Role-based access control (RBAC)

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a foundational security model in the Thena platform that ensures users have appropriate access based on their responsibilities and organizational hierarchy. This system protects sensitive operations while enabling efficient collaboration.

The Thena platform implements a progressive access model with five distinct user roles, each designed for specific use cases and access requirements

User roles and permissions

The Thena platform provides five user roles, each with specific access levels and capabilities. Use the tabs below to explore each role in detail:

Org admin
Org user
Lite user
Customer admin
Customer user

Organization administrators have comprehensive access to manage their organization’s resources, settings, and members. This is the highest level of access within an organization.

Team management

Create and delete teams
Add and remove team members
Update team configurations
Manage routing rules
Configure team settings
Set up team hierarchies

System configuration

Manage ticket priorities, statuses, and types
Configure custom fields and objects
Set up tags and categories
Manage forms and templates
Configure organization settings
Control workflow automation

User management

Send organization invitations
Manage user access and permissions
Configure notification channels
Oversee bulk operations
Control user role assignments
Manage user onboarding/offboarding

Billing and subscriptions

View subscription details
Create and manage subscriptions
Access billing portal
Monitor usage and costs
Manage payment methods
Control subscription features

Role comparison matrix

The following table shows which features are available to each role:

Feature	Org admin	Org user	Lite user	Customer admin	Customer user
Ticket Management
Create tickets	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅
View all tickets	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
View assigned tickets	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Update ticket status	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅
Assign tickets	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Delete tickets	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Escalate tickets	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Account Management
Create accounts	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
View accounts	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Update accounts	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Manage customer contacts	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Add account notes	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Team Management
Create teams	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
View teams	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Add team members	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Configure team settings	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Manage routing rules	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
System Configuration
Manage ticket types	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Configure custom fields	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Set up tags	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Manage forms	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
User Management
Send invitations	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Manage user permissions	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Configure notifications	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Personal Settings
Update profile	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Configure preferences	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Set availability	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Customer Portal
Access customer portal	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
Configure portal settings	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Use help center	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
Billing & Subscriptions
View billing	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Manage subscriptions	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Access billing portal	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

Common access scenarios

Here are typical scenarios for role assignment and user access management:

New team member
Lite user access
Administrative promotion
Customer onboarding

Scenario: A new employee joins your organization and needs access to the platform for daily work.

User registration

New employee creates an account or receives an invitation to join the organization

Role assignment

Organization admin assigns the org user role, providing complete operational access

Team assignment

Admin adds the user to relevant teams, granting team-specific access and permissions

Ready to work

User can now manage tickets, accounts, and collaborate with team members effectively

Most new team members should start with the org user role as it provides the right balance of access for daily operations without administrative privileges.

User management

Learn about managing users within organizations

Team permissions

Understand team-level access controls

API authentication

Implement proper API authentication

Security best practices

Follow security guidelines for organizations

Introduction

Core concepts

Apps framework

Platform events

Role-based access control (RBAC)

User roles and permissions

Role comparison matrix

Common access scenarios

User management

Team permissions

API authentication

Security best practices

Introduction

Core concepts

Apps framework

Platform events

​User roles and permissions

​Role comparison matrix

​Common access scenarios

​Related resources

User management

Team permissions

API authentication

Security best practices

User roles and permissions

Role comparison matrix

Common access scenarios

Related resources