Understand User Types

When you're setting up Kinabase for your organisation, you'll encounter three main user types: System Admin, Billing Admin, and Standard Users.

This quick introduction helps you decide who should have which responsibilities before you start inviting teams to collaborate on Kinabase.

Please note: User types are different to roles

Role

A grouping of permissions you assign to Colleagues to control their access in Kinabase.

.

To learn how to create a new role

Role

A grouping of permissions you assign to Colleagues to control their access in Kinabase.

for more specific access to your Kinabase, see the Roles and Permissions guide.

System Admin

If you're the first person from your company to sign up, you're automatically the System Admin - the highest-level role in Kinabase.

This means you can:

• Access and configure every part of Kinabase - including collections
  Collection

  A list of records in Kinabase, similar to a table in a spreadsheet or database.
  , fields
  Field

  A column in a Collection that stores a specific type of information for each Record, such as text, number, or date.
  , and system-wide settings.
• Invite new users and change their access levels.
• Promote or demote other System Admins and Billing Admins.

Because a System Admin has unrestricted access, we recommend only a few trusted individuals hold this role.

Billing Admin

A Billing Admin is responsible for managing payments, invoices, and subscription details.

• They see and change only billing-related settings, making them ideal for finance or administrative staff who don't need full control of your Kinabase setup.
• This helps keep sensitive financial data in the right hands while your technical teams manage the rest of the system.

System Admins automatically have billing access, so you don't need to assign this role separately.

Standard User

Everyone else in Kinabase is typically a Standard User.

• They can perform the tasks
  Task

  Something that needs to be done. Create and assign tasks to yourself or others, often linked to a specific Record.
  and activities
  Activity

  A log of what's happened. This could be an event or note related to a Record, such as an email, call, or meeting.
  assigned to them based on your organisation's permissions setup - like adding or editing records
  Record

  An individual entry within a Collection, like a row in a database table, representing one item or entity.
  , viewing certain collections, and taking part in workflows
  Workflow

  A defined sequence of stages and actions that a Record passes through, often representing a business process.
  .
• Standard Users won't see system-wide settings or billing details unless you specifically grant them higher-level access.

Changing User Types

If you need to change a user’s type or update their permissions:

1. Go to Settings at the bottom-left of your sidebar
2. Select Users
3. Find the user you want to update, click the three dots (⋯) next to their name, and choose System Admin, Billing Admin, or revert them to a Standard User

Assign these roles carefully to keep your Kinabase secure, efficient, and perfectly aligned with how your organisation works.

If you need help or have any questions, our Cambridge-based support team is ready to assist.