Custom roles
Custom roles let you create up to 5 organisation-specific role names beyond the 5 built-in ones.
When to use custom roles
- "Programme Director" — between Manager and Admin
- "Contractor" — limited, time-bound access
- "External Auditor" — read-only on specific sections
- "Bid Manager" — Pulse access only
How to create one
Settings → Permissions → Custom roles:
- 5 input boxes (Slot 1 to Slot 5)
- Type a name to "activate" a slot
- Leave blank to keep a slot hidden
- Click Save changes
Where named slots appear
Once named, a custom role shows up in:
- The Module Access dropdowns on the same page
- The Team settings role-assignment dropdown
- The team list display
- Sage's understanding of who you are
Where custom roles sit in the hierarchy
Below Viewer. So a custom role has less access than Viewer by default — until you explicitly grant access via the Module Access table.
This is deliberate: a new custom role can't accidentally see things until you've decided what they should see.
Example workflow
- Create "Contractor" in Slot 1
- Module Access → Projects → View = Contractor
- Module Access → Tribe (HR) → View = Member (unchanged — contractors don't see HR)
- Settings → Team → assign someone to "Contractor"
That contractor now sees Projects (because Contractor level satisfies the Contractor view minimum), but NOT Tribe (their level is below Member).
Renaming or removing
- Rename: edit the slot's label, save. Existing users keep the role; only the label changes.
- Remove: clear the slot, save. Users assigned to that slot become orphaned — re-assign them to a valid role before clearing.
Tips
- Less is more. 3 well-chosen custom roles beats 5 confusing ones.
- Document what each custom role can do. Future you (and your team) will forget.