Permission Settings

Use roles to give team members the SmarterSends functions they need. An Admin creates roles and chooses their permissions in Permission Settings. Assign a role to each user in Users.

A role defines what a user can do. Group membership, asset sharing and user isolation determine which content they can access. Your connected messaging platform and enabled features also affect which actions are available.

Admin access

The Admin role has all permissions and access to application configuration, integrations, restrictions, permission settings and billing. Manage Application, shown in the Admin row, represents this Admin access; it is not a separate permission to add to another role.

The Admin role cannot be changed or deleted in Permission Settings. Other roles can be configured for your team's responsibilities.

Create a role

1. Sign in as an Admin and open Permission Settings from the settings navigation.
2. Enter a descriptive name in New Role Name…, such as Campaign Creator or Campaign Reviewer.
3. Select Add Role.
4. In the new role's row, open Add Permissions. Search for and select each permission the role needs.
5. Check the permission badges shown under the role. Each selection is saved as you make it; there is no separate Save button on this page.

Use Permission Descriptions to choose permissions. The available list varies with the connected platform and feature configuration. Adding a permission does not enable an unsupported channel or integration.

Change an existing role

Find the role in Permission Settings. Use Add Permissions to add access, or select the × on a permission badge to remove it. Changes apply to all users assigned that role, so check who uses it before changing its responsibilities.

To give one person different access, create a separate role and assign it to that person instead of changing a role shared by the whole team.

Assign a role to a user

1. Open Users and create or edit the user's account.
2. Choose the appropriate role in Assign Role.
3. Check the user's group assignments.
4. Select Save.

Admins and users with Manage Users can assign roles and groups through user management. Manage Users is broad access: it includes the ability to assign the Admin role. Reserve it for people trusted to manage account access.

For the surrounding account and group workflows, see Users Overview and Groups Overview. If your organization manages users through SSO or provisioning, coordinate assignment changes with the administrator responsible for that setup.

Set up campaign review and approval

Use the current permission names Review Campaigns and Approve Campaigns. These apply across campaign channels; older instructions may call them Review Emails and Approve Emails.

For a two-stage workflow:

1. Give creators the relevant create permission, such as Create Emails. Omit the matching send permission when their campaigns should require approval.
2. Give first-stage reviewers Review Campaigns, without Approve Campaigns.
3. Give final approvers Approve Campaigns.
4. Ensure reviewers and approvers belong to the campaign's group and have the campaign access needed to perform their work.
5. Check the template's approval settings. A template configured to bypass approval can allow a campaign to proceed without this workflow.

When a campaign requires approval, the group’s reviewers are notified first if any are configured. Their review moves the campaign to Reviewed, and the group's approvers are then notified. If there are no reviewers, notifications go directly to approvers.

Keep the responsibilities separate when two stages are required. A user with Approve Campaigns can give final approval, including when they also have Review Campaigns. A reviewer can also give final approval when the group has no approvers. Admins have final approval access; they are not included in the first-stage reviewer notification list.

The channel's Send permission allows direct sending or scheduling without requiring this approval workflow. Sending still depends on the campaign, template, platform and applicable restrictions. Approval can submit the campaign for sending or scheduling, so check its audience and send time before approving.

See Pending Mailings for the dashboard entry point to campaigns awaiting action.

Delegate user management within a group

To let a local team lead manage users through the group user-management workflow:

1. Create a role for the team lead and add Manage Group Users.
2. Add Group Admin Assignable to each role the team lead should be allowed to assign.
3. Assign the team lead their role and the relevant group membership.
4. Have the team lead select the correct current group before opening Users.

With Manage Group Users alone, user creation and role assignment are limited to the current group and roles marked Group Admin Assignable. The user list shows eligible users in that group. This does not grant access to Permission Settings or allow the team lead to redefine roles.

Group Admin Assignable is a marker on the roles that may be assigned. It does not give those role holders user-management access. Add it only to roles you intend to make available to group managers. Use Manage Users only when broader account administration is intended.

Delete an unused role

Reassign users who still need access before removing their role. In the role's action menu, select Delete Role and confirm the deletion. The Admin role has no delete action.

If an action or asset is missing

Check the user's assigned role, current group and group memberships first. Then check the connected platform and whether the relevant feature is enabled. For example, audience imports need Manage Contacts, Import Audience, and an available import type; a create permission alone does not grant direct sending.

If the user can open a feature but cannot see another person's content, check User Isolation and Asset Sharing. Bypass User Isolation allows visibility beyond the user's own or shared assets within the current group; it does not grant membership in other groups.

Video walkthrough

Microsoft Entra ID SSO: If your organization will use Microsoft Entra ID for single sign-on (SSO), role names must not contain spaces or special characters.