Spotlight #03: Roles and Permissions in Team Folders

Spotlight #03: Roles and Permissions in Team Folders

Hello all,
 
We are back with another interesting feature in Zoho WorkDrive's spotlight series.



Zoho WorkDrive is an online file management and content collaboration platform designed to help teams store, manage, share, and work together on documents. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of roles and access permissions you can assign to your team members in a Team Folder.
 
With a Team Folder, you can bring your team members to a shared workspace to create, store, and share files for collaboration. When working together, it's important to retain control over how data is accessed and edited. With WorkDrive's role-based permission system, admins can determine what users can and cannot do with a shared file or folder.

Whether they're deciding who can view, edit, or delete information in the folder, admins have complete power to manage permissions.
 
Say you create a Team Folder named "Human Resources" to manage items such as your employee onboarding kit, company policies, and appraisal procedure documents. 

As the folder's creator, you become its Admin by default, and gain complete control over all the files and folders within it. You can add team members (in this case, from the HR department) to manage the data.

Using WorkDrive, you can assign the right level of access to each member based on their responsibilities. 

Here are the different types of roles and access permissions available in WorkDrive:



  • Admin: By default, the person who creates the Team Folder automatically becomes the Admin. They hold complete control over the Team Folder and can add/remove members, manage Team Folder settings, and move files/folders outside the Team Folder. Only admins have the right to delete a Team Folder.
  • Organizer: Organizers can add or remove members, move files/folders within a Team Folder, and manage Team Folder member permissions (Note: They cannot assign an Admin role). Apart from this, they can also share files outside the team, and delete and restore information in a Team Folder. 
  • Editor: Editors can create documents with the built-in Zoho Office Suite, upload files from their local storage, and rename and edit all the files and folders in a Team Folder. 
  • Commenter: Commenters can view the files in a Team Folder and add comments to start discussions on files.
  • Viewer: Viewers can view, copy, sync, and download files.

Key benefits of implementing role-based permissions for users:
  • Provides better control over files: An Admin/Organizer can share a specific file in a Team Folder with anyone outside the team and collaborate with them. This functionality lets users share access to a specific file instead of giving access to the entire Team Folder. 
  • Saves time: When you add members to a Team Folder, they automatically get access to all associated files, and can instantly start to collaborate on documents. This saves the time you'd spend sharing files with every team member individually.
Zoho WorkDrive gives you the advantage of setting appropriate permissions for Team Folder members. Granular-level access allows members to provide access exclusively to required information. 

Access permissions are designed to help team members understand their responsibilities with respect to tasks assigned, thereby facilitating a clear, supportive working environment.
 
We hope this article provides you with an understanding of the different user roles in Zoho WorkDrive, and how you can utilize them. 

Please follow WorkDrive's Community to stay connected and updated on every product update in the series. 

If you have any questions, please leave a reply below or contact support@zohoworkdrive.com
 
Collaborate to innovate!
    • Recent Topics

    • No OR Filter for Views with a Related Modules Criteria

      We would like to create a Deal View where the User can see all their deals. For that, we would need an OR to connect the criteria. One of the Fields is a "multiselect User", these (Related Modules Criteria) can only be Filter with an AND. Even between
    • Admins cannot see each others' Scheduled Reports?!

      Very frustrating that as an admin I cannot see what my reports my fellow admins have created and scheduled.  After asking about this on the help chat, I was told the issue is trust and security.  By giving someone Admin status, it means we trust them with those responsibilities. Please change this, it is not a good process to have to bother other users to change a report or change users within a report.
    • Automatically CC an address using Zoho CRM Email Templates

      Hi all - have searched but can't see a definitive answer. We have built multiple email templates in CRM. Every time we send this we want it to CC a particular address (the same address for every email sent) so that it populates the reply back into our
    • Writer update results in BitDefender blocking it as malware

      After updating Writer to latest update, Bitdefender blocked the app and writer no longer runs.
    • Is there a way to invoke deluge function from within a widget?

      Hi! I have custom functions in deluge and I was wondering whether there is any way to call this function through a widget? Something like on click of a button inside a widget, run the deluge custom function. Would this be possible?
    • Missing Import Options

      Hello, do I miss something or is there no space import option inside of this application? In ClickUp, you can import from every common application. We don't want to go through every page and export them one by one. That wastes time. We want to centralize
    • Zoho CRM Portal Field Level Permission Issue

      Hi Support Team, I am using the Zoho CRM Portal and configuring field-level editing permissions. However, we are unable to restrict portal users from editing certain fields. We have created a portal and provided View and Edit (Shared Only) access for
    • Why am I seeing deleted records in Zoho Analytics syncing with Zoho CRM?

      I have done a data sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics, and the recycle bin is empty. Why do I see deleted leads/deals/contacts in Zoho Analytics if it doesn't exist in Zoho CRM? How can I solve this problem? Thanks
    • Zoho Tables is now live in Australia & New Zealand!

      Hey everyone! We’ve got some great news to share — Zoho Tables is now officially available in the Australian Data Center serving users across Australia and New Zealand regions! Yes, it took us a bit longer to get here, but this version of Zoho Tables
    • Custom Fonts in Zoho CRM Template Builder

      Hi, I am currently creating a new template for our quotes using the Zoho CRM template builder. However, I noticed that there is no option to add custom fonts to the template builder. It would greatly enhance the flexibility and branding capabilities if
    • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

      Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,
    • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

      The address field will be available exclusively for IN DC users. We'll keep you updated on the DC-specific rollout soon. It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition. Latest update
    • Import Function: ONLY update empty fields

      When setting up an import from a spreadsheet to CRM, there is a checkbox "Don't update empty values for existing contacts" (see screenshot below). While I see some limited benefit from this functionality, I think there should also be an "ONLY update empty
    • Collaboration with customers made easy with Zoom Meeting and Zoho Desk integration

      Hello everyone! We are happy to announce that you can now integrate your Zoho Desk account with Zoom Meeting. The integration bridges the gap between digital communication and human connection, empowering teams to deliver timely support when it matters
    • CRM Canvas - Upload Attachments

      I am in the process of changing my screens to Canvas.  On one screen, I have tabs with related lists, one of which is attachments.  There doesn't appear to be a way to upload documents though.  Am I missing something really obvious?  Does anyone have
    • TrueSync regularly filling up my local disk

      Seems that WorkDrive's TrueSync randomly starts filling up my local hard drive space. None of the folders have been set as "Make Offline" but still it seems to randomly start making file offline. The settings of the app is so minimal and is of no real
    • Kaizen #194 : Trigger Client Script via Custom buttons

      Hello everyone! Welcome back to another interesting and useful Kaizen post. We know that Client Scripts can be triggered with Canvas buttons and we discussed this with a use case in Kaizen#180. Today, let us discuss how to trigger Client Script when a
    • [Webinar] A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025

      Hi Zoho Writer users, We're excited to announce Zoho Writer's webinar for January 2026: A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025. This webinar will provide a recap of the features and enhancements we added in 2025 to enhance your productivity. Choose your preferred
    • Picklist field shows "none" as default

      Hello, Is there an option to avoid showing "none" as the default value in a picklist field? I also don't want to see any option displayed. My expectation is to have a blank bar, and then when I display the drop-down list, I can choose whichever I wa
    • Stage-probability mapping feature in custom module

      Hi, I'm building a custom module for manage projects. I would like to implement the stage-probability feature that Potentials has. Is this possible?
    • Create static subforms in Zoho CRM: streamline data entry with pre-defined values

      Last modified on (9 July, 2025): This feature was available in early access and is currently being rolled out to customers in phases. Currently available for users in the the AU, CA, and SA DCs. It will be enabled for the remaining DCs in the next couple
    • Field Description is very small

      Hello, The field Description in the activity is very small. Why don't try open a new window, or a bigger popup, or increase the width of the "popup". Example:
    • StatusIQ

      Please add StatusIQ to data sources. We using site24x7 and StatusIQ together and site24x7 integration is already there. Thanks and regards, Torsten
    • In Zoho People, the Operations buttons are frequently not visible or do not appear consistently.

      In Zoho People, the Operations buttons are frequently not visible or do not appear consistently. We request you to please investigate and address this issue, as it is affecting daily HR operations and user access.
    • Marketing Tip #14: Increase cart value with product bundles

      Bundling products is a great way to increase average order value while giving customers more convenience. Think “camera + tripod + memory card” or “soap + lotion + bath salts.” Bundles make shopping easier and feel like a better deal. It’s a win-win for
    • Problem with Workdrive folders

      I'm having a problem a problem accessing files in a Zoho work drive folder when using the Zoho writer app. The problem folder appears grayed out in the Zoho work drive window in both the online and writer application. However I can open the folder in
    • Sortie de Zoho TABLE ??

      Bonjour, Depuis bientôt 2 ans l'application zoho table est sortie en dehors de l'UE ? Depuis un an elle est annoncée en Europe Mais en vrai, c'est pour quand exactement ??
    • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

      Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site
    • Auto tracking URL generation based on Carrier

      Hi, While creating a shipment order for a package in Zoho Books, I have a requirement that for example, if the carrier is Delhivery and tracking number is 1234, then can automatically the tracking link/URL be generated as www.delhivery.com/1234. Similary,
    • Zoho Bookings form pre-filled with Zoho Forms in

      Hi, I've got a contact page on my website and I'd like to have the option to book an appointment (redirected to zoho bookings page) after an option is submitted on the contact form. how would I go about doing this? thanks
    • Pre-orders at Zoho Commerce

      We plan to have regular producs that are avaliable for purchase now and we plan to have products that will be avaliable in 2-4 weeks. How we can take the pre-orders for these products? We need to take the money for the product now, but the delivery will
    • Customer ticket creation via Microsoft Teams

      Hi all, I'm looking to see if someone could point me in the right direction. I'd love to make it so my customers/ end users can make tickets, see responses and respond within microsoft teams. As Admin and an Agent i've installed the zoho assist app within
    • Zoho Books' 2025 Wrapped

      Before we turn the page to a new year, it’s time to revisit the updates that made financial management simpler and more intuitive. This annual roundup brings together the most impactful features and enhancements we delivered in 2025, offering a clear
    • Can multiple agents be assigned to one ticket on purpose?

      Is it possible to assign one ticket to two or more agents at a time? I would like the option to have multiple people working on one ticket so that the same ticket is viewable for those agents on their list of pending tickets. Is something like this currently
    • This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

      Hi Team, when I,m trying to create a email account (imagixmidia.com.br) it's showing this error >>  This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details plz help me  thanks
    • Edit default "We are here to help you" text in chat SalesIQ widget

      Does anyone know how this text can be edited? I can't find it anywhere in settings. Thanks!
    • Can't change form's original name in URL

      Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new
    • Feature Request: Sync Leave Tracker to Zoho Mail / Calendar or provide option to download information

      Zoho Leave Tracker offers the option to sync the leave Calendar to Microsoft 365 and Google Calendar. Adding an option to sync to Zoho-Mail Calendar would avoid duplication and add significant value for users. An alternative would be to allow users to
    • Compensation | Salary Packages - Hourly Wage Needed

      The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says 55.7% of all workers in the US are paid by the hour. I don't know how that compares to the rest of the world, but I would think that this alone would justify the need for having an hourly-based salary package option.
    • Multiple currencies - doesn’t seem to work for site visitors / customers

      I am trying to understand how the multiple currency feature works from the perspective of the website visitor who is shopping on my Zoho Commerce site. My site’s base currency is US Dollars (USD) but my store is for customers in Costa Rica and I would
    • Next Page