Administrator

Managing user roles, permissions, and access in QuickBooks Online

As a QuickBooks Online administrator, you control who has access to your company file and what they can do within it. This guide covers how to manage user roles, troubleshoot access issues, and monitor user activity.

Viewing user activity and the Audit Log

If you need to see what other users are doing—such as invoices created, bills entered, or changes made to records—you can use the Audit Log feature. This provides a comprehensive history of activities.

To view the Audit Log:

1. Select the Settings gear icon.
2. Select Audit Log.
3. You can filter the log by user, date, or event type to find specific activities.

Troubleshooting access and permission issues

Occasionally, you or your users might encounter unexpected errors regarding permissions or access rights.

”You don’t have permission” errors

If you are logged in as an administrator but receive a message stating you do not have permission to perform an action or save a file, try the following:

• Refresh your view: Sometimes the browser session may be stuck on a specific window or state. Try refreshing the page or logging out and back in.
• Check your role: Ensure that the user account is actually set up with the correct user type (e.g., Master Administrator, Company Administrator) rather than a standard or custom role with limited access.
• Browser issues: If the interface seems unresponsive or permissions are acting erratically, try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito/private window to rule out browser extensions causing conflicts.

Login and password issues

If you are having trouble logging in or passwords seem to stop working:

• Reset your password: Use the “I forgot my user ID or password” link on the QuickBooks Online login page. This will send a reset link to your email.
• Saved credentials: If your browser or device was previously auto-filling a password that is no longer valid, you may need to update your saved credentials in your browser’s password manager or keychain.
• Account status: Ensure your subscription is active. If access is suddenly restricted for all users, verify that your billing information is current.

Managing user roles

To ensure your team has the right level of access:

1. Go to the Settings gear icon and select Manage Users.
2. Select Add user or select an existing user’s name to edit their role.
3. Choose the appropriate user type:
   • Master/Company Administrator: Full access to all features and settings.
   • Standard User: Access to features assigned by the admin.
   • Custom User: Access restricted to specific customers, vendors, or data.
   • Reports Only: Can view reports but not transaction data.
   • Time Tracking Only: Can enter timesheets only.
4. Select the specific access rights you want to grant (if applicable) and then select Save.

For more details on specific user permissions, refer to the official Intuit documentation on user roles.