Create users and assign roles
In ChurchDesk, you can create as many users as needed and give them exactly the permissions required for their tasks. We distinguish between users – people with their own login – and roles, which define what areas they can access.
In this article, we’ll show you:
How to create new users and assign them to groups
How to assign roles or create your own
What predefined roles are available and how to use them effectively
Note: If you’re looking to deactivate or remove a user, you can find the relevant article here.
You need to be an organisation administrator to create new users. Here’s how to do it:
Open the ChurchDesk settings (click your name in the top right, then the gear icon)
Select “Users”
Click “Create new user”
You can now enter the following information:
Name, first name, and email address of the new user:
A user can only be created with a valid email address.
If you're dealing with someone – for example, a younger or older volunteer – who doesn't have their own email address but still needs to be added to the system, you can use a placeholder address (e.g. a fictional email). This can be useful if you want to include younger altar servers in the rota even though they don't have their own email address.
Important: The email address cannot be changed later because personal data must be managed by the user themselves.
If you're certain the person will not log in, you can use a recognisable placeholder email to help distinguish such accounts from real ones.
If the person later wants access, a new user account must be created using their correct email.
Groups: If you already know which groups the person should be part of, you can assign them here.
Time tracking: You can enable time tracking here (this can also be changed later). The “Initial time balance” is used to carry over any plus hours from a previous system.
Roles: These define the user’s permissions within ChurchDesk.
Once saved, the user receives an invitation email with a link to set their password.
You can also create a user from a contact. Contacts can become users, but users are not automatically contacts. Read more here
Roles define what modules and functions a user can access – such as the Calendar, Contacts, Website, or Forms.
A role with no permissions allows access only to group content.
Only organisation administrators can create, edit, or assign roles.
ChurchDesk already provides you with some predefined roles – for example, a Volunteer role with restricted calendar permissions. You can recognize these pre-built roles by the lock icon, and they cannot be modified.
However, you can copy an existing role and then customize it. To do this, go into the role's overview, select "**Copy role**" via "**Actions**". In the copied role, you can then go to "**Edit role**" and adjust it accordingly.
If you need different permissions, you can:
Create a new role (via the “New Role” button), or
Copy and modify an existing role. To do this, go to the role overview and select “Actions” → “Copy role”.
When creating or editing a role, you can define exactly what users with this role can do in each module. For example:
Calendar: read-only or also edit?
Contacts: access all, or only certain groups?
Website: write articles or publish them?
Admin rights, donations module, or safeguarding access?
… and much more
Each permission setting includes a short explanation within ChurchDesk.
Tip: You can create as many roles as you like – and assign multiple roles to one user.
With clearly defined roles, you ensure users only have access to what they need – no more, no less.
The predefined roles provide a thoughtful starting point, but you can always expand with your own custom roles.
More helpful articles:
Deactivating or removing users
Introduction to groups
Create a user from a contact
In this article, we’ll show you:
How to create new users and assign them to groups
How to assign roles or create your own
What predefined roles are available and how to use them effectively
Note: If you’re looking to deactivate or remove a user, you can find the relevant article here.
Creating new users
You need to be an organisation administrator to create new users. Here’s how to do it:
Open the ChurchDesk settings (click your name in the top right, then the gear icon)
Select “Users”
Click “Create new user”
You can now enter the following information:
Name, first name, and email address of the new user:
A user can only be created with a valid email address.
If you're dealing with someone – for example, a younger or older volunteer – who doesn't have their own email address but still needs to be added to the system, you can use a placeholder address (e.g. a fictional email). This can be useful if you want to include younger altar servers in the rota even though they don't have their own email address.
Important: The email address cannot be changed later because personal data must be managed by the user themselves.
If you're certain the person will not log in, you can use a recognisable placeholder email to help distinguish such accounts from real ones.
If the person later wants access, a new user account must be created using their correct email.
Groups: If you already know which groups the person should be part of, you can assign them here.
Time tracking: You can enable time tracking here (this can also be changed later). The “Initial time balance” is used to carry over any plus hours from a previous system.
Roles: These define the user’s permissions within ChurchDesk.
Once saved, the user receives an invitation email with a link to set their password.
You can also create a user from a contact. Contacts can become users, but users are not automatically contacts. Read more here
Understanding and assigning roles
What are roles?
Roles define what modules and functions a user can access – such as the Calendar, Contacts, Website, or Forms.
A role with no permissions allows access only to group content.
Only organisation administrators can create, edit, or assign roles.
Predefined roles
ChurchDesk already provides you with some predefined roles – for example, a Volunteer role with restricted calendar permissions. You can recognize these pre-built roles by the lock icon, and they cannot be modified.
However, you can copy an existing role and then customize it. To do this, go into the role's overview, select "**Copy role**" via "**Actions**". In the copied role, you can then go to "**Edit role**" and adjust it accordingly.
Creating your own roles
If you need different permissions, you can:
Create a new role (via the “New Role” button), or
Copy and modify an existing role. To do this, go to the role overview and select “Actions” → “Copy role”.
When creating or editing a role, you can define exactly what users with this role can do in each module. For example:
Calendar: read-only or also edit?
Contacts: access all, or only certain groups?
Website: write articles or publish them?
Admin rights, donations module, or safeguarding access?
… and much more
Each permission setting includes a short explanation within ChurchDesk.
Tip: You can create as many roles as you like – and assign multiple roles to one user.
Summary
With clearly defined roles, you ensure users only have access to what they need – no more, no less.
The predefined roles provide a thoughtful starting point, but you can always expand with your own custom roles.
More helpful articles:
Deactivating or removing users
Introduction to groups
Create a user from a contact
Updated on: 20/06/2025
Thank you!