> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.allwage.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.allwage.com/fundamentals/users-and-employees/user-permissions/quick-start.md).

# Quick Start: Who Gets Which Preset

The short version. Common jobs in your organisation, and exactly which preset and scope to choose for each one.

Most people's jobs fit one of a handful of patterns. Find the job below, choose what it says, and you're done. You don't need to read the rest of the User Permissions pages to get started.

**Who this is for:**

Owners and anyone who adds users. For how presets, permissions and scope work in full, see [User Permissions](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/user-permissions.md).

## At a Glance

| The job                                                         | Preset                    | T\&A teams  | Payroll access? | Payroll companies | Pay runs       |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------- | --------------- | ----------------- | -------------- |
| [Team manager](#team-manager)                                   | User — T\&A only (scoped) | Their teams | —               | —                 | —              |
| [Pay run administrator](#pay-run-administrator)                 | User — Full (scoped)      | None        | Yes             | None              | Their pay runs |
| [Company payroll administrator](#company-payroll-administrator) | User — Full (scoped)      | None        | Yes             | Their company     | None           |
| [Accountant or auditor](#accountant-or-auditor)                 | User — Full (unscoped)    | —           | —               | —                 | —              |
| [Full administrator](#full-administrator)                       | Admin — Full              | —           | —               | —                 | —              |
| [Owner](#owner)                                                 | Owner                     | —           | —               | —                 | —              |

A dash (—) means the preset already decides it, so AllWage won't ask.

## Where to Choose It

1. Go to [**Settings → Users**](https://app.allwage.com/#/system/users) and click **Add A User**. To change someone who already has access, click **⋯** on their row and choose **Edit access**.
2. Under **Permissions preset**, open the preset picker and choose the preset from the table.
3. If a **Scope — set for this user** step appears, fill it in using the same row of the table.
4. Check the **Resolved access** panel. It shows what this person will and won't be able to do. Then save.

When you save a new user, AllWage emails them an invitation to set up their account. See [Users](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/users.md#add-a-new-user).

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Get your teams right first.** A team manager only sees the employees on their teams. An employee who isn't on a team, or is on the wrong one, won't appear for the manager who expects them. See [Teams](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/teams.md).
{% endhint %}

## Team Manager

**Looks after the day-to-day time and attendance of one or more teams.**

| Choose         |                                          |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Preset**     | User — T\&A only (scoped)                |
| **T\&A teams** | Specific — the team or teams they manage |

**They can:** see only the employees on their teams, and fix those employees' clocks, leave, activity items, hour overrides, biometrics and WhatsApp. Reports and screens automatically show only their people.

**They can't:** see anyone outside their teams, or change shared setup such as clock templates, activities, devices and custom metrics. They can see that setup so their data makes sense, but a change there would affect every team, so it stays with your administrators.

Every team manager uses the same preset. Only their teams differ.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Need a manager who can look but not change anything?** See [trainees who only see certain teams](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/user-permissions/designing-and-troubleshooting-access.md#example-4-trainees-who-only-see-certain-teams).
{% endhint %}

## Pay Run Administrator

**Works on certain pay runs, but not on a company's payroll as a whole.**

| Choose                |                                      |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Preset**            | User — Full (scoped)                 |
| **T\&A teams**        | None                                 |
| **Payroll access?**   | Yes                                  |
| **Payroll companies** | None                                 |
| **Pay runs**          | Specific — the pay runs they work on |

**They can:** work on their pay runs and the pay of the employees on them, and run payroll reports for those employees — including **UI-19**, **Leave Liability**, **Certificate of Service**, **Cost Report** and **Nett Pay Report**. Reports only ever show the employees on their pay runs.

**They can't:** file statutory returns, run company-wide reports such as the SARS Code Summary or OID Report, or change company settings. Those need the whole company.

If they also look after time and attendance for some teams, set **T\&A teams** to those teams instead of None.

## Company Payroll Administrator

**Runs the whole payroll for one company, including filing.**

| Choose                |                          |
| --------------------- | ------------------------ |
| **Preset**            | User — Full (scoped)     |
| **T\&A teams**        | None                     |
| **Payroll access?**   | Yes                      |
| **Payroll companies** | Specific — their company |
| **Pay runs**          | None                     |

**They can:** work on every pay run in the company, including ones added later. They can file and submit to SARS, run all of the company's reports, and change the company's pay run, payslip and company settings.

**They can't:** change leave policies, input templates or input variables. Those are shared by every company, so only Admins change them.

Leave **Pay runs** on None. Choosing the company already includes all of its pay runs.

## Accountant or Auditor

**Needs to see everything, and must not change anything.**

| Choose     |                        |
| ---------- | ---------------------- |
| **Preset** | User — Full (unscoped) |

**They can:** read all time and attendance and all payroll, across the whole organisation.

**They can't:** add, change or delete anything.

If they don't need payroll, choose **User — T\&A only (unscoped)** instead.

## Full Administrator

**Runs time and attendance and payroll for the whole organisation, including all shared setup.**

| Choose     |              |
| ---------- | ------------ |
| **Preset** | Admin — Full |

**They can:** change everything in time and attendance and payroll, including clock templates, activities, devices, custom metrics, teams, leave policies and input templates.

**They can't:** add users or change anyone's access. They can see the list of users, but managing it stays with your Owners.

If they don't run payroll, choose **Admin — T\&A only** instead.

## Owner

**Controls who can get into AllWage, and what each person can do.**

| Choose     |       |
| ---------- | ----- |
| **Preset** | Owner |

**They can:** do everything, including adding users, building presets, making other people Owners and viewing the audit log.

Keep Owners to two or three people. Having at least two means you're never stuck if one leaves or can't sign in. Only an Owner can make someone an Owner. See [Owners](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/user-permissions/designing-and-troubleshooting-access.md#owners).

## When a Job Doesn't Fit

If one of these is almost right but one thing needs to differ, build a custom preset. Start from the preset in the table and raise only what you need. See [Building a custom preset](/fundamentals/users-and-employees/user-permissions/permission-presets.md#building-a-custom-preset).

## Learn More

The **User Permissions & Presets** course walks through all of this step by step, with short quizzes along the way. To open it, click the **graduation cap** icon at the top of the portal, next to the bell, and search for *User Permissions*. If you don't use payroll, you can stop before the final section.


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