Understanding Permissions and Roles

What is this?

Every person in Clue has a role. That role controls what they can see, what they can do, and what the screen looks like for them. A mechanic sees work orders and timecards. A fueler sees the fuel entry screen and nothing else. A manager sees everything for their projects.

Roles are managed in Company Settings > Permissions. You can use the built-in System roles or create custom ones for your team.

Who is this for?

• Admins and Owners - Set up roles that match your org chart. Control who sees what.
• Managers - Understand why some team members see different screens than you do.

How it works

Step 1: Open Permissions

Go to Company Settings > Permissions > Roles. You will see all roles in your company with their name, description, user count, and number of permissions.

Step 2: Understand built-in roles

Clue comes with System roles that cover common positions:

• owner - Full access including system configuration. 123 permissions.
• admin - Full access to all operational data. 122 permissions.
• manager - Access to all data for their assigned projects and assets. 76 permissions.
• FUELER - Sees only the fuel entry screen. 71 permissions. Everything else is hidden.
• operator - Equipment operators and truck drivers. Limited access. 55 permissions.

Step 3: Create a custom role

Click + New Role. Give it a name and description. Then check the specific permissions this role should have. Each permission controls access to a specific feature or action.

The UI simplifies for each role

This is not just about data access. The sidebar, menus, and page layouts change based on the role. A fueler does not see a cluttered screen with work orders and reports. They see the fuel entry form. That is it. The system hides everything that is not relevant to their job.

The full details

• Works on: Web app and mobile app
• Location: Company Settings > Permissions > Roles
• System roles cannot be deleted. But you can create custom roles based on them.
• Other tabs: Tags (for grouping), API Tokens (for integrations), Webhooks (for automation)
• Changes take effect immediately. When you update a role, users with that role see the changes on their next page load.

Tips

• Start with the System roles. Most companies only need owner, admin, manager, and operator. Add custom roles only when someone needs a specific combination.
• Use the FUELER role as a model. It shows how Clue simplifies the UI by hiding everything except what matters for that job. Build custom roles with the same philosophy.
• Check the Users column. Before editing a role, see how many people it affects. A change to a role with 55 users hits 55 people immediately.