Team Management

CurryCMS supports collaborative teams with role-based access control. This guide covers how to invite members, assign roles, and manage permissions effectively.

Before You Begin

You need:

• Admin role in your account (or be the account owner)
• Understanding of your team's structure and who needs access
• Clear idea of responsibilities for each team member

Only Admins and account owners can manage team membership and roles.

Understanding Roles

CurryCMS uses role-based access control (RBAC) to manage what team members can do. Each member has exactly one role per account.

Available Roles

Role Descriptions

Admin
- Manages structures, node types, and attribute bundles
- Invites and manages team members
- Creates, edits, and deletes any curriculum
- Full access to all platform features
- Cannot delete the account (only owner can)

Designer
- Creates and modifies structures
- Manages node types and attribute bundles
- Cannot invite team members or manage users
- Focused on schema/structure design
- Ideal for instructional designers

Editor
- Edits any curriculum regardless of ownership
- Reviews and approves content
- Cannot modify structures or bundles
- Cannot invite team members
- Focused on content quality

Author
- Creates new curricula
- Edits own curricula only
- Cannot edit others' work
- Cannot modify structures
- Focused on content creation

Viewer
- Views all curricula
- Cannot create or edit content
- Cannot access structure management
- Read-only across the platform
- Ideal for stakeholders, observers

Member
- Basic Jumpstart Pro role (rarely used in CurryCMS)
- Typically upgraded to Author or Viewer
- Has minimal permissions

Account Owner vs. Admin Role

Account Owner:
- The person who created the account or received ownership transfer
- Has all Admin permissions PLUS:
- Delete the entire account
- Manage billing and subscription
- Transfer ownership to another member
- Cannot be removed from the account
- Every account has exactly one owner

Admin Role:
- Highest permission level for non-owners
- Multiple people can have Admin role
- Can be added or removed by owner or other admins

Important: The owner's role in the role picker might show as "Admin" even though they have owner privileges. This is normal.

Inviting Team Members

Step 1: Navigate to Team Management

1. Click your account name or avatar in the top navigation
2. Select Team Settings or Account Settings → Team
3. You'll see:
   • List of current members
   • Pending invitations
   • Invite Member button

Step 2: Send an Invitation

1. Click Invite Member or Invite button
2. Fill out the invitation form:

Email Address (Required)
- Enter the invitee's email address
- They must have an email account to receive the invitation
- Can invite multiple people separately (one at a time)

Role (Required)
- Select the appropriate role from the dropdown
- See "Choosing the Right Role" below for guidance
- You can change this later

Personal Message (Optional)
- Add a message explaining why they're being invited
- Include context about their role or responsibilities
- Makes the invitation more welcoming

1. Click Send Invitation or Invite

After sending:
- Invitation appears in "Pending Invitations" section
- Invitee receives an email with an invitation link
- Link expires after a certain period (typically 7-14 days)

Step 3: Invitee Accepts Invitation

If they have an account:
1. Click the link in the email
2. Log in with existing credentials
3. Accept the invitation
4. They're added to your account with the assigned role

If they're new to CurryCMS:
1. Click the link in the email
2. Sign up with email/password or OAuth
3. Accept the invitation during signup
4. They're added to your account

Choosing the Right Role

For structure design work:
- Designer (if they only design structures)
- Admin (if they also manage team/settings)

For content quality work:
- Editor (review and approve any content)
- Admin (if they also manage team/structures)

For content creation work:
- Author (creates own curricula only)
- Editor (if they also review others' work)

For observation/review:
- Viewer (read-only access)

Start conservative:
Begin with the minimum role needed. You can always upgrade later. It's easier to grant more permissions than to revoke them.

Managing Pending Invitations

Pending invitations are sent but not yet accepted.

View Pending Invitations

On the Team page, look for the "Pending Invitations" section showing:
- Email address invited
- Role assigned
- Date invited
- Actions (Resend, Revoke)

Resend an Invitation

If the invitee didn't receive or lost the email:

1. Find the invitation in Pending Invitations
2. Click Resend or Send Again
3. A new invitation email is sent
4. Previous link still works (not invalidated)

When to resend:
- Invitee claims they didn't receive it (check spam first)
- Original email was deleted
- Invitation is about to expire

Revoke an Invitation

If you need to cancel an invitation:

1. Find the invitation in Pending Invitations
2. Click Revoke or Cancel
3. Confirm the revocation
4. The invitation link becomes invalid
5. Invitation removed from pending list

When to revoke:
- Sent to wrong email address
- Person no longer joining the team
- Role assignment was incorrect (revoke and re-invite with correct role)

Managing Existing Members

View Team Members

The Team page shows all active members with:

Member information:
- Name and avatar
- Email address
- Current role
- Join date
- Last activity (if available)

Your information:
- Shows "(You)" next to your own entry
- You cannot remove yourself
- You cannot change your own role

Owner indication:
- Account owner shows a special badge or indicator
- May show "Owner" or crown icon

Changing Member Roles

To update someone's role:

1. Find the member in the team list
2. Look for Edit Role, Change Role, or a role dropdown
3. Select the new role
4. Click Save or Update
5. Changes take effect immediately

Role change effects:
- Member's permissions update instantly
- They may lose access to pages they currently have open
- They should refresh to see updated UI
- Content they created remains attributed to them

Restrictions:
- Cannot change your own role
- Cannot change the owner's role (they're always effectively Admin+)
- Cannot downgrade the owner (transfer ownership first)
- Need Admin role to change others' roles

Best practice: Communicate role changes to the affected person, especially when downgrading permissions.

Removing Team Members

To remove someone from your account:

1. Find the member in the team list
2. Click Remove, Delete, or Remove from Team
3. Confirm the removal
4. They lose access immediately

What happens when removed:
- ✅ Removed member loses all access to your account immediately
- ✅ Their user account remains active (they can still access other accounts)
- ✅ Content they created remains in your account (attributed to their name)
- ✅ Curricula they own remain (ownership doesn't change)
- ❌ They cannot log in to your account
- ❌ They don't receive notification of removal (inform them separately)

What does NOT happen:
- Content is not deleted
- History is not erased
- Their user account is not deleted
- They can be re-invited later

Restrictions:
- Cannot remove yourself (ask another admin to remove you)
- Cannot remove the account owner (transfer ownership first, then remove)
- Need Admin role to remove members

Transferring Content Ownership

When removing a team member, consider their content:

Option 1: Leave as is
- Content remains attributed to them
- Still visible with their name
- Most common approach

Option 2: Manual transfer
- Create new curricula owned by another person
- Copy content manually
- Delete old curricula
- Time-consuming but transfers ownership

Best practice: Leave content attributed to original author for audit trail and credit.

Account Ownership

Understanding Account Ownership

Every CurryCMS account has exactly one owner—the person who:
- Created the account, OR
- Received ownership through a transfer

Owner privileges:
- All Admin permissions
- Delete the entire account
- Manage billing and subscription
- Transfer ownership to another member
- Cannot be removed (must transfer ownership first)

Important: The owner always has admin-level access, even if the role field shows something different in the UI.

Transferring Ownership

To transfer account ownership to another team member:

Prerequisites:
- You must be the current owner
- The new owner must already be a member of the account
- Recommended: Make them an Admin first

Steps:
1. Navigate to Account Settings → Team or Account Settings → General
2. Look for Transfer Ownership section
3. Click Transfer Ownership button
4. Select the new owner from the dropdown
5. Confirm you understand the implications
6. Enter your password for security verification
7. Click Transfer Ownership to complete

What happens:
- ✅ Selected member becomes the new owner
- ✅ They gain billing and account deletion permissions
- ✅ You become an Admin (downgraded from owner)
- ✅ All your content and history remain intact
- ✅ Billing information may need to be updated by new owner
- ❌ This action cannot be easily undone (they must transfer back)

When to transfer:
- Leaving the organization
- Handing off to a project lead
- Organizational restructuring
- Original owner no longer appropriate

Before transferring:
- Ensure new owner understands responsibility
- Update billing information if necessary
- Communicate change to the team
- Consider implications for payment method

Permission Reference

Structure Management

Node Type Management

Attribute Bundle Management

Curriculum Management

Content Node Management

Team Management

Account Settings

Best Practices

Principle of Least Privilege

Assign the minimum role necessary for each person's responsibilities:

Do:
- ✅ Author role for content creators
- ✅ Viewer role for stakeholders observing progress
- ✅ Designer role for instructional designers (not Admin)

Don't:
- ❌ Admin role for everyone
- ❌ Editor role when Author is sufficient
- ❌ Giving higher permissions "just in case"

Why: Minimizing permissions reduces risk of accidental changes and maintains clear accountability.

Document Role Responsibilities

Create internal documentation explaining:
- What each role is for
- Who should have which role
- Examples of team members with each role
- How to request role changes

Example:
```
CurryCMS Roles at Acme Education

Admin: Mary (Curriculum Director), James (Platform Admin)
Designer: Sofia (Instructional Designer)
Editor: Carlos (Content Quality Manager), Lisa (Editorial Lead)
Author: All curriculum writers (12 people)
Viewer: District administrators, board members
```

Regular Team Audits

Periodically review your team:

Monthly:
- Remove members who have left the organization
- Update roles for people with changed responsibilities

Quarterly:
- Review all member roles for appropriateness
- Check for inactive accounts
- Verify the owner is still the right person

When someone leaves:
- Remove them immediately
- Review content they owned
- Communicate any workflow changes to team

Communicate Role Changes

When changing someone's role:

1. Before: Explain why the change is happening
2. During: Make the change
3. After: Confirm they understand new permissions
4. Document: Note the change in your records

Especially important when:
- Downgrading someone's role
- Removing someone
- Transferring ownership

Use Descriptive Names

If members use display names in CurryCMS:
- Use real names or recognizable handles
- Avoid generic names like "User123"
- Include role or department if helpful ("John Doe - Math Team")

Onboard New Members

When inviting new team members:

1. Send invitation with personal message
2. Provide link to getting started guide
3. Schedule brief orientation call
4. Assign a mentor or buddy
5. Share team norms and documentation

First week checklist for new members:
- Accept invitation and log in
- Review role permissions
- Explore relevant sections (content or structures)
- Create test content
- Ask questions

Common Questions

Can someone have multiple roles?

No. Each member has exactly one role per account. However, they may have different roles in different accounts.

What happens to content when I remove someone?

Content they created remains in the account, attributed to their name. Ownership doesn't transfer automatically.

Can I change someone's role temporarily?

Yes. Change their role, then change it back later. However, there's no built-in "temporary role" feature.

How do I know who has which role?

View the Team page under Account Settings. All members are listed with their current roles.

Can viewers comment or provide feedback?

Viewers have read-only access. If you need feedback capabilities, consider using Editor role or an external collaboration tool.

What's the difference between Designer and Admin?

Designers can manage structures but cannot manage team members or account settings. Admins can do both.

Can I invite someone who's already in another CurryCMS account?

Yes. Users can belong to multiple accounts with different roles in each.

How many team members can I have?

This depends on your subscription plan. Check your plan details or contact support for limits.

Can the owner be removed from the account?

No. The owner must first transfer ownership to another member, then that new owner can remove them if needed.

What happens if the owner leaves without transferring ownership?

Contact CurryCMS support. They can assist with account ownership resolution in special circumstances.

Troubleshooting

"I can't invite team members"

Check:
- Do you have Admin role? (Only admins can invite)
- Are you the account owner?
- Is your subscription active?
- Have you reached your team member limit?

Solution:
Ask an admin or the owner to invite the person, or upgrade your role.

"Invitation email not received"

Common causes:
- Email in spam/junk folder
- Email address typo
- Corporate email filter blocking

Solution:
1. Check spam folder
2. Verify email address on Pending Invitations
3. Resend invitation
4. Try different email address if necessary
5. Contact IT about email filters

"I can't change someone's role"

Check:
- Do you have Admin role?
- Are you trying to change your own role? (Not allowed)
- Are you trying to change the owner's role? (Not allowed directly)

Solution:
Ask another admin to change your role, or have the owner transfer ownership first.

"I can't remove a team member"

Possible reasons:
- You don't have Admin role
- You're trying to remove yourself (ask another admin)
- You're trying to remove the owner (transfer ownership first)

Solution:
Ask an admin to remove the member, or transfer ownership if removing the owner.

"My role changed but I still see old permissions"

Cause:
Browser caching or active session.

Solution:
- Log out and log back in
- Hard refresh browser (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R)
- Clear browser cache

"Team member accepted invitation but isn't showing up"

Check:
- Refresh the Team page
- Verify they completed the acceptance process
- Check if they're in a different account by mistake

Solution:
Ask the member to check their account switcher, or re-invite if necessary.

"Can't find where to transfer ownership"

Location varies by version:
- Account Settings → General → Transfer Ownership
- Account Settings → Team → Transfer Ownership
- Settings → Danger Zone → Transfer Ownership

Solution:
Look for "Transfer," "Ownership," or "Danger Zone" sections in settings.

Next Steps

After setting up your team:

1. Admin Overview - Understand your administrative capabilities
2. Designing Structures - Start building your content structure
3. Author Overview - Help authors get started creating content

Related Documentation:
- Admin Overview - Your administrative capabilities
- Getting Started - New user onboarding
- Author Overview - Content creation guide