Every eDesk user has a role associated with their account that gives them access to different tools in eDesk. Each role has a unique set of permissions that determine what the user can access and the actions they can perform.

It’s easy for Admins to assign a role to a member of their team in eDesk, and we provide a set of standard roles that you can use out-of-the-box. You can also create custom roles, in which you can choose which permissions the custom role grants.

This help file will guide you through each role permission in eDesk, so that you can understand the permissions in standard roles and create custom roles that give your teammates the right access for their jobs. 

Before you start

 
  • You’ll need an Admin login to eDesk. If you don’t have an Admin login, you can request one from an Admin user within your business.

To view a role and inspect the permissions it grants, open the Roles page by going to Settings → Company Settings → Roles and select the role you want to inspect.  To find step-by-step instructions together with an overview of the roles in eDesk, see here. To learn how to create custom roles, see here.

Role permissions
In the Role Details tab, you can see that each permission has a checkbox. If it's ticked, then the user has the permission to manage this feature.
If it is not ticked, your users may still be able to use the features in their account, but they won't be able to manage/edit them. 

Note: Your eDesk plan determines which permissions are included in the Role Details tab.

01 Smart Tools

The permissions in the Smart Tools section allow users to manage specific Smart Tools. If a role doesn’t have the checkbox ticked for a particular permission, the corresponding Smart Tool will not appear in the Smart Tools section of their Settings page: Permissions for Smart Tools.
These permissions only restrict users from managing the Smart Tools or AI, but they can still use them in eDesk. For example, they can assign Tags to tickets that were created by another user who has the necessary permissions, or they will still have access to use AI Assist in replying to messages, but they will not be able to add content to the Content hub which the AI will reference. The permissions in the Smart Tools section are:

  • Message rules
    View, create, edit, delete Message rules. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Custom fields
    View, create, edit, delete Custom fields. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.
    Note: Users can still use custom fields in tickets even if they don’t have permission to manage them. 

  • Company Snippets
    View, create, edit, delete Company Snippets. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.
    Note: Users can still use Company snippets in their replies and create Personal snippets for themselves even if they don’t have permission to manage Company snippets.
     

  • Templates
    View, create, edit, delete Templates. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.
    Note: Users can still use templates in their replies even if they don’t have permission to manage the templates.

  • Tags
    View, create, edit, delete Tags. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles 
    Note: Users can still add tags to tickets even if they don’t have permission to manage them. 

  • Widgets
    View, create, edit, delete Widgets. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.
    Note: Users can still use Live Chat and turn themselves on and offline for chat even if they don’t have permission to manage Company snippets.

  • Feedback (Only available with eDesk Feedback).
    View, create, edit, remove Feedback Rules. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Invoice Templates
    View, create, edit, delete Invoice Templates. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.
    Note: Users can still use invoice templates in their replies even if they don’t have permission to manage the templates.

02 AI

The permissions in the AI section allow users to manage AI features in eDesk. 
The AI permissions.
These permissions only restrict users from managing the AI, but they can still use them in eDesk. For example, they will still have access to use AI Assist in replying to messages, but they will not be able to add content to the Content hub which the AI will reference. The permissions in the AI section are:

  • Chatbots
    View, create, edit, delete Chatbots To find out more about all our AI features, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Content hub
    View, create, edit, delete content in the Content hub. To find out more about all our AI features, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Instructions
    View, create, edit, delete AI settings instructions. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.
     
  • Template configuration
    View, create, edit, delete AI templates. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

03 Mailbox Settings

The permissions in the Mailbox Settings section give users the ability to add and manage Channels, Apps, Shipping, and delivery settings for the Mailbox. If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for permission, then the associated Mailbox setting will be missing from their Mailbox section in the Settings
page.
Mailbox permissions.The permissions enable users to configure the Channels, Delivery, Shipping, and Apps; The permissions in the Mailbox Settings section are:

  • Channels
    View, add and edit Channels. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Integrations
    Ability to set an API key for eDesk to function with our other integrations. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Clear cached emails
    Ability to clear the list of email addresses appearing in the email field when writing a message.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Shopify Refunds
    Ability to create returns and refunds for your Shopify stores in eDesk. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Shopify Duplicates
    Ability to create a replacement/duplicate order for your Shopify stores in eDesk. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • TikTok Shop Adjustments
    Ability to action TikTok Shop Cancellations, Refunds, Returns, and Replacements in eDesk. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin and Team Leaders, as well as custom roles.

  • External share
    Ability to share an entire ticket thread with an external email. To find out more, see here. 
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Archive tickets
    Ability to archive tickets. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Delete tickets
    Ability to delete tickets from the Mailbox. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

04 Company Settings

The permissions in the Company Settings section give users the ability to update company information, manage users, manage roles and payments. If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for permission, then the associated setting will be missing from their Company Settings section on the Settings → Company Settings page.
Company Settings permissions.The permissions in the Company Settings section are:

  • Company Settings
    View, create, edit, delete Company settings, such as Business Hours, Mailbox signatures, VAT numbers etc. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Users
    View, invite, edit internal users. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Roles
    View or copy roles. To find out more, see here. 
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Billing
    View and configure subscriptions and receipts. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Upgrade manager
    Ability to make payments by allowing user to make changes to the subscription.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

05 Insights

The permissions in the Insights section control which tabs and menu items are shown in Insights for users with that role. If a permission is not ticked in this section, then the associated menu item or tab won't be displayed.
Insights permissions.
If a user has no Insights permissions ticked, then the Insights icon will not be displayed in the top navigation menu and the Insights section in eDesk won't be accessible.

Insights button in main menu.
 

The permissions in the Insights section are:

  • Tickets | Mailbox Overview
    Overview     is displayed under the Tickets item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Tickets > Mailbox Overview page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader, and Agent as well as custom roles. 

  • Tickets | Tickets
    Tickets     is displayed under the Tickets item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Tickets > Tickets page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Tickets | Tags
    Tags     is displayed under the Tickets item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Tickets > Tags page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Tickets | Response times
    Response times     is displayed under the Tickets item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Tickets > Response times page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles. 

  • Chats | Overview 
    Overview     is displayed under the Chats item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Chats > Overview page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Chats | Agent availability
    Agent availability is displayed under the Chats item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Chats > Agent availability page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles. 

  • Agents | Currently Assigned Tickets 
    Currently Assigned Tickets     is displayed under the Mailbox item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Agents > Currently Assigned Tickets page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

  • Agents | Tickets Handled 
    Tickets Handled is displayed under the Agents item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Agents > Tickets Handled page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

  • Agents | Chats Handled
    Chats Handled     is displayed under the Chats item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Agents > Chats Handled page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

  • Customer Satisfaction
    Customer Satisfaction     is displayed on the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Customer Satisfaction page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Products
    Products     is displayed in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Products page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Sales & Orders
    Sales & Orders     is displayed in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Sales & Orders page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin as well as custom roles.

  • Reviews & Feedback
    Reviews & Feedback     is displayed in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Reviews & Feedback page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Reports | Channel Reports
    Channel Reports     is displayed under the Reports item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Reports > Channel Reports page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Reports | Enterprise Reports
    Enterprise Reports     is displayed under the Reports item in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Reports > Enterprise Reports page. To find out more, see here. 
    Available to the standard roles Admin and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

  • Voice overview
    Voice     is displayed in the left-hand menu in the Insights.
    Click to open the Voice Overview page, which provides insights into eDesk Talk. Learn about eDesk Talk here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

  • Live dashboard
    Gives access to the Live dashboard. Learn more here.
    Available to the standard roles Owner, Admin, and Team Leader, as well as custom roles.

06 Chat

The permission in the Chat section gives users the ability to view Chat-related pages in eDesk.
Chat permissions.If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for this permission, then the Chat icon is not displayed in the top navigation menu , and the Chat section in eDesk won't be accessible..
Chats icon in the main menu. The permissions in the Chat section are:

  • Allow
    The Chat icon is shown in the left-hand side.
    Click to open the Chat page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.
     
  • Change user chat status
    The Chat icon is shown in the left-hand side. The user can update chat status manually.
    Click to open the Chat page. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

07 Sales

The permissions in the Sales section give users the ability to view the Sales-related pages in eDesk.
Sales permissions.

If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for this permission, then the relevant icon is not displayed in the top navigation menu and the related pages can't be accessed.
Orders section in main menu.The permissions in the Sales section are:

  • Orders
    Displays the Orders tab in the top navigation menu in eDesk. 
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

  • Feedback
    Displays the Feedback tab in the top navigation menu in eDesk. 
    Available to the standard role Admin, as well as custom roles.

08 Knowledge Base

The permissions in the Knowledge Base section give users the ability to see the Knowledge Base-related pages in eDesk.
Knowledge base permissions.
If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for these permissions, then the Knowledge Base tab in the top navigation menu is not unlocked.
Knowledge Base icon in the main menu.The permissions in the Knowledge Base section are:

  • Layouts
    This permission gives the user the ability to create or edit the Knowledge Base template, which determines the layout of Knowledge base library articles. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

  • Libraries
    This permission gives the user the ability to create or edit the Knowledge Base library articles. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

09 Voice

The permissions in the Voice section give users the ability to see the eDesk Talk sections in eDesk.
Voice permissions.
If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for this permission, then the eDesk Talk icon in the top navigation menu is not unlocked.
Voice permissions.The permissions in the Voice section are:

  • eDesk Talk
    Enables agents with Available status to receive calls routed to them. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

 

10 Customer

The permissions in the Customer section give users the ability to see the Customer-related pages in eDesk.
Customer permissions.
If the role does not have a tick in the checkbox for this permission, then the Customer option in the top navigation menu is not unlocked.
Customer permissions.The permissions in the Customer section are:

  • Allow
    Enables the Customer View in eDesk. To find out more, see here.
    Available to the standard roles Admin, Team Leader and Agent as well as custom roles.

Further Readings


To find out more about user roles in eDesk, see here.

Interested in learning more about custom user roles? See here.