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Last updated: December 5, 2025
Every workspace member is assigned a role that determines what they can access and manage. This guide explains the two workspace roles and their permissions.

Workspace Roles Overview

Owner

Full access to billing, team management, and all workspace settings. Can manage all connections and team members.

Member

Default role. Can connect data sources and use all reporting features in Google Sheets and Looker Studio.
When you invite someone to your workspace, they automatically become a Member. Only existing Owners can promote Members to Owner status.

Permissions by Category

Team Management

PermissionOwnerMember
User managementFull accessView only
License managementFull accessView only
User management includes inviting new members, removing members, and changing member roles.

Billing

PermissionOwnerMember
Billing managementFull accessNo access
Only Owners can access billing settings, update payment methods, change plans, and view invoices.

Data Source Connections

PermissionOwnerMember
Manage own connectionsFull accessFull access
View and use shared connectionsFull accessFull access
Manage team connectionsFull accessNo access
Manage team connections means the ability to reconnect, replace, archive, or modify sharing settings on connections created by other team members.
Both Owners and Members can:
  • Connect new data sources
  • Manage connections they created (reconnect, replace, archive)
  • Use any shared connection in their queries
  • Share their own connections with the team
Only Owners can:
  • Manage connections created by other team members
  • Override sharing restrictions on any connection

Destinations

DestinationOwnerMember
Looker StudioFull accessFull access
Google SheetsFull accessFull access
BigQuery (coming soon)Full accessFull access
Destinations like Looker Studio, Google Sheets, and BigQuery have no restrictions at the workspace level. Access must be managed within each destination itself (e.g., sharing settings in Google Sheets or Looker Studio).

Role Comparison

CapabilityOwnerMember
Create queries in Google SheetsYesYes
Build Looker Studio dashboardsYesYes
Connect new data sourcesYesYes
Manage own connectionsYesYes
Use shared connectionsYesYes
Invite team membersYesNo
Remove team membersYesNo
Change member rolesYesNo
Access billing settingsYesNo
Manage team connectionsYesNo

When to Use Each Role

Assign Owner Role When:

  • The person needs to manage billing and subscriptions
  • They should be able to invite or remove team members
  • They need to manage connections created by others (e.g., when the original creator is unavailable)
  • They’re responsible for overall workspace administration

Keep as Member When:

  • They only need to create reports and dashboards
  • They’ll manage their own data source connections
  • They don’t need access to billing or team management
  • They’re a regular team member or client with access to specific data

Managing Roles

Promoting a Member to Owner

1

Go to Team Settings

Navigate to your workspace settings and select the Team section.
2

Find the Member

Locate the team member you want to promote in the members list.
3

Change Role

Click on their current role and select “Owner” from the dropdown.
4

Confirm

The change takes effect immediately. The new Owner now has full workspace access.

Demoting an Owner to Member

1

Go to Team Settings

Navigate to your workspace settings and select the Team section.
2

Find the Owner

Locate the Owner you want to change.
3

Change Role

Click on their current role and select “Member” from the dropdown.
4

Confirm

The user immediately loses access to billing and team management features.
Cannot remove last Owner: Every workspace must have at least one Owner. You cannot demote the last remaining Owner.

Workspace Roles vs Connection Roles

It’s important to understand the difference between workspace roles and connection roles:
TypeRolesScope
Workspace rolesOwner, MemberApply to the entire workspace (billing, team, settings)
Connection rolesOwner, EditorApply to individual data source connections
A workspace Member can still be a connection Owner for connections they create. These are separate permission systems.
Learn more about connection-level permissions in Connection Sharing and Permissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Only Owners can invite new team members to the workspace.
Yes. You can have as many Owners as needed. This is recommended for business continuity.
If the Owner is removed from the workspace, their connections remain but need a new owner. Another Owner should take over management of those connections. Make sure you always have at least one other Owner before removing someone.
No. Billing information is only visible to Owners.
Yes. Both Owners and Members count toward your workspace’s licensed user count.

Next Steps

Need help? If you have questions about roles or permissions, contact [email protected]