Permissions in Adaptive are controlled through roles, which determine what users can create, view, and edit across objects and features. Roles can be granularly configured to give users the appropriate level of access for their responsibilities. This article also covers how to invite new team members into Adaptive.
1. Access the People Page
To manage permissions, navigate to the top right corner, go to Settings, then select People.
The People page contains three tabs:
Active users – all currently active users
Inactive users – any inactive users
Manage Roles – where roles are created and managed
From this page, also access Invite People to add new team members.
2. Create a New Role
From the Manage Roles tab, create a new role. Each role has:
Name – the name of the role
Role description – a description of what the role is for
Adaptive includes a set of built-in system roles by default, and custom roles can be created alongside them.
3. Configure Default Object Permissions
The Default object permissions section sets baseline access by role for each object in Adaptive. Additional access can still be granted case-by-case through actions like @mentions or approval workflows.
For each object, configure:
Create – whether users with this role can create the object
View – the level of records the user can see
Edit – the level of records the user can edit
There are four access levels:
None – No access by default
Mine – Access to records the user has created
My jobs – Access to all records coded to jobs where the user is on the project team
All – Access to all records, except those marked as sensitive
Note: Sensitive data is managed separately under Feature permissions. Edit access cannot exceed view access — for example, Edit: My jobs cannot be set if View is limited to Mine, because users cannot edit records they cannot view.
Permissions can also be batch-selected across objects to speed up configuration.
4. Configure Feature Permissions
The Feature permissions section controls access to functionality outside of core objects. It is organized into four groups:
Admin capabilities – Administrative actions across the platform, including managing roles, workflows, lien waivers, vendor payment details, bill payments, and draw syncing
Sensitive data – Access to financial and budget data marked as sensitive, including billable rates, cost rates, and revenue budgets
Feature access – Access to specific pages and tools, such as the command center and custom reports
Email integration – Access to shared and personal email account connections and shared email messages
Each option includes a description in the UI explaining what it controls.
5. Save and Assign the Role
Once the role is configured, save it. The role becomes available and can be assigned to users.
6. Built-in System Roles
Adaptive includes four built-in roles by default, arranged from the fewest permissions to the most:
Contributor – Can only view, submit, and edit their own Bills and Receipts. Can also view items they are tagged in a comment on. Can only Approve if their approval is requested or they are included in an Approval Workflow
Project Manager – Has access to the entire platform, but cannot make payments, invite teammates, configure settings, or sync receipts to accounting software
Bookkeeper – Has access to the entire platform, but cannot make payments
Boss – Super users that can do everything on Adaptive
7. People on Job Settings
Each job has a People on Job setting that works together with the My jobs permission level.
When set to Everyone has access, all users with My jobs level access can see the job.
When specific people are assigned, only those assigned users can see the job under My jobs permissions.
This setting determines who counts as "on the project team" for the purposes of My jobs access.
8. Invite Team Members
After configuring roles, invite team members from the Invite People page.
To access the invite options:
Go to Settings > People > Invite People.
Choose one of the following methods:
Import from QuickBooks (QuickBooks Online users only)
Add Manually
9. Import Team Members from QuickBooks (QBO Only)
To import team members from QuickBooks:
Click Import from QuickBooks.
Select the users to invite.
Click Select Employees.
A list appears with their names and email addresses (if provided by QuickBooks).
Select a Role.
Enter an Email if it is not pre-filled.
Enter a Phone Number.
Click Sync and Invite to send the invitation.
10. Add Team Members Manually
To add a team member manually:
Click Invite People.
Select Add Manually.
Enter:
Name
Role
Email Address
Phone Number
Important: The phone number must be real. It is used for payment verification and SMS notifications.
If you have any questions or want to share feedback, feel free to reach out at [email protected].