Team Member Management

Learn how to add, manage, and remove team members from your ClientSynq account (Pro and Enterprise plans only).

Overview

Team member management allows you to give other people in your organization access to your ClientSynq account. Each team member gets their own login credentials and can be assigned different roles and permissions.

Available on:

• ❌ Basic Plan - Single user only (account owner)
• ✅ Pro Plan - Up to 5 team members
• ✅ Enterprise Plan - Unlimited team members

---

Team Member Roles

Owner (Account Owner)

There can only be one Owner - this is the person who created the account.

Full permissions:

• ✅ All system access
• ✅ Manage billing and subscription
• ✅ Add/remove team members
• ✅ Assign roles
• ✅ Delete organization
• ✅ Transfer ownership

Cannot be removed: Owner can only transfer ownership to another person, not remove themselves.

Admin

Full access except billing:

• ✅ View and manage all clients
• ✅ Send client invitations
• ✅ Configure QuickBooks settings
• ✅ Manage payment settings (Pro plan)
• ✅ Customize branding (Pro plan)
• ✅ Add/remove team members
• ❌ View or modify billing/subscription
• ❌ Delete organization

Use case: Office manager, senior accountant, or trusted colleague who handles day-to-day operations.

Member (Standard User)

View and manage clients, limited settings:

• ✅ View all clients
• ✅ Send client invitations
• ✅ Trigger QuickBooks sync
• ✅ View invoices and payments
• ❌ Modify QuickBooks connection
• ❌ Change payment settings
• ❌ Customize branding
• ❌ Add/remove team members
• ❌ View billing

Use case: Junior accountant, assistant, or bookkeeper who needs to work with clients but shouldn't change system settings.

Viewer (Read-Only)

View only, no modifications:

• ✅ View client list
• ✅ View invoices
• ✅ View payment history
• ✅ View reports
• ❌ Send invitations
• ❌ Modify any settings
• ❌ Add/remove clients
• ❌ Trigger QuickBooks sync

Use case: Executive, external auditor, or contractor who needs visibility but shouldn't make changes.

---

Adding Team Members

Prerequisites

Before you can add team members:

1. You must be on Pro or Enterprise plan
2. You must be Owner or Admin role
3. You must have available team member slots (Pro: 5 max)
4. Team member must have an email address

Step-by-Step Process

1. Navigate to Team Management

Settings → Team → Click "Invite Team Member"

2. Enter team member details

You'll be prompted for:

• Email address (required)
• First name (optional but recommended)
• Last name (optional but recommended)
• Role (Owner/Admin/Member/Viewer)

Example:

Email: sarah@yourcompany.com
First Name: Sarah
Last Name: Johnson
Role: Member

3. Set permissions

Choose the appropriate role based on what they need to do:

Decision guide:

• Manages the account and billing? → Owner (transfer ownership)
• Needs to configure system settings? → Admin
• Works with clients daily? → Member
• Only needs to view data? → Viewer

4. Send invitation

• Click "Send Invitation"
• Email sent to team member immediately
• Invitation expires in 7 days

5. Invitation email

Team member receives an email:

Subject: You've been invited to join [Your Organization] on ClientSynq

Hi Sarah,

[Owner Name] has invited you to join [Your Organization]'s 
ClientSynq account as a Member.

[Accept Invitation] button

This invitation expires in 7 days.

6. Team member accepts

They click the button and:

1. Create ClientSynq account (if they don't have one)
2. Set their password
3. Accept the invitation
4. Redirected to your organization's dashboard

7. Confirm activation

Back in your Team Management page, you'll see:

• ✅ Status changed from "Invited" to "Active"
• Last login time (once they log in)
• Their assigned role

---

Managing Existing Team Members

Viewing Team Members

Team list shows:

• Name and email
• Role
• Status (Active/Invited/Suspended)
• Last login
• Date added
• Actions menu (⋮)

Filter and search:

• Search by name or email
• Filter by role
• Filter by status
• Sort by last login or date added

Changing Roles

When to change roles:

• Promotion (Member → Admin)
• Demotion (Admin → Member)
• Temporary permission increase
• Reduce access after project completion

How to change:

1. Find team member in list
2. Click actions menu (⋮)
3. Select "Change Role"
4. Choose new role
5. Click "Save"
6. Changes take effect immediately
7. Team member notified by email

Immediate effect:

• Log out not required
• Permissions update on next page load
• May need to refresh browser

Suspending Team Members

Why suspend instead of remove:

• Temporary leave (vacation, medical leave)
• Under investigation
• Maintain audit trail
• May return later

How to suspend:

1. Find team member in list
2. Click actions menu (⋮)
3. Select "Suspend Access"
4. Confirm suspension
5. Team member immediately logged out
6. Cannot log in while suspended

What happens:

• ❌ Cannot log in
• ✅ Data/activity history retained
• ✅ Appears in team list (marked as "Suspended")
• ✅ Can be reactivated anytime

To reactivate:

1. Find suspended team member
2. Click actions menu (⋮)
3. Select "Reactivate"
4. They can log in again immediately

Removing Team Members

When to remove:

• Left the company
• No longer needs access
• Transferred to different department
• Free up team member slot (Pro plan)

Permanent action:

• Removes access immediately
• Activity history retained (for audit purposes)
• Removed from team list
• Must be re-invited to regain access

How to remove:

1. Find team member in list
2. Click actions menu (⋮)
3. Select "Remove from Team"
4. Confirm removal (⚠️ cannot be undone)
5. Team member immediately logged out

After removal:

• Their login no longer works
• Activity logs remain (shows "[Removed User]")
• Can be re-invited as new team member if needed

---

Team Member Limits

Pro Plan - 5 Team Members

Includes:

• 1 Owner (you)
• Up to 5 additional team members
• Total: 6 people can access the account

Hitting the limit:

⚠️ Team member limit reached (5/5)

You've reached your Pro plan limit of 5 team members.

Options:
→ Remove an inactive team member
→ Upgrade to Enterprise (unlimited team members)

[Remove Team Member] [Upgrade to Enterprise]

To add more:

• Remove inactive team members, OR
• Upgrade to Enterprise plan

Enterprise Plan - Unlimited

No restrictions:

• Add as many team members as needed
• Great for large accounting firms
• No additional per-user fees

Best practices:

• Regular audit of active users
• Remove users who leave company promptly
• Use Viewer role for clients or external partners

---

Team Member Activity & Audit Logs

Viewing Team Activity

Settings → Team → Activity Log

What's logged:

• Login attempts (successful and failed)
• Client invitations sent
• Settings changes made
• QuickBooks sync triggered
• Reports generated
• Team members added/removed
• Role changes

Log entry example:

Oct 26, 2025, 2:34 PM
Sarah Johnson (Member)
Action: Sent client invitation
Target: John Smith (john@example.com)
Result: Success

Use cases:

• Accountability ("Who sent that invitation?")
• Security monitoring (unusual activity)
• Training (see how team uses the system)
• Compliance (audit trail for clients)

Exporting Activity Logs

For compliance or reporting:

1. Settings → Team → Activity Log
2. Set date range
3. Apply filters (user, action type)
4. Click "Export to CSV"
5. Open in Excel for analysis

CSV includes:

• Timestamp
• User name and email
• Action performed
• Target (client, setting, etc.)
• Result (success/failure)
• IP address (Enterprise only)

---

Team Member Security

Password Requirements

All team members must use secure passwords:

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter
• At least one number
• At least one special character

Password reset:

• Team members can reset their own password
• "Forgot password" link on login page
• Owner/Admin cannot see or reset team member passwords

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Available on: Pro and Enterprise plans

Highly recommended for:

• Owner account (always)
• Admin accounts
• Anyone with billing access

How to enable (each user must enable for themselves):

1. User logs in
2. Goes to Settings → Account Security
3. Clicks "Enable 2FA"
4. Scans QR code with authenticator app
5. Enters confirmation code

Enforce 2FA (Enterprise only):

• Settings → Team → Security
• Toggle "Require 2FA for all users"
• Team members prompted to set up on next login

Session Management

Automatic logout:

• 12 hours of inactivity
• Or when team member clicks "Sign Out"

Active sessions:

• Team members can be logged in on multiple devices
• Settings → Account → Active Sessions
• Can remotely log out of other sessions

---

Notifications & Emails

Team Member Notifications

Team members receive emails for:

• ✉️ Invitation to join organization
• ✉️ Role changed
• ✉️ Account suspended
• ✉️ Account reactivated
• ✉️ Organization settings changed (if Admin)
• ✉️ Payment failed (if Owner)

Owner/Admin receives emails for:

• ✉️ New team member accepted invitation
• ✉️ Team member login from new device (security alert)
• ✉️ Team member made significant changes
• ✉️ Team member removed

Managing Notification Preferences

Each team member controls: Settings → Notifications

Options:

• Client portal activity (client logged in, viewed invoice)
• Payment received
• QuickBooks sync completed/failed
• System updates
• Security alerts (cannot disable)

---

Common Team Management Scenarios

Scenario 1: Adding Seasonal Staff

Use case: Tax season, need temporary help

Best practice:

1. Add as Member role (not Admin)
2. Set up as soon as they start
3. Monitor activity regularly
4. Remove or suspend when season ends
5. Can re-add next season if needed

Scenario 2: Contractor or Virtual Assistant

Use case: External person helping part-time

Best practice:

1. Use Member or Viewer role (never Admin or Owner)
2. Create separate login (don't share yours)
3. Review activity logs regularly
4. Remove access when contract ends
5. Consider separate contractor account (Enterprise)

Scenario 3: Multiple Office Locations

Use case: Branch offices need access

Best practice:

1. Admin at each location (trusted manager)
2. Members for staff at each location
3. Use activity logs to monitor by location
4. Consider separate organizations per location (Enterprise)

Scenario 4: Training New Staff

Use case: New hire learning the system

Best practice:

1. Start as Viewer (read-only)
2. Upgrade to Member after training
3. Promote to Admin only when fully trained
4. Shadow their activity during training period

---

Transferring Account Ownership

When to Transfer Ownership

Common reasons:

• Current owner leaving company
• Selling business
• Reorganization
• Owner wants to downgrade role

Important: Only ONE owner allowed. Transfer means current owner becomes Admin (or is removed).

How to Transfer

Owner only can transfer:

1. Settings → Team
2. Click "Transfer Ownership"
3. Select new owner from team members (or enter email)
4. Confirm transfer
5. New owner receives email
6. They must accept transfer
7. You become Admin (or can be removed)

Warning: Cannot be undone! New owner has full control including billing.

Best practice: New owner should be Admin first (ensure they have access before transfer).

---

Team Management FAQ

Can team members see billing information?

Owner: Yes, full billing access
Admin: No billing access
Member: No billing access
Viewer: No billing access

Can I have multiple Admins?

Yes! You can have as many Admins as you want (within your team member limit).

What happens to team members if I downgrade to Basic?

All team members lose access immediately on downgrade date:

• They cannot log in
• They receive notification email
• Owner retains solo access
• Team members can be re-added if you upgrade again

Can a team member belong to multiple organizations?

Yes! If they have their own ClientSynq account and receive invitations from multiple organizations:

• Same login for all
• Switch between organizations in app
• Different role in each organization

Can I set different permissions for different clients?

Not currently - Roles apply to all clients in the organization.

Workaround (Enterprise):

• Create separate organizations
• Add team member to specific organizations
• They see only those clients

How do I know who did what?

Activity logs:

• Settings → Team → Activity Log
• Shows all actions by all team members
• Filter by user, date, action type
• Export for detailed analysis

---

Troubleshooting Team Issues

"Team member can't log in"

Check:

1. Status: Is the account Active? (not Suspended)
2. Did they accept the invitation?
3. Are they using the correct email?
4. Try password reset
5. Check if they're at the wrong organization (if they belong to multiple)

Fix:

• Resend invitation if expired
• Reactivate if suspended
• Verify email address is correct

"Invitation not received"

Check:

1. Spam/junk folder
2. Email address entered correctly
3. Corporate email filter blocking

Fix:

• Resend invitation
• Try different email address
• Whitelist noreply@clientsynq.com in email settings

"Can't add more team members"

Reason: Hit Pro plan limit (5 team members)

Options:

1. Remove inactive team members
2. Suspend instead of remove (doesn't free up slot)
3. Upgrade to Enterprise (unlimited)

"Team member has wrong permissions"

Fix:

1. Find team member in list
2. Actions menu (⋮) → Change Role
3. Select correct role
4. Save
5. Team member should refresh browser

"Need to remove owner"

Not possible - Owner cannot be removed

Solution:

1. Owner transfers ownership to someone else
2. New owner can then remove old owner
3. Or old owner downgrades to Admin role

---

Best Practices

Security

✅ Do:

• Use unique passwords for each team member
• Enable 2FA for Owner and Admin accounts
• Review team access monthly
• Remove team members who leave immediately
• Use least-privilege (don't make everyone Admin)
• Monitor activity logs for unusual behavior

❌ Don't:

• Share login credentials
• Give Admin role to everyone
• Leave inactive accounts active
• Forget to remove ex-employees
• Ignore security alert emails

Organization

✅ Do:

• Document team member responsibilities
• Assign roles based on actual job duties
• Keep team member list up to date
• Use consistent naming (e.g., first.last@company.com)
• Review and clean up quarterly

❌ Don't:

• Create test accounts and forget about them
• Use generic emails (e.g., office@company.com)
• Give everyone full access "just in case"

---

Related Articles

• Upgrading to Pro Plan (to enable team management)
• Managing Your Subscription
• Account Security Best Practices
• Enterprise Features Overview

---

Need Help with Team Management?

Have questions about adding or managing team members? Contact our support team - We're here to help!

---

Last Updated: October 26, 2025
Applies to: Pro and Enterprise plans only