How to Set Up and Manage Roles & Permissions

Warehance gives you full control over what each team member can see and do across your organization. By configuring roles and permissions, you can restrict access to sensitive settings, prevent unauthorized changes to your organization's configuration, and ensure every user only has access to the tools they need. This guide walks through everything you need to know — from understanding the built-in roles to creating custom ones, assigning them to team members, and locking down org-wide settings like your default dashboard and primary warehouse.

Only users with the Admin permission can access the Roles & Permissions and Team Members settings described in this article. If you don't see these options, ask your organization admin to grant you access.

Understanding How Roles Work

Every user in Warehance is assigned one or more roles. A role is a collection of permissions — individual capabilities that control access to specific features and actions throughout the system. A user's effective access is determined by the combined permissions across all of their assigned roles.

There are three types of roles in every Warehance organization:

• Default — Automatically assigned to all users. Cannot be removed.
• Built-in permission roles — Pre-configured roles that ship with every organization (Admin, Standard). These cannot be deleted.
• Custom roles — Roles you create with any combination of permissions tailored to specific team functions.

Built-In Roles

Admin (All Access)

The Admin role grants full access to every feature and permission in Warehance. This includes the ability to:

• View and change General Settings (timezone, default dashboard, primary warehouse, shipping settings, picking settings, barcode settings, mobile app settings, and more)
• Manage team members (invite, edit, delete, reset passwords)
• Create, edit, and delete roles and permissions
• Manage carrier connections and shipping methods
• Manage clients (for 3PL organizations)
• Manage automation rules, templates, and customs configurations
• Access all orders, products, inventory, shipments, returns, reports, warehouses, and locations features
• Manage API keys

The Admin role's permissions cannot be edited. It will always have every permission enabled. This is by design to ensure there is always at least one role with full access.

Important: There must always be at least one user with the Admin role in your organization. The system will prevent you from removing Admin from the last remaining admin user.

Standard

The Standard role includes all permissions except the Admin permission (manage_admin). Users with this role can work across the system but cannot:

• Access or change General Settings (including default dashboard, primary warehouse, timezone, shipping/picking/barcode settings, etc.)
• Manage team members or invitations
• Create, edit, or delete roles
• Manage carrier connections or shipping methods
• Manage clients, templates, automation rules, or customs configurations

The Standard role cannot be deleted.

Default (User)

The Default role is automatically assigned to every user and cannot be removed from any team member. On its own, the Default role carries no permissions — it acts as a baseline. Every user must have at least this role, plus one or more additional roles that grant actual capabilities.

Permission Categories

Permissions in Warehance are organized into the following categories. When creating or editing a custom role, you will see these categories with individual toggles for each permission:

Admin

Controls access to system-wide configuration and management features:

• Manage Admin — Access to General Settings, team members, roles & permissions, and invitations. This is the most powerful permission in the system.
• Manage Automation Rules — Create and manage automation rules
• Manage Shipping Methods — Configure available shipping methods
• Manage Carrier Connections — Set up and manage carrier integrations
• Manage Clients — Manage client accounts (3PL organizations)
• Manage Templates — Create and manage pick slip, packing slip, and other templates
• Manage Customs Configurations — Set up customs/international shipping configurations

Fulfillment Processes

Controls access to the day-to-day fulfillment workflow:

• Manage Picking — Access picking sessions and pick workflows
• Manage Shipping — Access general shipping features
• Manage Single Order Shipping — Ship individual orders
• Manage Batch Shipping — Create and process batch shipments
• Manage Custom Batch Shipping — Create and process custom batch shipments
• Manage Kitting — Access kitting/assembly workflows
• Manage Putaway — Access putaway workflows
• Manage Replenishment — Access replenishment workflows

Stores

• View Stores — View store connections and details
• Create Stores — Add new store integrations
• Update Stores — Modify store settings and configurations
• Delete Stores — Remove store connections

Products

• View Products — View product catalog and details
• Create Products — Add new products
• Update Products — Edit product information
• Delete Products — Remove products

Orders

• View Orders — View orders and order details
• Create Orders — Create manual orders
• Update Orders — Edit order information
• Cancel Orders — Cancel existing orders
• Delete Orders — Remove orders

Shipments

• View Shipments — View shipment records and tracking
• Manage Shipments — General shipment management
• Update Shipments — Modify shipment details
• Void Shipments — Void shipping labels

Returns

• View Returns — View return requests and details
• Create Returns — Initiate new returns
• Update Returns — Edit return information
• Process Returns — Process and complete returns
• Void Returns — Void return records
• Delete Returns — Remove return records

Inbound Shipments

• View Inbound Shipments — View incoming shipments (ASNs)
• Create Inbound Shipments — Create new inbound shipments
• Update Inbound Shipments — Edit inbound shipment details
• Delete Inbound Shipments — Remove inbound shipment records

Inventory

• View Inventory — View inventory levels and details
• Adjust Inventory — Make manual inventory adjustments
• Transfer Inventory — Move inventory between locations
• Update Inventory — Modify inventory records

Cycle Counts

• Manage Cycle Counts — Create and manage cycle count sessions
• View Expected Counts — View expected count data during cycle counts

Reports

Controls which reports a user can access:

• View Picker Report
• View Packer Report
• View Box Usage Report
• View Package Characteristics Report
• View Locations Capacity Report
• View Products Pending Fulfillment Report
• View Orders Aging Report
• View Shipment Analytics Report
• View Tracking Analytics Report
• View Carrier Performance Report
• View Sales by Product Report
• View Inventory Value Report
• View Shipped Items Report

Report permissions only control access to the report pages themselves. Some reports may also require an enabled organization feature to appear in the navigation.

Warehouses

• View Warehouses — View warehouse details and settings
• Create Warehouses — Add new warehouses
• Update Warehouses — Edit warehouse settings
• Delete Warehouses — Remove warehouses

Locations

• View Locations — View warehouse locations
• Create Locations — Add new locations
• Update Locations — Edit location details
• Delete Locations — Remove locations
• Clear Location/Tote — Clear items from a location or tote

Creating a Custom Role

Custom roles let you build a tailored set of permissions for a specific team function — for example, a "Picker" role that only has access to picking and viewing orders, or a "Warehouse Lead" role with broader operational access but no admin capabilities.

Step 1: Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings to open General Settings.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click Roles & Permissions.

Step 3: Click the Create Role button.

Step 4: Enter a name for the role (e.g., Picker, Warehouse Lead, Shipping Clerk).

Step 5: Optionally add a description to help your team understand what this role is for.

Step 6: Toggle on the individual permissions you want this role to have. Permissions are grouped by category — you can use the Select All checkbox within a category to quickly enable everything in that group.

Some permissions have parent/child relationships. For example, enabling certain fulfillment permissions may automatically require related view permissions to be enabled as well. These will be toggled on automatically and shown as locked.

Step 7: Click Create to save the new role.

Editing a Role

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Roles & Permissions.

Step 2: Click on the role you want to edit from the table.

Step 3: On the role detail page, modify the name, description, or toggle permissions on and off as needed.

Step 4: Click Save to apply your changes.

You cannot edit the permissions on the Admin (All Access) role — it always has every permission enabled. You also cannot delete the Admin, Standard, or Default built-in roles.

Assigning Roles to Existing Team Members

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Team Members.

Step 2: Find the team member you want to update and click the Assign Roles action (available via the row actions menu).

Step 3: In the role selector, check or uncheck roles as needed. You will see all available roles listed with checkboxes.

• Roles marked Default are always selected and cannot be removed.
• The Admin role is labeled as All Access to indicate it grants every permission.

Step 4: Click Save to update the user's roles.

Removing the Admin role from a user is a significant change. The system will prevent you from removing Admin access from the last remaining admin user in your organization.

Inviting a New Team Member with Specific Roles

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Team Members.

Step 2: Click the Invite button in the toolbar.

Step 3: Enter the new team member's email address.

Step 4: Select the roles you want to assign to this user. The Default role will be pre-selected and cannot be removed. Choose additional roles based on what this person needs access to.

Step 5: Click Invite to send the invitation email. The new user will receive a link to set up their password and access the system with the roles you assigned.

Invitations expire after 7 days. If the invitation expires, you can resend it from the team members page.

Viewing a Team Member's Settings and Roles

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Team Members.

Step 2: Click on a team member's name to open their detail page.

Step 3: On this page you can view and manage:

• Picking scan requirement — Whether this user must scan items during picking (Inherit from organization, Required, or Not Required)
• Primary Warehouse — The default warehouse for this user's operational views
• Measurement units — Dimension and weight unit preferences for this user
• Assigned Roles — A table of all roles currently assigned to this user

Protecting Org-Wide Settings (Default Dashboard, Primary Warehouse, and More)

Organization-wide settings in Warehance — including the default dashboard, primary warehouse, timezone, weight unit, and all shipping, picking, batch, and barcode configurations — can only be changed by users who have the Admin permission (manage_admin).

If you want to restrict who can change these settings:

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Roles & Permissions.

Step 2: Review which roles currently have the Manage Admin permission enabled. Only the Admin (All Access) built-in role has this by default.

Step 3: For any custom roles, make sure Manage Admin is not enabled unless you specifically want that role to be able to change organization settings and manage team members.

Step 4: Go to General Settings > Team Members and review which users currently have the Admin role assigned.

Step 5: Remove the Admin role from any users who should not have access to organization settings. Assign them to Standard or a custom role instead.

The Standard built-in role includes all operational permissions but does not include the Admin permission. It is a good starting point for users who need full operational access without the ability to change settings or manage team members.

Understanding Organization Settings vs. User Settings

Warehance has two levels of settings that are important to understand:

Organization Settings (Org-Wide)

These settings apply to the entire organization and affect all users. They require the Admin permission to change:

• Default Dashboard — Which page loads when users log in (Dashboard, Shipment Analytics, Picker Report, Packer Report, and other available reports)
• Primary Warehouse — The default warehouse used across the organization for order routing and data display
• Timezone — The timezone used for displaying dates and times
• Weight Unit — Default weight unit (oz, lbs, g, kg)
• Shipping Settings — Default customs configuration, critical rating error behavior, bundle info display
• Batch Settings — Default batch size, auto-complete, grouping, label separator rules
• Picking Settings — Default number of totes, pick slip size, packing slip templates, auto-complete behavior
• Barcode Settings — Product barcode label value (SKU or barcode)
• Mobile App Settings — Session timeout duration
• Logo — Organization whitelabel logo

User Settings (Per-User)

These settings are specific to an individual team member and can be managed from the Team Members detail page by an Admin:

• Primary Warehouse — Overrides the organization's default primary warehouse for this specific user's views and data
• Picking Scan Requirement — Whether this user must scan items during picking
• Dimension Unit — Preferred dimension unit (in or cm)
• Weight Unit — Preferred weight unit (oz, lbs, g, kg)

Changing the Default Dashboard

The Default Dashboard is an organization-wide setting that controls which page users see when they first log in. This affects all users in the organization.

Step 1: Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click General Settings.

Step 3: Find the Default Dashboard dropdown.

Step 4: Select from the available options:

• Dashboard — The main operational dashboard showing order flow, shipments, and key metrics
• Shipment Analytics
• Tracking Analytics
• Carrier Performance
• Orders Aging
• Sales by Product
• Inventory Value
• Shipped Items
• Pending Fulfillment
• Daily Store Performance
• Picker Report
• Packer Report
• Box Usage
• Package Characteristics
• Locations Capacity

Some dashboard options are only available if the corresponding feature is enabled for your organization. If you don't see an option listed, it may need to be activated on your plan.

Step 5: Click Save to apply the change. All users in the organization will see this page when they log in.

Changing the Primary Warehouse

Organization-Level Primary Warehouse

Step 1: Go to General Settings > General Settings (the first tab in the left sidebar).

Step 2: Find the Primary Warehouse dropdown.

Step 3: Select the warehouse you want as the organization's default.

Step 4: Click Save.

Per-User Primary Warehouse

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Team Members.

Step 2: Click on the team member whose warehouse you want to change.

Step 3: Find the Primary Warehouse dropdown on their detail page.

Step 4: Select the warehouse for this user.

Step 5: Click Save. This user will now see data scoped to their assigned warehouse by default, overriding the organization-level setting.

Recommended Setup for Locking Down Your Organization

If you want to tightly control who can make configuration changes, here is a recommended approach:

1. Limit Admin role assignments

Only assign the Admin (All Access) role to one or two trusted users — typically the organization owner and one backup administrator. These are the only people who will be able to change organization settings, manage team members, and configure roles.

2. Use Standard for operational leads

Assign the Standard role to warehouse managers and team leads who need access to all operational features (orders, shipping, inventory, etc.) but should not be able to change system-wide settings or manage users.

3. Create custom roles for specific functions

Build custom roles for team members with focused responsibilities:

• Picker — Enable only: Manage Picking, View Orders, View Products, View Locations, View Warehouses
• Packer / Shipper — Enable only: Manage Shipping (or Batch/Single Order/Custom Batch as needed), View Orders, View Products, View Shipments, View Warehouses
• Inventory Clerk — Enable only: View Inventory, Adjust Inventory, Transfer Inventory, View Products, View Locations, View Warehouses
• Returns Processor — Enable only: View Returns, Create Returns, Process Returns, View Orders, View Products
• Client Manager (3PL) — Enable only: Manage Clients, View Orders, View Products, View Shipments, View Stores
• Report Viewer — Enable only the specific report view permissions relevant to this user

4. Audit your current team

Go to General Settings > Team Members and review each user's assigned roles. Remove the Admin role from anyone who does not need it. You can click into each user to see exactly which roles they have.

5. Communicate changes

Let your team know about new role assignments and what access they have. Roles take effect immediately — users may need to refresh their browser to see updated navigation and feature access.

Client Permissions (For 3PL Organizations)

If your organization operates as a 3PL and manages multiple clients, you can also control what each client user has access to through client-level allowed permissions.

Step 1: Go to General Settings > Clients.

Step 2: Click on a client to open their detail page.

Step 3: Navigate to the Permissions tab.

Step 4: Toggle on the specific permissions you want to make available to users under this client. Any permission not enabled here will be completely unavailable to all users in that client account, regardless of their role assignments.

Client-level permissions act as a cap on what client users can do. Even if a client user is assigned a role with broad permissions, they will only be able to use permissions that are also enabled at the client level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any user change org-wide settings?

No. Only users with the Admin permission (typically those assigned the Admin / All Access role) can access and change organization-wide settings like the default dashboard, primary warehouse, timezone, and other configuration options.

What happens if I remove Admin from a user?

They will immediately lose access to General Settings, team member management, role management, and other admin-only features. Their view of the navigation will update to only show features they have permission to access. They will still retain access to any non-admin permissions from their other assigned roles.

Can I see who changed a setting?

Yes. Warehance logs changes to organization settings including who made the change and when. Contact support and we can look up the history of changes for your organization.

Can I create unlimited custom roles?

Yes. There is no limit on the number of custom roles you can create. We recommend keeping roles focused and well-named so they are easy to manage as your team grows.

Can a user have multiple roles?

Yes. A user's effective permissions are the combined (union) of all permissions across all of their assigned roles. For example, if a user has both a "Picker" role and a "Report Viewer" role, they will have access to picking features and the enabled reports.

What if I need to quickly give someone full access temporarily?

Assign them the Admin role in addition to their existing roles. When you no longer need them to have full access, remove the Admin role — their other role assignments will remain unchanged.

What is the difference between account type and roles?

Account type (Organization Admin vs Organization User) is set when a user is created or invited and determines which system context the user operates in. Roles are layered on top of the account type and control granular feature-level access. In most cases, you manage access through roles rather than changing the account type.