User Roles and Permissions

Compass has a simple two-tier permission system: Organization Admins and Members. Each user's role is specific to their organization—you can be an admin in one organization and a member in another.

Roles

Organization Admin

Organization Admins have full access to manage all aspects of their Compass organization.

What admins can do:

• Manage data sources - Add, configure, and remove warehouse connections
• Manage channels - Assign datasets to Slack channels and configure access
• Manage users - Invite users, assign admin status, and remove users
• Manage context - Review, edit, and organize context documents
• Manage billing - View and update billing information and subscriptions

Organization Admins can access the Admin UI at dagstercompass.com/login (opens in a new tab) or by typing !admin in any Compass Slack channel.

Member

Members can use Compass to ask questions and explore data, but cannot manage organizational settings.

What members can do:

• Ask questions - Query data through Compass in channels they have access to
• View data - See results, charts, and visualizations
• Provide feedback - Correct Compass and add context through conversation
• Invite teammates - Invite coworkers to join Compass via Slack
• View settings - See organization configuration (data sources, channels, users, billing) in read-only mode

Members can view organization settings in read-only mode by accessing the Admin UI at dagstercompass.com/login (opens in a new tab) or typing !admin in any Compass channel.

Permission Details

Channel-Based Data Access

Members can only access data in Slack channels where they're members. This means:

• If a member is not in a channel, they can't see its data
• Different channels can be configured with different warehouse connections
• Data access is controlled by Slack channel membership, not just user role

Organization Admins have access to manage all channels and connections, but day-to-day data access still follows channel membership.

This provides fine-grained access control without complex permission systems.

Here's the complete breakdown of what each role can access:

How Admin Status is Assigned

First User in Organization

When your organization is first set up, the first user to join Compass automatically becomes an Organization Admin. This ensures someone always has full access to configure the organization.

During Onboarding

If you signed up for Compass through the onboarding flow, the email address you used during signup will be granted admin status when that user joins.

Manual Assignment

Existing Organization Admins can promote members to admin status through the Admin UI:

1. Go to dagstercompass.com/login (opens in a new tab) or type !admin in Slack
2. Navigate to the Users section
3. Find the user you want to promote
4. Toggle their admin status

Best Practices

Start with Minimal Admin Access

We recommend having 2-3 Organization Admins for redundancy, but keeping the number small to maintain clear ownership of configuration changes.

Use Channel-Based Access Control

Instead of creating separate roles, use channel assignments to control which datasets different teams can access. This gives you fine-grained control without complex permission systems.

Promote Trusted Users

Since admins can modify data source connections and billing, only promote users you trust with full organizational access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create custom roles?

Not currently. Compass uses a simple two-tier system (Admin/Member) to keep permissions straightforward. Use channel-based access control for fine-grained data access.

Can members invite other users?

Yes! Members can invite teammates via Slack's invite flow. Inviting coworkers is encouraged—you'll earn free Answers with invites:

• +5 Answers per teammate invite
• Maximum +100 Answers per workspace

This bonus helps teams collaborate and explore data together in Compass.

What happens if all admins leave?

Contact compass-support@dagsterlabs.com and we'll help restore admin access to your organization.

Need Help?

• Questions about user management: compass-support@dagsterlabs.com
• Admin UI guide: Admin UI documentation
• Security information: Security Overview