User roles and permissions

Create and assign roles in Recurly to control what each team member can access and do — from read-only customer views to full site admin privileges.

User roles and permissions let you control exactly what each team member can see and do in Recurly. Create custom roles, assign them to users, and update them as your organization evolves — keeping access aligned with responsibilities and sensitive data appropriately restricted.

Available on all Recurly plans

1Definition 2Key benefits 3Key details 4Create a role 5Delete a role 6Invite a user

Definition

User roles in Recurly are defined sets of permissions that determine what actions and features a user can access within the platform. You can tailor roles to match your organization's structure — granting each team member access to exactly the sections and functions they need, and nothing more.

Key benefits

Tailored access Customize roles to grant specific permissions so users only access the sections relevant to their work.

Enhanced security Limit access to sensitive data by assigning roles with restricted permissions, keeping your account secure.

Optimized collaboration Ensure team members have the tools they need by matching roles to their actual responsibilities.

Streamlined management Manage and modify all roles from a centralized dashboard, with a clear view of who has access to what.

Flexibility Adapt roles as your organization grows or changes, keeping access aligned with evolving business needs.

Key details

Permission areas

Customers

Two access levels are available for the Customers section.

Read Only — View accounts, invoices, transactions, and subscriptions; add account notes; and view customer information. Users at this level can't access Hosted Account Management links or update billing information.

Can Edit — All Read Only capabilities, plus the ability to edit accounts, subscriptions, invoices, and transactions. Note that editing, deleting, or adding plans, transactions, coupons, items, or gift card redemptions from the Customers section also requires edit access to the Configuration section.

Analytics

Users with Analytics access can view and export all data in the Analytics section, with full visibility into analytics reporting.

Revenue Recognition

Users can be assigned Read-Only or Admin access to Recurly's Revenue Recognition platform. The Allow Access checkbox enables or disables general access to Revenue Recognition for the role.

NoteThe Read-Only vs. Admin distinction within Revenue Recognition can only be set during initial role configuration. After a role is saved, granular access control within Revenue Recognition itself is the only way to change this. The Revenue Recognition section only appears on sites with the Revenue Recognition feature flag enabled.

Configuration

Users with Configuration access can view and edit: Site Settings, Business Entities, Email Templates, Payment Gateways, Custom Fields, Hosted Payment Pages, Dunning Management, Measured Units, Tax Settings, Currencies, Fraud Management, Shipping Information, Network Tokens, Apple Pay, Entitlements, Payment Settings, Gift Card Settings, and Analytics Settings. They can also create, edit, and view Plans, Items, and Coupons.

Integrations

Users with Integrations access can view and edit Webhooks, API keys, and Recurly integrations with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Mailchimp, Salesforce, and Zendesk.

Admin

Users with Admin access have full control over company billing information, account settings, Users, Roles, Admin Exports, and SSO Settings — the highest level of access in Recurly.

Site Admin role

The Site Admin role provides unrestricted access to all features and settings in Recurly. It's automatically assigned to the first user added to a site, and at least one user must hold this role on every production site at all times.

Key things to know:

Unrestricted access — Full access to all permissions, including billing information, account settings, and user management
Mandatory presence — At least one site user must be assigned the Site Admin role at all times
Can't be deleted or fully edited — The role itself can't be deleted or edited, except for its description. This prevents a situation where no one can manage the site
Assign thoughtfully — Given the extent of its permissions, Site Admin should only be assigned to trusted individuals such as business owners or top-level managers

RecommendationReview your Site Admin assignments regularly. Remove the Site Admin role from users who no longer need it to maintain the security and integrity of your Recurly account.

Out-of-the-box roles for pre-existing merchants

If your site was live in production before migrating to the roles-based user management system, Recurly provides a set of out-of-the-box roles to ensure a smooth transition:

Out-of-the-box roles match the permission sets assigned to individual site users before migration
They reflect the unique permission combinations that existed on your site
You can create custom roles and rename or delete these roles as needed — except for the Site Admin role
The Site Admin role is always created for every site and must have at least one user assigned at all times

Create a role

Open Roles

Navigate to Admin → Roles in the Recurly App.

Create a new role

Click Create Role in the top right corner of the screen.

Name and describe the role

Give the role a descriptive name that reflects its purpose, and add a brief description to help others understand its function and scope.

Configure permissions

Select the appropriate actions and functionalities to grant to users with this role.

Delete a role

Open Roles

Navigate to Admin → Roles and find the role you want to delete.

Select Delete

Choose the Delete option for the role.

Reassign users (if needed)

If users are assigned to the role, a prompt appears asking you to reassign them to an alternative role. If no existing role fits, you can create a new one at this step.

Confirm deletion

Follow the prompts to confirm. Once deleted, all assigned users assume the permissions of their newly designated role.

Reassigning and removing a Site Admin

To change or remove a user's Site Admin role, open the user's profile and select a different role from the User Role field.

If the user is the only active Site Admin on the site, assign another user to the Site Admin role first. At least one user must hold the Site Admin role at all times.

Invite a user

Open the invite flow

From the main menu, navigate to Admin → Users → User Actions → Invite Users.

Fill in the invitation details

Enter the user's email address and select their role, then click Send Invite.

User accepts the invitation

The user receives an email invitation and must accept it to join the platform.

Manage the new user

Once accepted, you can view and manage the user's privileges under Admin → Users.

Updated about 11 hours ago

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