> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.pragmachartered.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invite members and understand roles

> Invite a colleague using their mobile number, check role permissions and arrange client assignments.

![Members settings showing the Invite action](https://help.pragmachartered.com/images/firm/members.png)

## Before you start

An **Owner** can invite staff, change their roles and arrange client assignments. Have the colleague's sign-in mobile number and intended role ready. Inviting a staff member does not automatically assign clients to them; an Owner already sees all clients without assignment checkboxes.

**1. Inspect the roster**

Open **Settings → Members**. Search by name, email or phone and filter by role if needed. The roster shows active and inactive members, outstanding or expired invitations, each person's role, and their scope or assignment count. Check for an existing member or pending invite before creating another: an already active member or a still-pending invitation for the number is refused.

**2. Create and deliver the invitation**

As an Owner, select **Invite**, complete **Mobile number**, optional **Work email** and **Firm role** as described below, then select **Create invite link**. Copy the link while it is visible: the panel shows it once, with its expiry. No invitation email is sent. If you cannot rely on WhatsApp delivery, pass the copied link to the colleague securely. They must accept it while signed in with the same mobile number. Do not share the link with somebody else.

**3. Review or change an existing member**

Select the member row. Inspect **Phone**, **Status**, **Clients** and the **What \[role] can do** permission list before changing **Role**; it previews the proposed permissions. An Owner can select **Record a mobile number** or **Change mobile number**, enter the sign-in number, and choose a new role if appropriate. Select **Save role** to apply a changed phone or role. A mobile number already held by another account is refused, and you cannot demote the firm's last Owner. A refusal appears at the top of the panel; inspect it before assuming a change was saved.

**4. Set client assignments**

As an Owner, open **Settings → Client assignments**. The **Member** rows list active non-Owner staff; client names are the columns. Check the box where that person **works on** the client to assign them, or clear it to remove that assignment. Each change saves for that member; wait for **Saving…** to finish and inspect any error before making another. Owners are omitted because they already have access to every client. If there are no staff or clients, create the missing prerequisite first.

**5. Check access after a role or assignment change**

Open **Settings → Roles and permissions** for the enforced permission table. A person's role determines *what* they may do, while assignments determine *which clients* non-Owners may work on. If they cannot open a client, check both. A **Client portal** seat is scoped to one customer's client-facing workspace and is not available in the staff **Invite a colleague** form; issue it from **Settings → Client portal** instead, as described in [Give a client portal access](https://help.pragmachartered.com/firm/client-portal-seats.md).

| Invitation or member field | What to enter or check |
| - | - |
| **Mobile number** (invitation) | Required sign-in number; the link is bound to it. The invite button waits until at least 10 digits are entered, and the server validates the number. Check the digits before generating a one-time link. |
| **Work email** | Optional valid email shown on the roster, not used to sign in for a mobile-issued account. It does not receive the invite email. |
| **Firm role** | Select **Manager** (initial selection), **Preparer**, **Connector admin** or **Owner**. This is a staff invitation, not a **Client portal** invitation. Confirm the scope in **Roles and permissions** before granting Owner access. |
| **Mobile number** (member editor) | Optional change to the member's sign-in number through **Record a mobile number** or **Change mobile number**. It cannot be a number belonging to another account. |
| **Role** (member editor) | Select **Owner**, **Manager**, **Preparer** or **Connector admin**; the permission preview changes before you select **Save role**. |
| Assignment checkbox | Checked means this active non-Owner member is assigned to that client. Clearing it removes the assignment; it does not change the member's role. |

**Owner** administers firm membership and sees all clients. **Manager**, **Preparer** and **Connector admin** have different task permissions shown in the live role table; none should be treated as automatically assigned to all clients. A **Client portal** user is invited from **Settings → Client portal**, not this staff invitation; see [Give a client portal access](https://help.pragmachartered.com/firm/client-portal-seats.md). Outstanding portal invitations still appear on this roster, where you can cancel them. If a pending invitation has expired or was sent to the wrong number, resolve it on the roster rather than expecting a second pending invite to succeed. The person invited follows [Accept an invitation to a firm](https://help.pragmachartered.com/getting-started/accept-invite.md).

![Roles and permissions screen showing the role permission table](https://help.pragmachartered.com/images/firm/roles.png)

> [card] Still stuck?
>
> [Open a case](https://app.pragmachartered.com/support) from **Help & support** in Pragma, or [book a walkthrough](https://help.pragmachartered.com/support/book-a-walkthrough.md) and the team will show you around on a call. Can't sign in? [Contact support](https://app.pragmachartered.com/contact-support).


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