# Team Roles and Permissions for Your WhatsApp and Social Inbox

> Team roles and permissions let you decide exactly what each person on your team can see and do inside Com.Bot. Give agents the conversations they need, keep billing and settings with admins, and stop accidental sends before they happen.

Source: https://com.bot/features/team-roles-and-permissions/ | Publisher: Com.Bot (Com Bot AI Limited), Official Meta Business Partner | Updated: October 2026

## Key takeaways
- Team roles and permissions control what each person can see and do in your shared inbox.
- Give agents only the conversations they need and keep billing and settings with admins.
- Com.Bot supports multiple agents with role-based access on every plan.

## Highlights
- **One inbox, many agents:** Multiple agents work the same WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and RCS conversations without stepping on each other. Assign, reassign and close chats from a shared queue.
- **Role-based access:** Admins control channels, billing and team settings. Managers handle bots, broadcasts and reports. Agents reply to customers and update contact records.
- **Fewer wrong sends:** Restrict who can launch a broadcast or edit a live bot. The people closest to the customer keep the tools they need, and nothing else.
- **Audit-ready by default:** Every assignment, reply and status change is tied to a named user, so you can trace what happened on any conversation.

## Use cases
### 1. Support agent handles chats
An agent sees only assigned conversations and replies using approved templates. The owner keeps billing and settings private.
- Customer: Hi, my order hasn't arrived yet. Can you check?
- Luma Skincare: Hi! I checked your order. It's out for delivery today. You'll get it by 6 PM.
- Customer: Great, thank you!

### 2. Admin reviews team activity
An admin sees all conversations and can reassign chats. They also manage team members and billing without touching customer messages.
- Customer: I want to know about the new batch timings.
- Brightpath Academy: Sure! We have a new batch starting Monday at 10 AM. Would you like to enroll?
- Customer: Yes, please share the details.

### 3. Manager assigns conversations
A manager assigns incoming chats to the right agent based on workload. This keeps response times low and avoids missed messages.
- Customer: I need to book an appointment with Dr. Sharma.
- Sharma Clinic: Sure, I can help with that. What day works for you?
- Customer: Tomorrow morning if possible.

### 4. Agent escalates to admin
An agent can escalate a complex query to an admin without leaving the inbox. The admin picks it up with full context.
- Customer: I received a damaged product. I want a refund.
- Urban Threads: I'm sorry about that. I've escalated this to my manager. They'll help you with the refund.
- Customer: Okay, please do it fast.

### 5. Owner limits agent access
The owner sets permissions so agents cannot send bulk messages or change payment settings. This prevents accidental sends and billing errors.
- Customer: Can I get a discount on bulk order?
- Green Leaf Organics: I'll check with my manager and get back to you shortly.
- Customer: Sure, waiting.

### 6. Team collaborates on one chat
Multiple agents can view and reply to the same conversation with clear ownership. Internal notes keep everyone informed without confusing the customer.
- Customer: I missed the last session. Can I get a recording?
- Coastal Coaching: Yes, I'll share the recording link. Please check your email in 10 minutes.
- Customer: Got it, thanks!

## What are team roles and permissions in a messaging platform
**Short answer:** Team roles and permissions in a messaging platform are rules that decide what each person can open, change or send inside an account. A role bundles permissions such as agent, manager or admin, covering replies, chat assignment, bot editing, broadcasts, contact exports and billing. Com.Bot applies roles across every channel in its unified inbox, so a role set once holds everywhere that person works.

Team roles and permissions are the rules that decide what each person can open, change or send inside your Com.Bot account. A role is a bundle of permissions, for example agent, manager or admin. Permissions cover things like viewing conversations, replying, assigning chats, editing the bot builder, launching broadcasts, exporting contacts and changing billing.

On a messaging platform this matters more than in most software. One wrong broadcast to a list of opted-in contacts can hurt your WhatsApp quality rating, and quality rating affects how many template messages you can send. One agent editing a live bot flow can break order confirmations for every customer. Roles and permissions keep those actions with the people trained to handle them.

Com.Bot applies roles across every channel in the unified inbox: WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, Google RCS and the website chat widget. You set the role once and it holds everywhere the person works.

- Agents: reply, assign, tag and update contacts
- Managers: bots, broadcasts, reports and team schedules
- Admins: channels, billing, integrations and permissions
- Custom roles: mix permissions to match how your team actually works

## Who needs team roles and permissions
**Short answer:** Any business where more than one person handles customer messages needs team roles and permissions. A D2C brand with three support agents and one operations lead wants agents answering order questions while the lead owns broadcasts and the bot flow. Agencies managing WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for several clients need roles most, since freelancers should not get admin access to every account.

Any business where more than one person touches customer messages needs this. A D2C brand with three support agents and one operations lead wants agents answering order questions while the lead owns broadcasts and the bot flow. A coaching institute with counselors across two shifts wants each counselor to see only their assigned leads, not the full database.

Agencies need it most. When you run WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for several clients, you cannot give every freelancer admin access to every account. Roles let you add a contractor to one client's inbox for a fixed period, with no access to billing, other clients or contact exports.

Service businesses with a front desk and a back office also benefit. The front desk replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. The back office handles payment links, delivery follow-ups and template campaigns. Neither needs the other's permissions.

- D2C brands with support, ops and marketing in one account
- Agencies managing multiple client workspaces
- Clinics, institutes and local services with shift teams
- Growing teams that add agents every few months

## How do team roles and permissions work in Com.Bot
**Short answer:** In Com.Bot, every person you add gets a user account with a role that decides which platform areas and buttons they can use. Agents see the shared inbox, assigned conversations and contact profiles. Managers also see the bot builder, broadcast tools, automation builder and reports. Admins see everything, including channels, billing and the permissions screen. Roles can change without losing conversation history.

Every person you add to Com.Bot gets a user account with a role. The role decides which parts of the platform appear in their sidebar and what buttons they can press. An agent sees the shared inbox, assigned conversations and contact profiles. A manager also sees the bot builder, broadcast tools, automation builder and reports. An admin sees everything, including channels, billing and the permissions screen itself.

The shared inbox is where roles matter day to day. Conversations arrive from WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS and the website widget into one queue. Agents claim or get assigned a chat, reply, add notes and close it. Managers can reassign across agents, check response times and step into a conversation when a customer asks for a supervisor.

Permissions also govern the automation side. The visual drag-and-drop bot builder, AI chatbots, bulk messaging, the automation builder with its 1,000+ integrations, native payments and the WhatsApp commerce store all sit behind role checks. You can let a marketing manager run broadcasts while keeping bot editing with a developer, or the other way around.

- Add users by email and assign a role in minutes
- Agents see only conversations assigned to them or their team
- Managers get reports, broadcasts and bot tools
- Admins control channels, billing and who can invite others
- Change a role at any time without losing conversation history

## Setting up team roles and permissions in Com.Bot
**Short answer:** Setting up team roles and permissions in Com.Bot starts in the dashboard, where you invite each person by email and pick agent, manager or admin. You then map channels to teams, so WhatsApp and Instagram conversations route to the right agent groups, and limit risky actions like broadcasts, template submissions and bot publishing to trained managers or admins.

Setup starts in the Com.Bot dashboard. Open the team section, invite each person by email and pick a role. Com.Bot sends the invite, the person sets a password and lands in the workspace with exactly the access their role allows. You can adjust permissions later without recreating the account.

Next, map your channels to teams. If you run WhatsApp for sales and Instagram for support, you can route each channel's conversations to a different group of agents. Managers see both. Agents see their channel. This keeps context tight and stops an Instagram agent from replying to a WhatsApp order thread by mistake.

Finally, decide who owns the risky actions. Broadcasts to opted-in contacts, template submissions, payment settings and bot publishing should sit with named managers or admins. Everyone else can draft and request, which keeps speed without giving up control. Com.Bot logs who did what, so reviews are simple.

- Invite users and assign agent, manager or admin
- Group agents by channel or by client workspace
- Limit broadcast and bot publishing to trained users
- Review the activity log monthly and adjust roles

## Rules and compliance for team roles and permissions
**Short answer:** Team roles and permissions should reflect WhatsApp Business API rules. Business-initiated messages must use Meta-approved templates and go only to opted-in contacts, with categories marketing, utility and authentication. Agents reply inside the 24-hour customer service window. Instagram and Messenger follow the same window. Contact exports and payment settings should stay with admins so customer data stays controlled.

WhatsApp Business API has rules that roles should reflect. Business-initiated messages must use Meta-approved templates and go only to contacts who opted in. Template categories are marketing, utility and authentication, and picking the wrong category can get a template rejected. Keep template creation and broadcast sending with people who understand the categories.

The 24-hour customer service window is another reason to separate roles. When a customer replies, a free-form service window opens for 24 hours. Agents should reply inside that window. Once it closes, only approved templates can restart the conversation. A role that lets agents send free-form messages outside the window will cause failed sends and confusion.

Instagram DM automation runs through Meta's official messaging API for professional accounts, and the 24-hour window applies there too. Facebook Messenger works the same way on Pages. Google RCS Business Messaging needs agent verification before launch and supports rich messages with branded sender details. Across all of them, keep contact exports and payment tools with admins so customer data stays controlled.

- Only trained users send marketing templates
- Agents reply inside the 24-hour service window
- Utility templates for order and appointment updates
- Authentication templates for one-time passcodes only
- Contact exports and payment settings stay with admins

## Mistakes to avoid with team roles and permissions
**Short answer:** The most common team roles and permissions mistake is giving everyone admin because it is faster on day one, until someone edits a live bot, broadcasts to the wrong list or changes a payment setting. Other mistakes include treating roles as permanent, failing to remove access when a contractor leaves, and ignoring the channel split between WhatsApp and Instagram teams.

The most common mistake is giving everyone admin because it is faster on day one. It works until someone edits a live bot, sends a broadcast to the wrong list or changes a payment setting. Fixing that costs more time than setting roles properly at the start. Start with three roles and add custom ones only when a real need appears.

The second mistake is treating roles as permanent. Teams change. An agent who becomes a team lead needs manager permissions, and a departing contractor should lose access the same day. Review roles when people join, move or leave. Com.Bot makes this a two-minute task, so there is no reason to let stale access pile up.

The third mistake is ignoring the channel split. If your WhatsApp and Instagram teams are different people, route conversations by channel. Otherwise agents see chats they cannot help with, response times slip and customers get passed around. A little routing work up front saves a lot of cleanup later.

- Do not make everyone an admin by default
- Remove access the day a contractor leaves
- Route channels to the right agent groups
- Keep bot publishing with trained users only
- Check the activity log after any access change

## Measuring results and costs
**Short answer:** Team roles and permissions show up in first response time and resolution time by agent, broadcast delivery and quality rating, and bot completion rates, all covered by Com.Bot reports. Com.Bot plans are billed quarterly: Silver $149 with 5 team members, Gold $349 with 10, and Platinum V1 $2,500 with 25. Extra team members cost $10 per month each.

Roles and permissions show up in a few numbers. First response time and resolution time by agent tell you whether the right people have the right access. Broadcast delivery and quality rating tell you whether template sending is in safe hands. Bot completion rates tell you whether the people editing flows know what they are doing. Com.Bot reports cover these without extra setup.

On cost, Com.Bot plans are billed quarterly in USD. Silver is $149 and includes 5 team members. Gold is $349 and includes 10 team members, and it is the plan most growing teams pick. Platinum V1 is $2,500 and includes 25 team members plus 3 WhatsApp API channels and 5M contacts. Extra team members, social channels and ecommerce stores are $10 per month each.

WhatsApp message charges are billed separately from the plan, based on message category and the recipient's country, and there is no monthly conversation cap. Customers can ask the team for current rates. Payment for plans can be made by card, UPI, PayPal, crypto or bank transfer. If you need help structuring roles for a larger team, expert help is available at $49 per hour for WABA, CRM and inbox work, and $99 per hour for ecommerce, bots and automations.

- Track first response and resolution time by agent
- Watch broadcast delivery and quality rating
- Silver: 5 team members, Gold: 10, Platinum V1: 25
- Extra team member $10 per month
- WhatsApp message charges billed separately from the plan

## What each role can typically do in Com.Bot
| Role | Can see | Can do |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | Assigned conversations | Reply, use templates, add notes |
| Manager | All conversations | Assign chats, escalate, view reports |
| Admin | All conversations and settings | Manage team, billing, permissions |
| Owner | Everything | Full control including payments |

## How to set it up in Com.Bot
1. **Invite your team:** In the Com.Bot dashboard, open the team section and invite each person by email. Pick agent, manager or admin as the starting role.
2. **Map channels to groups:** Decide which agents handle WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS and the website widget. Route each channel's conversations to the right group.
3. **Set who can send and publish:** Limit broadcasts, template submissions, bot publishing and payment settings to named managers or admins. Everyone else can draft and request.
4. **Test with a live conversation:** Send a test message from a personal phone, watch it arrive in the shared inbox and confirm the right agent can claim, reply and close it.
5. **Review access monthly:** Check the activity log, remove access for people who left and upgrade roles for people who took on more responsibility.

## Message templates
**Order shipped update** (utility)
> Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped. Track it here: {{3}}. Reply if you need help with delivery.

**Abandoned cart reminder** (marketing)
> Hi {{1}}, you left {{2}} in your cart. Complete your order here: {{3}}. Reply STOP to opt out.

**Appointment reminder** (utility)
> Hi {{1}}, this is a reminder of your appointment on {{2}} at {{3}}. Reply YES to confirm or RESCHEDULE to change it.

## Frequently asked questions
### What are team roles and permissions in Com.Bot?
They are the access rules that decide what each person can see and do in your Com.Bot account. Roles bundle permissions for agents, managers and admins, and they apply across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS and the website chat widget.

### How many team members can I add?
Silver includes 5 team members, Gold includes 10 and Platinum V1 includes 25. Extra team members are $10 per month each, so you can add more as your team grows without changing plans.

### Can agents see each other's conversations?
That depends on how you set permissions. You can let agents see only their assigned chats, or give them visibility into the whole team queue. Managers typically see all conversations in their channel or client workspace.

### Who should be allowed to send WhatsApp broadcasts?
Keep broadcast sending with trained managers or admins. Business-initiated messages must use Meta-approved templates and go only to opted-in contacts, and the wrong category or list can lower your quality rating.

### Do roles apply to Instagram and Messenger too?
Yes. Com.Bot applies the same role structure across WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, Google RCS and the website chat widget. You set the role once and it holds on every channel.

### Can I change someone's role later?
Yes. Open the team section, pick the person and change their role. Conversation history, assignments and notes stay intact, so nothing is lost when someone moves from agent to manager.

### How do roles help with WhatsApp compliance?
Roles keep template creation, broadcast sending and free-form replies with people who understand the 24-hour service window and template categories. That reduces rejected templates, failed sends and quality rating drops.

### Is there an activity log for team actions?
Yes. Com.Bot records who assigned, replied, changed status or edited settings, so you can trace what happened on any conversation. This makes monthly access reviews and audits straightforward.

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Com.Bot: WhatsApp Business API, Instagram, Messenger, Google RCS and SMS automation. Official Meta Business Partner. Plans from $149 per quarter. Start: https://v3.com.bot/register