Role and Role Profile in ERPNext
Roles are the foundation of ERPNext’s permission system. A Role defines what documents, reports, and modules a user can access. Permissions for each role are configured through the Role Permissions Manager.
Role Profiles help simplify user management by grouping multiple roles together into a reusable template. Instead of assigning roles one by one, administrators can assign an entire Role Profile to a user.
To access Roles, navigate to:
Home > Users and Permissions > Role
Roles control access to ERPNext documents, while Role Profiles make it easier to assign multiple roles to users at once.
1. Understanding Roles
A Role represents a set of permissions within ERPNext.
For example:
- Sales User can access Quotations and Sales Orders.
- Accounts User can work with accounting transactions.
- HR User can manage employee and payroll records.
Most commonly used roles are already available in ERPNext, allowing organizations to start working immediately without additional configuration.
2. How to Create a New Role
Follow these steps to create a custom role:
- Open the Role list and click New.
- Enter a name for the Role.
- Select whether the Role should have Desk Access.
- Save the document.
A role with Desk Access can log into ERPNext and access modules according to the permissions assigned to it.
Role Configuration Options
Additional settings available while creating a role include:
- Desk Access – Allows access to ERPNext modules and documents.
- Two-Factor Authentication – Enforce additional login security for users with this role.
- Domain Restriction – Restrict the role to a specific business domain.
Creating a role does not automatically grant permissions. Permissions must be configured separately through the Role Permissions Manager.
3. Role Permissions Manager
After creating a role, administrators can define access rights through the Role Permissions Manager.
Permissions can be configured for:
- Read
- Write
- Create
- Delete
- Submit
- Cancel
- Amend
- Import and Export
These permissions determine how users interact with each document type across the system.
TIP
Keep custom roles focused on specific job responsibilities. This makes permission management easier and reduces security risks caused by excessive access.
4. Understanding Role Profiles
Role Profiles allow administrators to group multiple roles into a single reusable template.
For example, a Sales Supervisor may require the following roles:
- Employee
- Sales User
- Sales Manager
- Sales Master Manager
Instead of assigning each role manually, all these roles can be added to a Role Profile and assigned together.
Role Profiles significantly reduce user onboarding time and ensure consistent permissions across teams.
5. How to Create a Role Profile
To access Role Profiles, navigate to:
Home > Users and Permissions > Permissions > Role Profile
Follow these steps:
- Open the Role Profile list and click New.
- Enter a name for the Role Profile.
- Select the roles to be included.
- Save the Role Profile.
The profile can now be assigned to users whenever required.
6. Benefits of Using Role Profiles
Role Profiles provide several advantages:
- Faster user onboarding.
- Consistent access control across departments.
- Reduced manual role assignment errors.
- Simplified administration for large organizations.
- Easier maintenance when permissions change.
Organizations with multiple employees performing similar tasks often use Role Profiles to standardize access management.
Related Topics
- User Management
- Role Based Permissions
- User Permissions
- Role Permission for Page and Report
- System Settings
SUMMARY
Roles define what users can access and do within ERPNext, while Role Profiles group multiple roles into reusable templates. Together, they provide a scalable and efficient way to manage permissions, maintain security, and streamline user administration across the organization.
