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Bookkeep User Types

Bookkeep offers various user roles, each with unique permissions, to help tailor the management of your company's financials and operations. This guide explains the distinct roles and their capabilities.

User Roles​

When you invite someone, you assign one of these roles from the Role dropdown. On the Users tab under Company Settings, each person's role appears as an Access Type pill. The two company-level roles read Company Primary Admin and Company Admin, so they aren't confused with the Admin role a person can hold on a single entity.

Bookkeep Add user window with the Role dropdown expanded, showing Admin, Staff - View and Manage User, Staff - View Only User, Staff - Entity Admin, and Inventory Only

Primary Admin​

  • Unique Role: Only one primary admin per company, typically the creator. You cannot set another user to this role (if this is needed, contact support@bookkeep.com)
  • Full Access: Has complete control over all entities and can manage users, billing, and entities, including deletion. The primary admin is made the Owner of every entity added to the company, so the Users tab shows them with All entities · Owner.
  • Exclusive Permissions: The only user who can delete users.

Users tab entry for the primary admin, with the Company Primary Admin Access Type pill and All entities · Owner

Admin​

  • Multiple Allowed: Each company can have several admins.
  • Broad Access: Has access to all entities and can invite users but cannot delete users.
  • General Permissions: Can manage entities, billing, users, and app or platform connections, except deletion.

Staff - Entity Admin​

  • Specific Access: Access is limited to selected entities.
  • Permissions:
    • Can view and manage entity-specific billing if entities have separate payment methods.
    • Can add, modify, or delete app connections.
    • Can run history and manipulate mappings or financial data postings.
    • Cannot access company-level settings or add new entities..

Staff View and Manage Users​

  • Access Control: Must select entities for access.
  • Permissions:
    • Can add, change, or delete app connections.
    • Can run history and adjust mappings or postings.
    • Cannot access company-level and entity-level settings or add new entities.

Staff View-Only Users​

  • Limited Access: Can only view financial data and app connections.
  • Restrictions:
    • Cannot manage billing, add entities, or adjust app connections.
    • No permissions to run history, manipulate mappings, or post financial data.
    • Can only access entities to which they have been granted access.
  • Daily Summary Email: Can receive it. It is ticked by default when you invite them, and you can untick it.

Add user window with the Staff - View Only User role selected and one entity ticked

Inventory Only​

  • Scoped Access: Can only use Bookkeep Inventory for the entities they have been granted access. Intended for store staff who receive inventory but should not see financial data.
  • Access Control: Must select entities for access. This role cannot be given access to all entities, so entities added to the company later do not extend this user's access.
  • Restrictions:
    • Cannot view any other area of Bookkeep, including revenue and financial data, app connections, mappings, or postings.
    • Cannot access company-level or entity-level settings, add entities, or manage billing.
    • Cannot manage users.

Inventory Only users work in Bookkeep Inventory from the Shopify Admin, where Bookkeep runs as an embedded app. If they sign in to Bookkeep directly instead, they see a Shopify app access only screen explaining that they only have access through the Bookkeep app in Shopify, for Inventory, with a link that takes them to the Shopify Admin:

Bookkeep interface showing the Shopify app access only screen for an Inventory Only user

On the Users tab, Inventory Only users carry an External badge. Hover over it for a reminder of what External access means. Inventory Only users don't receive the Daily Summary Email, so Bookkeep doesn't offer it when you invite them and doesn't ask them to verify their email for it.

note

Inventory Only permissions are applied when the invitation is created, so the user never has broader access, even before they accept the invite. See How to Invite and Delete Users.

This role is assigned when you invite someone. To restrict an existing user to Bookkeep Inventory, contact support@bookkeep.com.

Entity Access Only​

This isn't a role you choose. It's how the Users tab labels someone who has access to one or more entities but isn't a member of the company. Most often this is a store owner or staff member who opened the Bookkeep app from their own Shopify Admin, which links them straight to that store's entity. Hover over the Entity access only pill for a reminder, and over the info icon next to "Joined through the Shopify app" to see exactly how they got their access. To learn more, see Add Users to the Bookkeep App within Shopify.

Bookkeep's flexible user roles ensure that team members have appropriate access to manage financial tasks efficiently while maintaining control and security over sensitive data. If you require additional information or need assistance with user roles, please contact support@bookkeep.com.