This comprehensive guide details every role and permission in Webflow, helping you assign the right access levels to team members, clients, and collaborators.
Role Hierarchy
Webflow's permission system has two levels: workspace and site.
Workspace Level
├─ Workspace Owner (highest authority)
├─ Workspace Admin
└─ Workspace Member (basic access)
Site Level
├─ Designer (full design access)
├─ CMS Editor (content-only)
└─ Billing Manager (billing-only)
Workspace-Level Roles
Workspace roles determine access across all sites in a workspace.
Workspace Owner
The ultimate authority for a workspace.
Capabilities
Full Control:
- ✓ Delete workspace entirely
- ✓ Transfer workspace ownership
- ✓ Add/remove all workspace members (including admins)
- ✓ Manage workspace billing and plans
- ✓ Create and delete sites
- ✓ Access all sites in Designer mode
- ✓ Publish all sites
- ✓ Manage workspace settings
- ✓ Transfer sites to other workspaces
- ✓ Configure workspace integrations
Site Access:
- Full Designer access to every site
- Can override all site-level permissions
- Can add/remove site-specific collaborators
- Can delete any site in the workspace
Limitations
- Only one owner per workspace
- Cannot be removed (must transfer ownership first)
Best For
- Business owner
- Primary account holder
- Agency owner
- CEO/Founder
How to Become Owner
- New workspace: Creator is automatically owner
- Transferred workspace: Previous owner transfers ownership
- Cannot self-assign: Must receive transfer from current owner
Workspace Admin
High-level administrative access without ownership.
Capabilities
Administrative Access:
- ✓ Add/remove workspace members (except owner)
- ✓ Manage workspace settings
- ✓ View and manage billing (if also Billing Manager)
- ✓ Create new sites
- ✓ Delete sites
- ✓ Access all sites in Designer mode
- ✓ Publish all sites
- ✓ Transfer sites within workspace
Site Access:
- Full Designer access to all sites
- Can manage site-level collaborators
- Can configure all site settings
- Can add custom code
Limitations
- ✗ Cannot delete workspace
- ✗ Cannot transfer workspace ownership
- ✗ Cannot remove workspace owner
- ✗ Available only on Team plan or higher
Best For
- Lead designer/developer
- Technical director
- Agency project manager
- CTO
How to Assign
- Must be on Team plan or higher
- Workspace Owner/Admin adds member
- Assigns "Admin" role in workspace settings
- Member gains immediate access
Workspace Member
Basic workspace access.
Capabilities
Limited Access:
- ✓ View workspace sites
- ✓ Access sites where explicitly granted permission
- ✓ Designer access (if assigned to specific sites)
- ✓ CMS Editor access (if assigned to specific sites)
Site-Specific:
- Access depends on site-level role assignment
- Can be Designer on some sites, CMS Editor on others
- Can be granted no access to some sites
Limitations
- ✗ Cannot add/remove workspace members
- ✗ Cannot manage workspace settings
- ✗ Cannot access billing
- ✗ Cannot create or delete sites
- ✗ No default access to all sites
Best For
- Team members needing selective site access
- Contractors working on specific projects
- Junior designers with limited scope
How to Assign
- Invite to workspace
- Assign site-specific roles as needed
- No workspace-level administrative access
Site-Level Roles
Site roles control access to individual projects.
Designer
Full design and development access to a specific site.
Capabilities
Design Access:
- ✓ Full Webflow Designer access
- ✓ Edit all pages and components
- ✓ Create/delete pages
- ✓ Modify styles and classes
- ✓ Create/edit interactions and animations
- ✓ Manage CMS collections and fields
- ✓ Add/edit custom code (head, footer, page-level)
- ✓ Configure site settings (SEO, forms, integrations)
- ✓ Manage asset library
- ✓ Export code (if plan allows)
Publishing:
- ✓ Publish to staging (
sitename.webflow.io) - ✓ Publish to production (custom domain)
- ✓ Publish CMS content
- ✓ View version history
Collaboration:
- ✓ Add/remove site collaborators (if permitted by workspace owner)
- ✓ Share site for feedback
- ✓ Invite CMS Editors
CMS Management:
- ✓ Create/edit/delete CMS collections
- ✓ Manage CMS fields and settings
- ✓ Edit CMS content in Designer
- ✓ Configure CMS collection templates
Limitations
- ✗ Cannot delete site (only workspace owner/admin)
- ✗ Cannot transfer site ownership
- ✗ Cannot manage workspace billing
- ✗ Cannot add workspace members
Best For
- Web designers
- Front-end developers
- Webflow specialists
- Agency team members
- Freelance developers
Webflow Designer Features
Access to all Designer tools:
- Navigator: Full page structure editing
- Style Manager: Complete CSS control
- Interactions: Animation and scroll effects
- CMS: Full CMS management
- Ecommerce: Product and cart management (if enabled)
- Forms: Form builder and settings
- Symbols: Component creation and management
How to Assign
For workspace members:
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Select workspace member
- Assign "Designer" role
For guests (external collaborators):
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Enter guest email
- Select "Designer" role
- Send invitation
- Guest accepts via email
CMS Editor
Content-only access via Webflow Editor.
Capabilities
Content Editing:
- ✓ Edit CMS collection items
- ✓ Create new CMS items
- ✓ Delete CMS items
- ✓ Edit static page content (text, images)
- ✓ Upload and replace images
- ✓ Manage rich text content
- ✓ Schedule content publishing (if available)
Publishing:
- ✓ Publish content changes
- ✓ Save drafts
- ✓ Preview changes before publishing
Media:
- ✓ Upload images to CMS
- ✓ Replace existing images
- ✓ Access asset library (limited)
Limitations
- ✗ Cannot access Webflow Designer
- ✗ Cannot edit page structure or layout
- ✗ Cannot modify styles or design
- ✗ Cannot create/delete pages
- ✗ Cannot edit interactions or animations
- ✗ Cannot manage CMS collection structure
- ✗ Cannot add custom code
- ✗ Cannot configure site settings
- ✗ Cannot add/remove collaborators
Best For
- Content marketers
- Blog writers
- Social media managers
- Product managers (updating product content)
- Clients (managing their own content)
- Non-technical team members
Webflow Editor Features
Limited interface for content management:
- Page selector: Navigate between editable pages
- CMS panel: Manage collection items
- Rich text editor: Format text content
- Image uploader: Replace images
- Publish button: Publish changes
CMS Editor Limits by Plan
- CMS Plan: Up to 3 CMS Editors (included)
- Business Plan: Up to 10 CMS Editors (included)
- Enterprise Plan: Custom limits
How to Assign
For workspace members:
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Select workspace member
- Assign "CMS Editor" role
For guests:
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Enter guest email
- Select "CMS Editor" role
- Send invitation
Editor URL: Share the Editor URL directly:
https://preview.webflow.com/preview/[site-name]?locale=en&preview=[preview-id]
Billing Manager
Billing and financial access only.
Capabilities
Billing Access:
- ✓ View workspace billing
- ✓ Update payment methods
- ✓ View invoices and receipts
- ✓ Manage plan upgrades/downgrades
- ✓ Add/remove site plans
- ✓ View usage statistics
Workspace Level:
- ✓ Manage workspace plan
- ✓ View all site plans in workspace
- ✓ Access billing history
Limitations
- ✗ Cannot access Designer or Editor
- ✗ Cannot edit any site
- ✗ Cannot publish sites
- ✗ Cannot add/remove team members
- ✗ Cannot configure site settings
- ✗ Cannot view or edit site content
Best For
- Finance/accounting team
- Business managers
- CFO/Controller
- Billing administrators
How to Assign
- Go to Workspace Settings > Team
- Invite member or select existing member
- Assign "Billing Manager" role
- Member gains billing access only
Guest Collaborators vs. Workspace Members
Understanding the difference:
Workspace Members
- Scope: Part of the workspace
- Access: Can be granted access to multiple sites
- Billing: Count toward workspace member limits
- Management: Managed at workspace level
- Best for: Internal team members
Guest Collaborators
- Scope: Site-specific only
- Access: Access to one specific site
- Billing: May count toward CMS Editor limits (if CMS Editor)
- Management: Managed per-site
- Best for: External freelancers, clients, contractors
Permission Comparison Matrix
| Action | Workspace Owner | Workspace Admin | Designer | CMS Editor | Billing Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workspace Management | |||||
| Delete workspace | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Transfer ownership | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Add workspace members | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Remove workspace members | ✓ | ✓ (not owner) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Manage workspace settings | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Site Management | |||||
| Create new site | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Delete site | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Transfer site | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Add site collaborators | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (if permitted) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design & Development | |||||
| Access Webflow Designer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Edit page structure | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Modify styles | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Create interactions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Add custom code | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Manage CMS structure | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Configure site settings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Export code | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Content Management | |||||
| Access Webflow Editor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edit CMS items | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edit page content | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Upload images | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Publishing | |||||
| Publish to staging | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Publish to production | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Billing | |||||
| View billing | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Update payment methods | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Manage plans | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| View invoices | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Custom Role Scenarios
Webflow doesn't support fully custom roles, but you can achieve specific access patterns:
Scenario: View-Only Access
Need: Someone to view designs but not edit.
Solution: Share Editor URL (read-only) or use site screenshots/Loom recordings. No native view-only role exists.
Scenario: Limited Publishing Rights
Need: Designer who can't publish to production.
Limitation: Not possible. Designers have full publishing rights.
Workaround: Use workflow where Designer publishes to staging, and Admin reviews and publishes to production manually.
Scenario: Multi-Role Assignment
Need: Person needs Designer access on some sites, CMS Editor on others.
Solution: Assign different roles per site within the workspace. Possible for workspace members.
Scenario: Temporary Access
Need: Contractor needs access for 2 weeks.
Solution:
- Invite as guest collaborator to specific site
- Assign Designer or CMS Editor role
- Remove after project completion
- Set calendar reminder to revoke access
Scenario: Client Content-Only Access
Need: Client manages blog content only.
Solution:
- Invite client as guest collaborator
- Assign CMS Editor role
- Provide Editor URL
- Client can only edit blog posts, not design
Role Assignment Best Practices
1. Start with Minimum Access
- Assign the least privileged role that allows the user to do their job
- Upgrade access only when necessary
- Review and downgrade access as responsibilities change
2. Use Site-Specific Roles
- Don't make everyone a Workspace Admin
- Grant Designer access only to sites they need
- Use CMS Editor for content-only team members
3. Separate Design and Content Teams
- Designers: Designer role
- Content team: CMS Editor role
- Management: Workspace Admin
- Finance: Billing Manager
4. Regular Access Audits
Quarterly reviews:
- List all workspace members
- Review roles for each
- Remove inactive users
- Downgrade over-permissioned users
- Document changes
5. Document Role Assignments
Maintain a record:
User: john@example.com
Role: Designer
Sites: clientsite.com, companysite.com
Granted: 2025-01-15
Granted by: admin@example.com
Reason: Lead designer for client projects
Review date: 2025-07-15
Changing Roles
Upgrading a Role
Workspace level:
- Go to Workspace Settings > Team
- Find the member
- Click role dropdown
- Select new role (e.g., Member → Admin)
- Save changes
Site level:
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Find the collaborator
- Change role (e.g., CMS Editor → Designer)
- Changes apply immediately
Downgrading a Role
Workspace level:
- Go to Workspace Settings > Team
- Find the member
- Change role to lower permission level
- Confirm changes
Site level:
- Open site in Designer
- Click Share icon
- Change collaborator role to lower level
- Or remove from site entirely
Removing Access Entirely
See Adding and Removing Users for detailed steps.
Role-Based Workflows
Design Approval Workflow
- Designer (Designer role): Creates design in Designer
- Designer: Publishes to staging for review
- Manager (Workspace Admin): Reviews on staging
- Manager: Approves and publishes to production
- Content Team (CMS Editor): Adds/updates content
Client Content Management Workflow
- Agency (Designer): Builds site
- Agency: Sets up CMS collections
- Agency: Publishes site
- Client (CMS Editor guest): Manages ongoing content
- Agency (Designer): Makes design updates as needed
Large Team Workflow
- Workspace Owner: Account holder, rarely logs in
- Workspace Admin (lead designer): Daily management
- Designers: Work on assigned sites
- Content Editors: Manage blog/products
- Billing Manager (finance): Manages invoices and plans
Troubleshooting Role Issues
Issue: User Can't Access Feature
Check:
- What role do they have? (Workspace and site-level)
- Does their role permit that action?
- Are they on the correct site?
- Has their access been revoked?
Solution: Verify role assignments match needed capabilities.
Issue: Too Many Administrators
Problem: Multiple Workspace Admins, unclear ownership.
Solution:
- Designate one primary Admin
- Downgrade others to site-specific Designers
- Document who is responsible for what
Issue: Can't Remove User
Possible causes:
- User is Workspace Owner (must transfer ownership first)
- You don't have permission (need Admin or Owner role)
Solution: Check your own role, or ask Workspace Owner to remove user.
Next Steps
- Add and Remove Users - Step-by-step user management
- User Management Overview - Return to overview
- Webflow Overview - Back to Webflow docs home