Guide
Why use Groups
Managing access to everything for every person individually is an admin nightmare if you have plenty of users in the workspace. Here's when the User Groups come in handy.
Unlike most work management software, Fibery doesn't have pre-defined permission groups. Instead, we give extra power to existing Databases that organize Users.
User Groups are available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
How to use existing Database for User Groups
Any Database with a People Field that allows multiple people can become a User Group DB. If you already have a Teams, Roles, Squads, or Tribes in your workspace, they are the perfect candidates:
Enable architect mode by clicking the user mode icon.
Expand User DB settings → navigate to Groups.
Depending if you have any User Group DBs already:
if you do, click + New Database and select Use existing >;
if not, click Use existing button.
Pick the People Field that will host group members.
Alternatively, you can enable the User Group toggle directly in the People Field's settings:
The result is the same => the Database will appear on the User Group management screen.
You are free to organize Users using several different kinds of Groups simultaneously. The most common example is by Team and by Role (or Squad + Tribe).
How to create a new User Group DB
If you don't have an existing Database that contains groups, you can create a new one:
Enable architect mode by clicking the user mode icon.
Expand User DB settings → navigate to Groups.
Depending if you have any User Group DBs already:
if you do, click + New Database and select Create new >;
if not, click New Database button.
Pick the Space where the Database should belong to (don't sweat on it too much, you can always move it later).
Type the Database name and pick its color.
Once the Database is created, you can manage it just like all other Databases.
How to limit each person to one Group
By default, people can belong to multiple groups. If you'd like to limit a person to a single Team/Role/etc.:
Make sure you haven't shared anything with <Teams> (see the callout below if you have).
Delete the People Field that currently hosts group members.
Create a new People Field with both of these toggles enabled:
Use <Teams> as User Groups
Limit to one <Team> per person
Start sharing Spaces, Databases, and Entities with <Teams>.
If you've already shared quite a few things with <Teams>, there is currently no easy way to limit each person to a single group. Please reach out to us via support chat if you find yourself in this situation.
How to share a Space with a User Group
Once you have a User Group DB (e.g. Roles) with at least one entity inside, you can share a Space with people in this group:
Enable architect mode by clicking the user mode icon.
Navigate to Access for the space.
Add groups you'd like to share the Space with.
Select the appropriate access level.
Click Invite.
If you'd like some group member (e.g. group leader) to receive higher access, share the Space with them individually in addition to sharing with the whole group.
For example, Developer group can have Viewer access while its head, Sarah, has Editor access.
How to share a Database with a User Group
To share a Database with a Group:
Show Databases in the sidebar
Open the context menu for the corresponding Database
Click Share
Add Groups
Select the appropriate access level
Click Add
Check out Share Database for more details.
How to share an Entity with a User Group
To share a Task or a Feature with a Group:
Navigate to the Entity you'd like to share
Click Share in the top right corner
Pick your Groups
Select the appropriate access level
Click Invite
Check out Share Entity for the overview of access levels, on how to extend access, and more.
How to automatically share Entities with assigned User Groups
In addition to manually sharing an Entity, you can configure automatic access for assigned teams, squads, or departments.
These are the typical use cases:
An external Team should only see Features assigned to them.
Everyone can see Projects but only members of the assigned Squad should be able to edit.
Department members should see wiki Pages relevant to them.
If you find yourself repeatedly providing access to a Group that is already linked to an Entity, consider automatic sharing. Once configured, it will save you and your teammates clicks and will prevent awkward situations when an assigned Group can't access their task.
Check out Automatically Share Entities with Assigned Groups for the guide on how to configure automatic access.
Q&A
In which plan are Group permissions available?
Group permissions are available on Pro and Enterprise plans. Check the pricing page for the most up-to-date info.
What if a User has permissions for a Space via multiple Groups?
We take the maximum level. Here is an example:
Alex is a Developer in Team Sharks.
Team Sharks receives Viewer permissions for a Space → Alex is a Viewer.
Developers receive Editor permissions to a Space → Alex is now an Editor.
Alex receives Architect permissions for a Space directly → Alex is now an Architect.
Alex loses the individual access → Alex is back to being an Editor (through Developers) again.
Is there any Group inheritance (ex. Department → Group)?
Not at the moment — at least, not out of the box.
Please ping us via Intercom if that's what you are looking for. Most likely, we'll find a workaround. Most certainly, the priority of out-of-the-box inheritance as a feature will go up.