Every team member in dialnote gets a role that defines what they can do across your organization. Roles work alongside phone number access levels to give you fine-grained control over who sees what. Understanding how these two systems work together helps you set up the right access for your team.
Organization Roles#
dialnote has three organization-level roles: Owner, Admin, and Member. Each role builds on the permissions of the one below it.
Owner is the person who created the organization. Owners have complete control—they can manage billing, change anyone's role, delete the organization, and do everything Admins and Members can do. There's one Owner per organization at a time, but you can hand the role off by transferring ownership to another member. When you do, the previous Owner is moved down to Admin automatically.
Admin can invite new team members, configure organization settings like AI agents and call flows, and rename the organization. Admins automatically get full access to all phone numbers in the organization. They're your go-to people for day-to-day team management. Admins can't change member roles, transfer ownership, manage billing, or delete the organization—those stay with the Owner.
Member is the standard role for team members. Members can make calls, send messages, and access the phone numbers assigned to them. They can't invite new members or change organization settings. This role keeps things simple for users who just need to use the phone system.
Choosing roles
When inviting someone, start with Member unless they need to manage the team or settings. You can always upgrade their role later.
Phone Number Access Levels#
Beyond organization roles, dialnote lets you control access to specific phone numbers. This matters most for Members, since Owners and Admins automatically have full access to everything.
When you share a phone number with a team member, you pick one of three access levels:
Owner gives full control over that specific phone number. The user can change settings, manage who else has access, and use all calling and messaging features. This is different from the organization Owner role—it's ownership at the phone number level.
Shared User is the most common access level. The person can make calls, send texts, and see all activity on that number. They just can't change settings or manage other members' access.
View Only lets someone see call logs and activity without making calls or sending messages. This works well for supervisors who need visibility without direct phone access, or for training purposes.
How Roles and Access Levels Work Together#
Here's how the system evaluates permissions when someone tries to do something:
- dialnote first checks the organization role
- If the user is an Owner or Admin, they get full access—no further checks needed
- For Members, dialnote then checks their phone number access level
- The access level determines what they can do with that specific number
For example, a Member with Shared User access on one number and View Only on another can make calls from the first number but only view logs from the second.
Access inheritance
Organization Admins and Owners automatically have full access to every phone number. You don't need to assign them individually.
Permissions Quick Reference#
Here's what each role and access level can do:
| Action | Owner | Admin | Member (OWNER) | Member (SHARED_USER) | Member (VIEW_ONLY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Send SMS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| View call logs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Change phone settings | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Manage phone members | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Invite team members | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Manage organization settings | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Change member roles | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Transfer ownership | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Access billing | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Changing Someone's Role#
Only the Owner can change team member roles. Admins can invite people and manage settings, but they can't promote or demote anyone. To update a role:
- Go to Settings → User Management
- Find the team member in the list
- Click on their current role
- Select the new role from the dropdown
Role changes take effect immediately. The team member doesn't need to log out or refresh—their new permissions apply right away.
Be careful with Admin access
Admins can invite new members and change settings. Only give Admin access to people you trust with team management responsibilities.
Transferring Ownership#
If you're stepping away or handing the account to someone else, the Owner can transfer ownership to another member. Promoting someone to Owner moves you down to Admin in the same step—there's never more than one Owner at a time. The new Owner picks up billing access, role management, and the ability to delete the organization.
Ownership transfer is a big change
Once you transfer ownership, you lose Owner-only powers like billing and role changes. Only the new Owner can transfer it back, so make sure you trust the person you're handing it to.
Phone Number Assignment#
When you invite someone to your organization, you can pre-assign phone numbers during the invitation process. After sending the invitation, dialnote shows you the phone numbers you own and lets you select which ones to share with the new member.
The assignments activate automatically when the person accepts their invitation. You don't need to do anything else—they'll have access to those numbers as soon as they join.
The person who originally bought or added a phone number is always treated as the Owner of that number, regardless of their organization role. So even a Member who purchased a number can manage its settings and share it with others.
To change phone number access after someone has joined, go to the phone number's settings and manage the Users section.
No assigned numbers = no access
Members who aren't assigned to any phone numbers can still log in, but they won't see any call activity or be able to make calls. Make sure to assign at least one number when inviting someone.
What's Next#
- Invite team members - Send invitations and pre-assign phone numbers
- Set availability - Control when each person receives calls
- Phone number settings - Change who has access to a number after someone joins
- Billing & plans - User limits depend on your plan