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

# Account roles and permissions

> The three Account Roles in exIQtive (Owner, Co-Owner, Administrator) and what each can see and do.

Two separate concepts control who can do what in an exIQtive account. This page covers **Account Roles**: the administrative privileges a user has over the account, including which menus they see and which admin actions they can take.

<Note>
  **Personas** are different. They describe how people use exIQtive in their daily work (Employee, Coach, Architect) and are tied to Responsibilities, badges, and inspections. See [Personas](/concepts/personas).
</Note>

## The three Account Roles

There are three admin Account Roles: Owner, Co-Owner, and Administrator. A user can also have **no admin permission** (shown as **None** in Settings): they use exIQtive only to see their own work.

### Owner

The Owner created the account or received ownership by transfer. Every account has exactly one Owner at a time.

Beyond everything a Co-Owner can do, the Owner can:

* Transfer ownership to another account user

The Owner can't be suspended. Ownership must be transferred first.

To close an account, please contact [support@exiqtive.com](mailto:support@exiqtive.com).

### Co-Owner

A Co-Owner has full administrative access, including Settings and user management. An account can have multiple Co-Owners.

Beyond everything an Administrator can do, a Co-Owner can:

* Access Settings and manage account configuration
* Give access to new users, suspend access, restore access, and change email addresses
* Add or remove other Co-Owners and Administrators

<Warning>
  A Co-Owner can suspend or restore Administrators and users with no admin permission, but can't suspend another Co-Owner. A Co-Owner can change their own email, but not another Co-Owner's.
</Warning>

### Administrator

An Administrator can operate every day-to-day area of the account, but can't access Settings or manage other users.

**An Administrator can:**

* Use all modules: Organization, Readiness, All Tasks, Ask IQ, Activity
* Manage the organizational tree (employees, positions, roles, responsibilities)
* Run readiness operations, manage inspections, and award, give, and remove badges (including the Architect badge)

**An Administrator can't:**

* Access Settings
* Manage account users (give access, suspend, restore, change email)

### Users with no admin permission

An employee who has access but no admin permission sees only their own work: their responsibilities, badges, and Readiness in **Your Stuff**, plus **Ask IQ**. A user with no admin permission must be linked to an Employee.

## Menu visibility by role

| Menu | No admin permission | Administrator | Co-Owner | Owner |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Your Stuff | ✓ | ✓ (if Employee-linked) | ✓ (if Employee-linked) | ✓ (if Employee-linked) |
| Organization | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Readiness | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| All Tasks | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ask IQ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Activity | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Settings | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |

**Your Stuff** appears for anyone linked to an Employee, whatever their Account Role. **Ask IQ** is available to everyone.

## Account Roles vs Personas

Account Roles and Personas are independent:

* An Owner is usually also an Employee and may hold Coach or Architect badges
* A Co-Owner doesn't need to be an Employee. An external consultant can administer the account without holding a position in the organization
* An Employee with access but no admin permission uses exIQtive only through Your Stuff
* An Administrator's responsibilities and Readiness come from their Position, not their Account Role

You assign Account Roles on the [Account users](/account/account-users) page.

## Rules and constraints

* An account has exactly one Owner at any time
* Only the Owner can transfer ownership
* The Owner can't be suspended; transfer ownership first
* The Owner or any Co-Owner can add or remove Co-Owners and Administrators
* A user with no admin permission must always be linked to an Employee
* A Co-Owner can't suspend another Co-Owner

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What's the difference between an Administrator and a Co-Owner?">
    Both can operate all the day-to-day modules. The difference is Settings and user management: only Co-Owners and the Owner can access Settings, add or remove users, and manage access.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can an Employee with access become an Administrator or Co-Owner?">
    Yes. An account user can be an Employee and also hold an admin Account Role. The two are independent: responsibilities and Readiness come from the Position, not the Account Role.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does becoming a Co-Owner or Administrator change my Readiness or responsibilities?">
    No. Account Roles control which menus you see and which admin actions you can take. Your responsibilities and Readiness come from your Position in the organizational tree.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to the account if the Owner leaves the company?">
    The Owner must transfer ownership to another account user before leaving. If that didn't happen, contact [support@exiqtive.com](mailto:support@exiqtive.com).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a Co-Owner suspend another Co-Owner?">
    No. Only the Owner can act on a Co-Owner's access.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does a user with no admin permission need to be linked to an Employee?">
    Without an admin permission, the only reason for their access is to see their own Employee data: responsibilities, badges, and Readiness. Without an Employee link there's nothing for them to see.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Account users" icon="id-card" href="/account/account-users" />

  <Card title="Personas" icon="users" href="/concepts/personas" />

  <Card title="Account Owner" icon="crown" href="/account/account-owner" />

  <Card title="Administrator" icon="user-shield" href="/account/administrator" />
</CardGroup>


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