How Do Access and Permissions Work in Canopy?
Access and Permissions control what team members can see and do in Canopy by assigning predefined or custom permission sets to each user.
Why This Matters
Permission sets help firms protect sensitive data—especially billing and financial information—while ensuring each team member has access to the tools they need to do their job.
Table of Contents
Permission Sets Overview
When you invite a new team member to Canopy, you must assign them a Permission Set.
A permission set is a predefined collection of access rights that determines:
Which modules a user can access
Which features within those modules they can use
Whether they can view or manage billing information
At a high level, Canopy users fall into two categories:
Admin users
Staff users
Each permission set defines the level of access within those roles.
Preset Permission Sets
Canopy includes six preset permission sets:
Admin
Admin (No Billing)
Staff (All Contacts)
Staff (All Contacts, No Billing)
Staff (Assigned Contacts)
Staff (Assigned Contacts, No Billing)
Common Examples
Admin (No Billing)
Provides broad administrative access while restricting billing features.Staff (All Contacts, No Billing)
Allows access to all client-related features while excluding billing and billing notifications.
Certain features—such as Time Cards—are also restricted in no-billing permission sets.
Heads-up:
Only Admin users can create, duplicate, or manage custom permission sets.
Manage Access and Permissions
Admins can assign or change permission sets at any time.
To View or Edit Permissions
Click your profile icon.
Select Settings.
Choose Access and Permissions from the left-hand menu.
Permissions are organized by:
Canopy modules
Individual features within each module
A short description of what each permission controls
You can toggle individual feature permissions on or off only in custom permission sets. Preset permission sets cannot be edited.
Duplicate or Create Permission Sets
Duplicate an Existing Permission Set
In Access and Permissions, locate the permission set.
Click the duplicate icon next to Done.
Enter a name for the new permission set.
Click Duplicate.
You can now:
Enable or disable individual features
Turn entire modules on or off using the top-level module toggle
Click Save to add the new permission set to your list.
Create a New Permission Set
Click Add Permission Set.
Enter a name for the permission set.
Enable the features you want to allow.
All permissions start disabled by default.
Click Save.
There’s no single “right” setup—permission sets should reflect your firm’s workflows and security needs.
Assign Permission Sets to Users
Permission sets are assigned when adding a new user, but they can be updated at any time.
From Settings
Go to Settings.
Select Team Organization.
Use the dropdown next to a user’s name to select a permission set.
From a User Profile
Open the user’s profile.
Use the User Permission Set dropdown to select a new role.
Billing Permission Considerations
When assigning permission sets, decide whether the user should have access to billing features.
Roles like Admin (No Billing) or Staff (All Contacts, No Billing) prevent access to:
Billing data
Billing notifications
Invoice-related workflows
This helps protect sensitive financial information while still allowing operational access.
Troubleshooting and Common Scenarios
User Cannot Access Billing or Tasks
Cause:
The user is assigned a restricted role, such as Admin (No Billing).
Solution:
Have an existing admin update the user’s permission set.
Assign Admin for full access.
Once updated, restricted features become available immediately.
Previously Available Features Are Missing
Cause:
Admin permissions may have been removed, hiding admin-only areas such as:
Accounts Payable reports
Admin tasks or overview sections
Solution:
Identify another admin in your firm.
Ask them to restore admin permissions.
Once reinstated, the missing features will reappear.
Initializing Access to Insights
Cause: A teammate with the correct license and permissions does not appear as a shareable user for Insights reports because their access has not been initialized. Solution:
Have the teammate log in and open Insights at least once.
This initializes their access and makes them visible as a shareable user.
Managing Roles Section Not Visible
Cause: Staff cannot see the section to manage roles when editing from the home page because their permission set does not include the View and Delete Roles permission. Solution:
Ensure their permission set includes the View and Delete Roles permission.
Enabling this restores visibility to the roles section.
Roles or Access and Permissions Features Missing
Cause: Users may not see the Roles feature or Access and Permissions section if their permission set lacks the required permissions. Solution:
Enable the Roles permission for the user’s permission set.
Alternatively, assign the user a permission set that includes Roles access.
Client Messaging Not Visible
Cause: Staff cannot see the Client Messaging feature because the necessary Communication permissions are not enabled for their permission set. Solution:
Navigate to Settings → Access and Permissions → Communication.
Ensure all required Communication permissions are toggled on for the relevant role or permission set.
Summary
Permission sets control access to Canopy features and modules.
Six preset permission sets cover most common firm roles.
Admins can duplicate or create custom permission sets as needed.
Billing access should be carefully assigned to protect sensitive data.
Most access issues can be resolved by reviewing and updating a user’s permission set.
Specific feature-level permissions (e.g., Communication, Roles/View and Delete Roles) may need to be individually enabled for users to see certain features.
Need help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI Support Bot, for assistance.