by the Firm, can’t cancel the FreshBooks account

 

Contractor

A Contractor has their own separate FreshBooks account, and the business can share specific access with them:

The navigation is the same as any other FreshBooks business owner. They also view specific shared information from your account:

• Projects - Can also view any projects they’re invited to, can only view time entries logged by them inside shared projects
• Time Tracking - Can also track time for any specific projects they’re invited to

 

Unassigned

An Unassigned team member has no access to your FreshBooks account and can be added at no extra cost. The team member profile is only stored in your account to help you keep track of all your team members in one place. When you’re ready to work with them in FreshBooks, assign them a role with the steps here to get started.

 

Extra Settings

Client Access

 

Client Access is only available for certain users and Select plans.

 

Client access allows you to choose which clients you want your manager and employees to have access to, including projects assigned to those clients. This will restrict how much information they can view based on what client(s) they have access to.

 

Settings for My Team

To change the default client access for any new team member, use the below steps:

1. Go directly to Team Members preferences here, or select the Settings section
2. Under Advanced Preferences, select Team Members
3. Choose whether you want invited team members to see all clients or won’t see any clients. Your selection will automatically be saved.
   

Settings for a Team Member

Once a team member has accepted their invitation, you can select their name to view the team member’s profile and adjust their client access, including access to specific clients with these steps:

1. In the Team Members section, select the team member that you want to view details for
2. Under Team Member Settings, select Client Access
   
3. Whatever you’ve chosen as the default setting for My Team will apply here, otherwise you can choose between All Clients Visible or Only Specific Clients Visible
4. Select Done to save the client access
5. If All Clients Visible is chosen, select the plus + button next to All Clients Visible, Except…
   1. Choose a client or enter in the client
      
   2. Select the checkmark button to save and this client will be hidden from the team member
6. If Only Specific Clients Visible is chosen, select the plus + button next to Only Specific Clients Visible
   1. Choose a client or enter in the client
      
   2. Select the checkmark button to save and this client will be visible to the team member
7. Then select Save to confirm the team member profile changes.

 

Notes

• You can add up to 2500 specific clients to be hidden or visible to the team member
• If no specific clients are added, the team member will either view all or none of the clients in your account
• Team members must be assigned to all or specific clients first before they can be assigned as Project Manager for any projects assigned to specific clients

Project Manager

Project managers are an extra level of access that can be assigned to any existing team member (except contractors) on any project. Anyone except the creator of the project can be assigned as Project Manager, and once assigned, will be able to:

• Manage the project by editing it as needed
• View invoices and your expenses associated to the project
• Generate invoices for the project including rebilling all associated expenses created by the team
• View all time entries for the project - both theirs and the team’s

 

A Project can only have one project manager at a time. To assign a project manager on your project, use these steps:

1. Select the Projects section
2. Then select a project you want to add a project manager to
3. Then select the Edit button
4. In the Project Team Members section, select the + button
5. Hover over the team member you want to designate and select the PM button
   
6. The PM button will display a checkmark next to it to confirm your selection
   
7. Select Update Team Members to finish.