> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.santacruzsoftware.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.santacruzsoftware.com/gemini-home/core-concepts/roles-and-approvals.md).

# User Roles & Approvals

Learn how to manage user access levels and define robust multi-level approval workflows in BrandingUI.

BrandingUI secures operations and maintains branding standards through two key mechanisms: defining precise **User Roles** and enforcing custom **Approval Workflows** before output generation.

***

## User Roles Overview

Administrators manage user accounts under the **Users** settings. Every user account on a BrandingUI site is assigned one or more of the following roles:

* **User**: Standard end-users (such as branch staff or sales reps) who can browse template catalogs, start campaigns, and customize jobs.
* **Administrator**: Has access to all administration pages, can modify global and localized settings, define the business structure, manage users, and build forms.
* **Approver**: Authorized to review, reject, edit, or approve customization jobs submitted by other users.
* **Designer**: Specifically for users who need to create, upload, and manage synchronized digital **Packages** and Artboards. When creating new packages, Designers are able to upload up to **10 Photoshop PSD or Digital Asset Manager (DAM) files** as standard artboards.
* **Guest**: Temporary standard user accounts that automatically expire after a configurable duration (defined under Global Settings -> Options).
* **Disabled**: Blocked from signing in. New account requests are initially set to Disabled pending administrator activation.

*Note: Users can hold multiple roles simultaneously (for instance, a user can be both an **Administrator** and a **User**).*

Guest accounts have the same capabilities as standard Users until they expire. Editing a Guest resets the configured duration. Designer or PrintUI-side credentials used to upload assets can be separate from the BrandingUI site account, so design access does not automatically grant site access.

## Approval Assignment Hierarchy

When a user submits a job that requires authorization, BrandingUI assigns an **Approver** from the most specific configured source before using global fallbacks:

1. **Asset-specific Approvers**: Email addresses configured on the specific Template, Package, or Form options.
2. **Department or Business Unit Approvers**: Email addresses assigned to the user's specific Department or Business Unit (configured via the Business Structure options).
3. **Global Settings Approvers**: Default level-specific email addresses entered under the global Approvals Settings.
4. **Previous or Eligible Approvers**: Depending on account type and workflow configuration, BrandingUI can reuse prior approvers or resolve users who hold the Approver role for the relevant organization.
5. **Fallback Business Email**: If no appropriate approvers can be resolved, the system defaults to the global **Business Email** defined in General Settings.

{% hint style="info" %}
SMB sites omit Department-level routing. Asset-level approvers are checked before global defaults and the Business Email fallback.
{% endhint %}

## Configuring Approval Workflows

Under **Global Settings -> Approvals**, administrators can customize how authorization cycles operate:

* **Multi-Level Approvals**: Require up to $N$ layers of approvals. Level $N+1$ approvers are only notified after all required Level $N$ approvers have signed off.
* **Required Approvers per Level**: Specify exactly how many individual approvals are required for each distinct level before the job progresses.
* **User Selection**: Allow users to select their specific approvers from an authorized list during job submission, with an option to restrict candidates to the user's department.
* **Approver Editing**: Allow approvers to edit jobs directly while reviewing. This allows them to make quick corrections rather than rejecting the job and forcing the user to resubmit.
* **Automatic Approval**: Specify a timeout (in days) after which a job is automatically approved to avoid workflow bottlenecks due to offline reviewers.
* **Proof Watermarking**: Force watermarks on all PDFs downloaded by approvers during the review stage.
* **Approver Output Controls**: Select available download types and a default PDF preset, or let approvers choose a preset. JPEG and PNG resolution can be capped; a value of `0` uses the size defined by the asset designer.


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