Member Roles and Permissions in Uku
TL;DR: Uku uses four company-wide roles (Owner, Admin, User, Inactive) and two client-level permissions (Admin, Member) to control access. Company roles govern settings and member management, while client permissions determine who can edit client data and invoices.
Who can do this
Only Owners and Admins can change company-wide member roles
Only Owners, Admins, and Client Admins can assign client-level permissions
Additional billing permissions can be configured in Settings & Apps > Billing > Settings — read about Billing Settings
Company-wide member roles
Every member in your Uku account has one of four company-wide roles. This role determines their access to system settings, member management, and overall company features. Member roles are visible under Members.
Owner
The Owner is the person who created the company's Uku account. There can only be one Owner per company.
What the Owner can do:
Delete clients and the entire company account
Invite new members to the company
Assign and change roles for all members
Deactivate members
Change the company size and subscription plan
Activate or deactivate apps in Settings & Apps
Set time estimation and checklist completion as mandatory
Create, edit, and delete company templates
Delete and modify time entries tracked by any team member
Access all billing features and settings
Lock company settings to prevent changes by other members
Special Owner privileges:
Transfer ownership to another member if needed (contact uku@getuku.com)
Final authority on all company decisions and settings
Automatically assigned as default user when other members are deactivated
Admin
Admins have broad access to company features and can see all clients in the system, but they cannot delete the company or clients.
What Admins can do:
See all company clients regardless of assignment
Invite new members to the company
Assign and change roles for Users (but not for other Admins or the Owner)
Deactivate members
Change the company size
Set time estimation and checklist completion as mandatory
Create, edit, and delete company templates
Delete and modify time entries tracked by other members
Manage billing features if granted permission in billing settings
View and manage audit logs (on Elite plan)
What Admins cannot do:
Delete clients or the company account
Override certain company-wide settings locked by the Owner
User
Users are regular team members who only see clients assigned to them. This role is appropriate for accountants who work on a specific client portfolio.
What Users can do:
See only clients assigned to them
Add new clients (which become assigned to them automatically)
Deactivate clients they manage
Track time on their tasks
Create magic buttons for quick task entry
Modify their own time entries
Access features based on client-level permissions
Join user groups and receive group-assigned tasks
Follow other members' tasks to stay updated
What Users cannot do:
Invite new users to the company
See clients not assigned to them
Create or modify company-wide templates
Delete or change time entries tracked by other members
Access company settings or member management
View billing information unless specifically granted permission
Inactive
Inactive members are team members who have been deactivated but whose historical data remains in the system.
Characteristics of Inactive members:
Cannot access the company account
Cannot log in to Uku
History of their work remains visible in reports
Time entries and task assignments are preserved
Can be reactivated at any time by Owner or Admin
Do not count toward the company's member limit
Client-level permissions
In addition to company-wide roles, you can assign specific permissions to team members for individual clients. These permissions control what each member can do with a particular client's data.
When you assign a team member to a client, you choose their permission level for that client. Client permissions are independent of company roles, meaning a User can have Admin permissions for their assigned clients.
Important: An Admin (company-wide role) automatically has Admin permissions for all clients. These permissions cannot be reduced at the client level.
Client Admin permission
Team members with Admin permission for a client have full access to that client's information and billing.
What Client Admins can do:
Edit all client information and custom fields
Modify the client's plan and service arrangements
Create, edit, and delete notes on the client profile
Change task assignments and deadlines
Edit client contracts (if billing permissions are enabled)
Create and modify invoices (if billing permissions are enabled)
Add and remove other team members from the client
Access all client documents and communications
Delete tasks for that client
Client Member permission
Team members with Member permission have limited access to the client. They can work on tasks but cannot modify core client information.
What Client Members can do:
View client basic information
Work on tasks assigned to them
Track time on the client's tasks
Add comments and checklist items to tasks
Upload documents to tasks
View client notes (read-only)
What Client Members cannot do:
Edit client information or custom fields
Change the client's plan
Delete or modify notes created by others
Edit invoices or contracts
Remove other team members from the client
Delete client tasks
How to assign member roles
Changing company-wide roles
Open the Members section.
Find the member whose role you want to change.
Click the Edit icon (pencil icon) for that member.
Check or uncheck the Administrator checkbox.
Click Save.
Setting client-level permissions
Client permissions are set when assigning a member to a client or can be modified afterward.
Assigning a member to a client
Navigate to Clients from the sidebar.
Open the client profile.
Click Edit in the client profile.
Navigate to the Members section.
Click Add member.
Select the team member.
Choose their permission level: Admin or Member.
Click Save.
Changing existing client permissions
Navigate to Clients and select the client.
Click Edit.
Find the member in the Members list.
Click on their current permission level (Admin or Member).
Select the new permission from the dropdown.
Click Save.
User groups
User Groups allow you to assign tasks to multiple team members at once, making collaboration easier.
Creating a user group
Open the Members section.
Click on the Groups tab.
Click Add Group.
Enter a group name (e.g., "Tax Team", "Bookkeeping Team").
Add members to the group.
Save the group.
Using groups
Assign tasks to the entire group instead of individual members.
All group members see the task on their dashboard.
Useful for shared responsibilities.
Members can be in multiple groups.
Limited members
Limited members are team members you are setting up in Uku but who do not have access yet. This lets you configure everything before inviting them, without paying for their seat.
Adding a limited member
Open the Members section.
Click Add member.
Enter their name and email.
Select Limited as the status.
Assign them to clients and set up their permissions.
When ready, arrange payment for the new member, then change their status to Active and send the invitation.
Benefits of limited members:
Set up team structure before official launch
Prepare client assignments in advance
No cost until they are activated
Assign them to workflows and projects ahead of time
How to check member permissions
Checking company-wide role
Open the Members section.
Find the member in the list.
Check the Role column (Owner, Admin, or User).
Checking client permissions
Navigate to Clients from the sidebar.
Open the specific client profile.
Click Edit.
Navigate to the Members section.
Review each member's permission level (Admin or Member).
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a company Admin and a client Admin?
A: A company Admin is a company-wide role that gives access to all clients and system settings. A client Admin is a permission level for a specific client, allowing that member to edit that client's data and invoices. You can be a User at the company level but have Admin permission for your assigned clients.
Q: Can I have multiple Owners?
A: No, there can only be one Owner per Uku company account. However, the Owner can transfer ownership to another member if needed. Multiple Admins can be assigned to share management responsibilities.
Q: What happens to a member's clients when they are deactivated?
A: When a member is deactivated, their client assignments are automatically transferred to the company Owner. An Admin can then reassign these clients to other appropriate team members. All historical data (time entries, tasks, notes) remains in the system.
Q: Can a User create invoices?
A: By default, no. Users need specific permissions enabled by the company Admin in Settings & Apps > Billing > Settings. The Admin can choose from three billing permission options depending on how much access Users should have.
Q: How do I know if someone has permission to edit a specific invoice?
A: Check two things: (1) Do they have Admin permission for that client? Navigate to Clients, open the client profile, click Edit, and check the Members section. (2) Are company-wide billing permissions enabled? Go to Settings & Apps > Billing > Settings. Both may be required depending on your company's configuration.
Q: Can I restrict access to specific client groups?
A: Not directly through client groups, but you can control access by only assigning members to specific clients. Members with the User role only see clients assigned to them, which effectively creates restricted access based on assignments rather than groups.
Q: What is the difference between Inactive and Limited members?
A: Inactive members are former team members who have been deactivated -- they previously had access but no longer do, and their historical work remains in the system. Limited members are new team members you are setting up who have not been given access yet. Limited members have never logged in, while Inactive members have a full work history.
Q: How do User Groups work with permissions?
A: User Groups do not change permissions -- they are for task assignment only. When you assign a task to a group, all members of that group see the task on their dashboard. Each member still needs appropriate client permissions to work with the client and task.
Q: Do I need to pay for Limited members?
A: No. Limited members do not count toward your subscription until they are activated. This allows you to set up your team structure without incurring costs until members actually start using Uku.
Q: Can I give someone permission to edit invoices but not client information?
A: No. Client Admin permission grants access to both client information and invoices (if billing permissions are enabled). If you only want someone to have read access, use the Allow members to view their client invoices setting in billing permissions, but they will not be able to edit.
Q: What permissions are needed to use the Client Portal features?
A: Any member assigned to a client can work with Client Portal features for that client, regardless of whether they are a Client Admin or Client Member. However, company Admins or Owners may need to set up the initial Client Portal configuration in Settings & Apps > Client Portal.
General security tips
Review member permissions quarterly.
Remove access immediately when team members leave.
Use Client Member permission as the default, only granting Client Admin when necessary.
Enable company setting to lock critical configurations.
Use the Audit Log (Elite plan) to track all permission changes.
Regularly examine workflow dependencies for task visibility issues.
Train team members on understanding how permissions and dependencies affect their workflows.
Getting help
Permission issues: Contact uku@getuku.com if you are unable to resolve permission problems.
More guides: Visit the Uku Help Center for additional articles.
Troubleshooting
"I can't see a client in my list" — You are likely a User and the client is not assigned to you. Ask an Admin or Owner to assign you to the client with the appropriate permission level.
"I can't edit this invoice" — Check if you have Admin permission for that client, and verify that billing permissions are enabled in Settings & Apps > Billing > Settings. See How to Edit an Invoice in Uku for detailed steps.
"I can't invite new members" — Only Owners and Admins can invite new members. Request an Admin or Owner to send the invitation.
"Tasks not appearing in the Client Portal" — This may be due to workflow dependencies. Review workflow configurations and verify that tasks are assigned to specific users under the relevant clients. Remove or adjust dependencies for immediate task visibility.