Managing agents and roles

Agents are the team members who handle conversations in your Deskwoot account. Managing who has access to what is essential for keeping your support workflow secure, organized, and efficient. This guide covers built-in roles, custom roles, and best practices for managing your team within Deskwoot.

Built-in roles

Deskwoot comes with two built-in roles that cover the most common use cases:

• Administrator: Full access to all settings, including account configuration, integrations, billing, and team management. Administrators can also handle conversations and manage contacts.
• Agent: Can handle conversations and manage contacts but cannot access account-level settings. This role is ideal for frontline support team members who focus on helping customers.

Most teams will find that these two roles are sufficient for day-to-day operations. However, as your team grows, you may need more granular control.

Custom roles

Create custom roles at Settings > Custom Roles with granular permissions. Custom roles let you tailor access levels to match your team's structure,for example, you might create a Team Lead role that can manage agents but not billing, or a Read-Only Auditor role for quality assurance reviews.

How to create a custom role

1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Roles.
2. Click the option to add a new role.
3. Give the role a descriptive name (e.g., "Senior Agent" or "QA Reviewer").
4. Select the specific permissions you want to grant for this role.
5. Save your changes.

You can then assign this custom role to any agent from their profile settings.

Best-practice tips

• Follow the principle of least privilege: Only grant the minimum permissions each team member needs to do their job. This reduces the risk of accidental changes to critical settings.
• Limit the number of Administrators: Having one or two admins is usually enough. Too many admins can lead to conflicting configuration changes.
• Review roles periodically: As team members change responsibilities, update their roles to reflect their current duties.
• Use descriptive role names: Clear naming makes it easy to understand what each role can and cannot do at a glance.

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting to update roles after team changes: When someone is promoted or moves to a different team, remember to adjust their permissions accordingly.
• Assigning the Administrator role too broadly: This can expose sensitive settings like integrations and billing to team members who don't need them.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change an agent's role after they've been added?

Yes. You can update any agent's role at any time from their profile in the agent management section. The new permissions take effect immediately.

Is there a limit to how many custom roles I can create?

In most cases, you can create as many custom roles as your team requires. Check your current plan details for any specific limits.

What happens if I delete a custom role that's assigned to agents?

It's best to reassign affected agents to a different role before deleting a custom role. This ensures no team member is left without the appropriate permissions to do their work.