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How to Create a Role

Updated

1. What This Feature Does

Creating a role allows administrators to define what users can access, view, and perform within TitanFile.

Roles are used to assign permissions and security policies to users, ensuring that each user has the appropriate level of access based on their responsibilities.

You can define:

  • User permissions (what users can do)
  • Security policies (what rules apply to users)
  • Admin permissions (what administrative actions users can perform)
  • A default role for newly added users
  • Whether to create a role from scratch or use an existing role as a template

2. Who Can Use It

  • Enterprise Admin users can create and manage custom roles

Plan-Based Behavior

For Non-Enterprise Plans

  • Custom roles cannot be created
  • Users can only be assigned:
    • Admin
    • Standard User

For Enterprise Plans

  • Admins can:
    • Create custom roles
    • Edit existing roles
    • Remove custom roles

Important

  • Permissions available in this page depend on what is enabled in Settings
  • If a permission is not visible:
    • It must first be enabled in the relevant Settings page

This is the most common reason permissions appear “missing”

3. Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Manage Roles
  3. Click New Role

A. Select a Role Template (Optional)

At the top of the page, you will see a dropdown with the placeholder:

“New Role”

  • If left as “New Role”:
    • The role will start as a blank canvas
    • No permissions or policies will be preselected
  • If you select an existing role (e.g., Admin or Standard User):
    • That role will be used as a template
    • All permissions and policies from that role will be preselected
    • You can then enable or disable permissions as needed

This allows you to quickly create roles by starting from an existing configuration instead of building from scratch.

B. Enter Role Details

  • Role Name
    • Enter a clear, descriptive name (e.g., External Collaborator, Finance Admin)
  • Description
    • Provide a short explanation of what this role is used for

C. Configure Permissions and Policies

Roles are configured across three tabs:

Tab 1: User Options

Controls what users can do within channels and the platform.

Includes permissions such as:

  • Channel Rights
  • Files Panel
  • Channel Settings
  • Reports Access
  • DocuSign® Integration
  • API Management
  • NetDocuments® Integration

Tab 2: User Security Options

Defines default security policies applied to users in this role.

Includes:

  • Default Channel Expiry
  • Default File Retention
  • Mandatory 2FA
  • Open Access Password Requirements
  • External User Privacy Restrictions

Tab 3: Admin Options

Controls access to administrative features.

Includes:

  • Manage Users
  • Manage Roles
  • Security Settings
  • Data Retention
  • Manage Channels
  • Billing & Payments
  • And more

Important Behavior

  • Each toggle may include additional nested permissions
  • Enabling a toggle allows more granular control within that feature

For advanced configuration, see: Understanding Role Permissions

D. Set as Default Role (Optional)

  • Toggle Set as Default to assign this role to:
    • Newly added users by default

E. Create the Role

  • Click Create Role to save and create the role

4. What Happens After

  • The new role will appear in the Manage Roles table
  • It can now be:
    • Assigned to users
    • Edited
    • Removed (if no longer needed)

Important Behavior

  • Only custom roles can be edited or removed
  • Default roles (Admin, Standard User) are view-only
  • Role permissions take effect immediately once assigned

5. Best Practice for Enterprise

To create effective and scalable roles:

Start with a Template

  • Use an existing role as a starting point when possible
  • This reduces setup time and ensures consistency

Start with Settings First

  • Enable required features in:
    • Security Settings
    • Channel Defaults
    • Data Retention

If a feature is disabled, it will not appear here

Keep Roles Focused

  • Create roles based on job function, not individuals
    • Example:
      • Legal Assistant
      • External Client
      • Compliance Admin

Use Least Privilege Principle

  • Only grant permissions that are necessary
  • Avoid over-permissioning users

Use Default Role Carefully

  • Set a safe, minimal-permission role as default
  • Prevents accidental over-access when adding new users

This ensures:

  • Clear role structure
  • Faster role creation
  • Better security posture
  • Easier long-term management

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