A permission set is a named bundle of permission changes, like "Regional Manager" or "Lead Installer," that you can assign to any team member instead of setting the same toggles person by person. Permission sets are only for shops that belong to a multi-location (HQ/franchise) organization, and a set is shared across every shop in that org. A standalone shop can still grant or deny permissions one person at a time.
By default, owners and admins can manage permission sets. Under the hood it's the Manage permissions permission, so anyone who has been granted it can too.
Getting there
- Go to Settings → Team & Permissions.
- Open the Permissions tab. You'll only see it if you can manage permissions.
- Click Permission sets at the top of the Member permissions card.
If your shop isn't part of a multi-location org, the page says "Permission sets require a franchise org" and points you back to Team & Permissions to set permissions per member instead.
How a set fits with roles
Each person's access is built in three layers:
- Role default — what their role (Owner, Admin, Manager, Technician, Front Desk, Service Writer) allows out of the box.
- Permission set — if they have one, it changes only the permissions the set includes.
- Their own overrides — anything set on that person directly wins over both.
Inside a set, each permission is Allow, Deny, or Not set. Anything left at Not set isn't part of the set and falls back to the person's role default.
Creating a set
- On the Permission sets page, click New set.
- Type a Set name (for example, "Regional Manager"). Names must be unique in your org.
- Go through the permission groups and set each one you want this set to change to Allow or Deny. Leave the rest at Not set.
- Click Create set.
The list shows each set's name with how many permissions it allows, denies, and leaves at default.
From an existing member: open a member's panel with Manage on the Permissions tab, click Save this member's current state as a new set, type a name, and click Save. This copies every permission as that person has it right now, so the new set spells out all of them as Allow or Deny.
Assigning a set to someone
- On the Permissions tab, click Manage next to the person.
- Under Apply a saved set, pick the set (or No set (role default only) to remove one).
- Click Save changes.
Back on the list, the person's row shows the set's name as a badge, next to an "N overrides" badge if they have their own overrides too.
Editing or deleting a set
- Edit: click Edit next to the set, change the name or any toggles, and click Save changes. Everyone assigned that set picks up the change.
- Delete: click the trash icon, then Delete set. Anyone assigned the set goes back to their role default plus their own overrides. Nobody loses access outright.
If a set is also used by people at other shops in your org, only someone with HQ-level permission management can edit or delete it. Everyone else sees a message to create a new set for their shop instead.
Guard rails
- You can't use a set to give someone a permission you don't have yourself.
- You can't assign yourself a set that removes your own ability to manage permissions.
- SalesThumb blocks a change that would leave a shop with nobody able to manage permissions.
For an overview of the built-in roles and per-member overrides, see Set up team roles and permissions.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can a single-location shop use permission sets?
A: No. Permission sets need a multi-location (HQ/franchise) org to belong to. A standalone shop can still allow or deny individual permissions per member from the Permissions tab.
Q: Who can create and assign permission sets?
A: Anyone with the Manage permissions permission, which owners and admins have by default.
Q: If I edit a set, does it change everyone who has it?
A: Yes. Everyone assigned that set picks up the change. If the set is also used at other shops in your org, only someone with HQ-level permission management can edit it.
Q: What happens to people when I delete a set?
A: They fall back to their role default plus any overrides set on them directly. Nobody loses access outright.
Q: Do a member's own overrides beat the set?
A: Yes. The order is role default, then the set, then the member's own overrides. An override set on the person directly always wins.