Understanding User Roles & Licenses in Sortly

When you bring your team into Sortly, not everyone needs the same level of access. Sortly offers different user roles and requires a license (user seat) for each person who logs in.

This guide covers what a license is, the roles available, and how to manage them.

Advanced
Premium
Ultra
Enterprise

What is a License (User Seat)?

A license (or user seat) gives a person permission to log in and use Sortly.

• The number of licenses in your plan determines how many users you can invite.

• Add or remove seats anytime in Manage Team.

• Some roles, like Limited Access, are only available on Enterprise plans.

💡 Think of a license as your slot for a user, and the role as how much access that slot gets.

User Roles Overview

Here's what each role can do and who it's best suited for.

Role Description Best For Plan
Owner Full control of inventory, users, permissions, billing, and account settings. Primary account administrator. All Plans
Admin Accesses all folders, invites and manages users, assigns roles. Cannot manage billing. Operations or IT leads helping run the account. All Plans
Team Member Works only in assigned folders, with Edit or View-only rights. Day-to-day users who need limited access. All Plans
Custom Role Fine-tuned permissions at folder and item level. Only one per account. Organizations needing stricter compliance or security rules. Premium & Enterprise
Limited Access Scans, moves, and updates quantities. Cannot edit item details or run reports. Field staff or warehouse workers. Enterprise only

Permission Comparison

A quick side-by-side of specific permissions by role.

Role Folder Access Billing Access Manage Users Edit Items Use Pick Lists Custom Access
Owner All folders Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Admin All folders No If Enabled (Ent. only) Yes Yes Limited
Team Member Assigned folders No No If Enabled Yes No
Custom Role Assigned folders No No If Enabled Yes Yes
Limited Access Assigned folders No No No Limited No

Custom Role and Limited Access Details

These two roles have extra nuance worth spelling out.

Custom Role

Define specific permissions such as:

  • Add, edit, delete, clone, or move items and folders
  • Show or hide prices
  • Control access to item fields (name, quantity, photos, and more)

A Custom Role cannot exceed the permissions granted by an Admin or Owner.

Limited Access

Built for staff who scan, move, and update quantities without needing full system access.

⚠️ Available only on Enterprise plans and must be enabled by your Customer Success Manager. It's billed at a lower cost than full-access seats.

Managing Users & Permissions

Adding Users

  1. 1Go to Settings → Manage Team.

  2. 2Select Invite User.

  3. 3Enter their email, assign a role, and set folder access.

  4. 4They'll receive an email invite to join.

Removing Users

Remove a user anytime from Manage Team. This frees up the license so you can assign it to someone else.

Setting Permissions

  • Use Manage Permissions to control what each role can do.
  • Team Members: assign Edit or View-only at the folder level.
  • Custom Role: configure detailed permissions at the item and folder level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create more than one Custom Role?
No. Only one Custom Role can be created per account at this time.
Who can configure role permissions?
Owners on all plans, and Admins on Premium and Enterprise plans.
How do I enable Limited Access?
Contact your Customer Success Manager. It can't be self-enabled.
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