Inviting Team Members

Difficulty: Beginner

Overview

Taskboards become truly powerful when your team collaborates together. Whether you're coordinating with internal team members or working with external clients and partners, understanding roles, permissions, and the invitation process ensures smooth collaboration.

This guide covers everything you need to know about adding team members, managing roles, working with guests, and controlling access to your taskboards.

What You'll Learn

• Understand board member roles and permissions
• Add organization members to boards
• Invite external guests for client collaboration
• Manage member permissions and access
• Remove members and transfer ownership
• Best practices for team collaboration

Prerequisites

• A taskboard created (Creating Your First Taskboard)
• Admin or owner permissions on the board
• Understanding of your organization structure

Board Member Roles

Waymaker taskboards use a role-based permission system to control what each member can do.

Role Types Explained

🔑 Owner

Who: The person who created the board (one per board) Permissions:

• ✅ Full access to all board features
• ✅ Add, edit, delete any tasks
• ✅ Invite and remove members (including admins)
• ✅ Change board settings
• ✅ Archive or delete the board
• ✅ Transfer ownership to another member

Use case: Project manager, team lead, or person accountable for delivery

Limitations: Only one owner per board (but can transfer ownership)

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⚙️ Admin

Who: Trusted team members who help manage the board Permissions:

• ✅ Add, edit, delete any tasks
• ✅ Invite new members (members and guests)
• ✅ Edit board settings (sections, layers, views)
• ✅ Manage member permissions (except owner)
• ✅ Access board analytics

Cannot do:

• ❌ Delete the board
• ❌ Remove the owner
• ❌ Transfer board ownership
• ❌ Remove other admins (owner only)

Use case: Senior team members, scrum masters, co-managers

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👥 Member

Who: Regular team members doing the work Permissions:

• ✅ Create and edit tasks they're assigned to
• ✅ Create new tasks in any section
• ✅ Comment on any task
• ✅ View all tasks and board data
• ✅ Update task progress and status
• ✅ Upload files to tasks

Cannot do:

• ❌ Edit tasks they're not assigned to (configurable)
• ❌ Delete other members' tasks
• ❌ Change board settings or sections
• ❌ Invite new members
• ❌ Manage permissions

Use case: Individual contributors, team members, collaborators

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👁️ Viewer

Who: Stakeholders who need visibility but not editing access Permissions:

• ✅ View all tasks and board data
• ✅ View comments and activity
• ✅ Export board data
• ✅ Add comments (if enabled)

Cannot do:

• ❌ Create or edit tasks
• ❌ Change task status or progress
• ❌ Upload files
• ❌ Invite members
• ❌ Change any settings

Use case: Executives, clients (read-only), auditors, observers

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🤝 Guest

Who: External collaborators (clients, contractors, partners) Permissions:

• ✅ View tasks they're assigned to or mentioned in
• ✅ Comment on accessible tasks
• ✅ Update progress on their assigned tasks
• ✅ Upload files to their tasks
• ✅ View limited board information

Cannot do:

• ❌ See tasks they're not involved with
• ❌ View full team or board structure
• ❌ Invite other members
• ❌ Access board analytics
• ❌ Change board settings

Use case: Clients, external consultants, contractors, partners

Special notes:

• Guests don't need to join your organization
• Can be invited via email (creates limited account)
• Perfect for client collaboration without full access
• Can be upgraded to member if they join organization

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Adding Organization Members

Organization members are people already part of your Waymaker organization. Adding them to boards is quick and simple.

Step-by-Step: Add Members

1. Open Board Settings

• Click the Settings icon (⚙️) in top right corner of board
• Or use keyboard shortcut: ⌘/Ctrl + ,

2. Navigate to Members Tab

• Click "Members" tab in settings sidebar
• See current member list with roles

3. Click "Add Members"

• Find the "+ Add Members" button
• Opens member selection modal

4. Search and Select Members

• Search by name or email
• Select members from your organization (checkbox)
• Can add multiple members at once

5. Assign Role

• Choose role from dropdown:
  • Admin (can manage board)
  • Member (can work on tasks)
  • Viewer (read-only access)
• All selected members get the same role (can change individually later)

6. Add to Board

• Click "Add Members" button
• Members immediately get access
• Notification sent to each new member

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Bulk Adding Members

For large teams, you can add many members at once:

Steps:

1. Open Members settings tab
2. Click "Add Members"
3. Use "Select by team" dropdown (if teams configured)
4. Or manually select multiple members (Shift+Click to select range)
5. Choose role for all selected
6. Click "Add Members"

💡 Tips:

• Add by department or team for faster setup
• Everyone gets the same role initially (refine individually after)
• Members see board immediately in their taskboards list

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Member Notifications

When you add someone to a board, they receive:

Email notification (if enabled):

• "You've been added to [Board Name]"
• Link to open the board
• Your role and permissions summary

In-app notification:

• Notification bell icon shows new activity
• "Added to [Board Name] as [Role]"
• Click to navigate directly to board

Board appears in their sidebar:

• Automatically added to their Taskboards list
• Categorized by workspace/project
• Can star for quick access

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Inviting External Guests

Guests are external collaborators who don't belong to your organization. Perfect for clients, contractors, or partners.

When to Use Guest Access

✅ Good use cases:

• Client collaboration: Let clients see and comment on deliverables
• Contractor access: Give freelancers access to their specific tasks
• Partner coordination: Collaborate with agency partners on campaigns
• Vendor management: Track vendor deliverables and status
• Stakeholder visibility: Give external stakeholders read-only view

❌ Don't use guests for:

• Internal employees (add to organization instead)
• Long-term collaborators (convert to organization members)
• People who need access to multiple boards (organization membership better)

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Step-by-Step: Invite Guests

1. Open Board Settings

• Click Settings (⚙️) in top right
• Navigate to "Guests" tab

2. Click "Invite Guest"

• Find "+ Invite Guest" button
• Opens guest invitation modal

3. Enter Guest Information

• Email address (required)
• First name and Last name (optional but recommended)
• Message (optional) - Personalize the invitation

4. Configure Guest Permissions

Choose what the guest can access:

Access Level:

• Assigned tasks only (default) - See only tasks assigned to them
• All tasks - See entire board (like a viewer)

Permissions:

• ☑️ Can comment on tasks
• ☑️ Can update progress on assigned tasks
• ☑️ Can upload files to tasks
• ☐ Can create tasks (usually off for guests)

5. Send Invitation

• Click "Send Invitation"
• Email sent to guest with setup instructions
• Guest appears in "Pending invitations" list

6. Guest Accepts Invitation

• Guest receives email with unique invitation link
• Clicks link → Creates Waymaker account (or logs in)
• Account automatically created as guest
• Gets access to specified board only

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Guest Account Creation

When a guest accepts an invitation:

New user (no Waymaker account):

1. Clicks invitation link
2. Creates account (email + password)
3. Account type: Guest (limited access)
4. Automatically added to board with specified permissions
5. Only sees boards they're invited to

Existing user:

1. Clicks invitation link
2. Logs in to existing account
3. Board added to their account
4. Retains guest-level permissions on this board

Guest account limitations:

• Cannot see organization structure
• Cannot access other organization boards
• Cannot invite other members
• Cannot see full team lists
• No billing or admin access

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Managing Guest Permissions

View guest list:

1. Board Settings → Guests tab
2. See all active and pending guest invitations
3. Status: Pending (not accepted), Active (using board)

Change guest permissions:

1. Find guest in list
2. Click "Edit" (pencil icon)
3. Adjust access level or permissions
4. Changes take effect immediately

Remove guest access:

1. Find guest in list
2. Click "Remove" (trash icon)
3. Confirm removal
4. Guest immediately loses board access
5. Guest can no longer see board in their account

Resend invitation:

• For pending invitations, click "Resend"
• Sends new email with fresh invitation link
• Useful if original email was lost

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Managing Member Permissions

Over time, you'll need to adjust roles, reassign tasks, or remove members. Here's how to manage your team effectively.

Changing Member Roles

Steps:

1. Board Settings → Members tab
2. Find the member in the list
3. Click role dropdown next to their name
4. Select new role (Admin, Member, Viewer)
5. Changes save automatically

What happens:

• Member permissions update immediately
• Member sees notification of role change
• If role downgraded, they lose access to features (e.g., admin → member can't edit settings)

Who can change roles:

• ✅ Owner - Can change anyone's role (including admins)
• ✅ Admin - Can change member and viewer roles (not other admins)
• ❌ Members/Viewers - Cannot change roles

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Removing Members

When to remove:

• Team member leaves organization
• Contributor no longer working on project
• Accidentally added wrong person
• Reducing board access for security

Steps:

1. Board Settings → Members tab
2. Find member in list
3. Click "Remove" (trash icon)
4. Confirm removal in dialog
5. Member immediately loses board access

What happens when you remove a member:

• ✅ Loses access to board (can't view or edit)
• ✅ Tasks remain assigned to them (with "(Removed)" label)
• ✅ Comments and activity history preserved
• ✅ Notification sent about removal
• ⚠️ Can be re-added later if needed

Reassigning their tasks:

• Tasks don't auto-reassign when member removed
• Best practice: Reassign their active tasks before removing:
  1. Filter tasks by assignee (member to be removed)
  2. Bulk select their tasks
  3. Reassign to new owner
  4. Then remove the member

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Transferring Board Ownership

Sometimes you need to change who owns the board (e.g., project handoff, team reorganization).

Steps:

1. Board Settings → Members tab
2. Find yourself (current owner) in list
3. Click "Transfer ownership" button
4. Select new owner from current members (must be admin or member)
5. Confirm transfer (irreversible!)

What happens:

• New owner gets full owner permissions
• You become an admin (or you can leave)
• New owner can now manage all aspects of board
• Notification sent to new owner

⚠️ Important:

• Only current owner can transfer ownership
• Cannot transfer to guests or viewers
• Cannot transfer to someone outside board
• Cannot undo (new owner must transfer back)

Use cases:

• Project handoff to new manager
• Team lead changes
• Owner leaving organization
• Organizational restructuring

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Member Activity and Presence

Waymaker shows real-time presence and activity to help coordinate teamwork.

Real-Time Presence Indicators

Active now:

• Green dot on avatar → Member viewing board right now
• Hover avatar → See "Last active 2 minutes ago"
• Multiple users → See all active users' avatars in top bar

Recent activity:

• Activity feed shows all member actions
• Task comments show who's collaborating
• "Currently editing" indicator when someone has task modal open

Activity Tracking

What's tracked:

• Task creation, editing, deletion
• Status changes (moved between sections)
• Comments and mentions
• File uploads
• Progress updates
• Assignments and reassignments

Where to view:

• Board activity feed (sidebar) - All board activity
• Task activity (task modal) - Activity for specific task
• Member profile (click avatar) - Activity by specific person

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Best Practices for Team Collaboration

Setting Up Your Team

Start small, grow intentionally:

1. Week 1: Owner + 1-2 admins set up board structure
2. Week 2: Add core team as members, let them add tasks
3. Week 3: Invite stakeholders as viewers once board is active
4. Month 1: Add guests (clients) once workflow is established

Role distribution guidelines:

• 1 owner (project lead)
• 1-2 admins (senior team members, 10-20% of team)
• Most members (80-90% of team - the doers)
• Few viewers (executives, stakeholders who need visibility)
• Guests as needed (external collaborators)

Permission Philosophy

Principle of least privilege:

• Give members only the access they need
• Start with lower permissions, upgrade as trust builds
• Guests should have minimal access (assigned tasks only)

But avoid over-restriction:

• Team members should feel trusted
• Overly restrictive permissions slow collaboration
• Members should be able to create and edit tasks freely
• Reserve viewer role for true read-only stakeholders

Communication Expectations

Set norms for your team:

• Daily check-ins: Update task progress before standup
• @Mentions: Use for urgent items or specific questions
• Comments: Threaded discussions belong in task comments
• External chat: Use Slack/Teams for chat, taskboard for work tracking

Notification hygiene:

• Owner/Admins: Get notified of all activity (can customize)
• Members: Notified of assignments, mentions, comments on their tasks
• Viewers: Minimal notifications (board-level updates only)
• Guests: Only notified about their specific tasks

Guest Collaboration Tips

Client guests:

• Use "Assigned tasks only" access
• Enable comments for feedback
• Create "Client Review" section for tasks needing approval
• Assign client as reviewer, not task owner

Contractor guests:

• Give access to their specific tasks
• Enable progress updates so they can self-report
• Use time tracking for billing clarity
• Review guest activity weekly

Partner guests:

• Consider "All tasks" view if deep collaboration
• Make admins if long-term partnership
• Clear handoff tasks at partner boundaries

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Troubleshooting

"I can't add members to my board"

Possible causes:

• You're not an admin or owner
• Organization has reached member limit
• Person you're trying to add doesn't exist in organization

Solution:

1. Check your role (Settings → Members → Find yourself)
2. Verify you have admin or owner permissions
3. Contact organization admin if limit reached
4. Add person to organization first, then to board

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"Guest invitation isn't working"

Possible causes:

• Email typo in guest address
• Email caught in spam filter
• Guest already has account with different email

Solution:

1. Double-check email address spelling
2. Ask guest to check spam/junk folder
3. Resend invitation from Guests tab
4. Try guest's alternate email if they have multiple

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"Member can't see board after being added"

Possible causes:

• Filter hiding board in member's sidebar
• Workspace/project visibility settings
• Browser cache issue

Solution:

1. Ask member to refresh browser (⌘R or Ctrl+R)
2. Check they're looking in correct workspace
3. Have them clear filters in taskboards list
4. Remove and re-add member if issue persists

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"Guest can see tasks they shouldn't"

Possible causes:

• Guest permissions set to "All tasks" instead of "Assigned tasks only"
• Guest is tagged in comments (gives them access)
• Guest was upgraded to member by mistake

Solution:

1. Board Settings → Guests → Find guest → Edit permissions
2. Change to "Assigned tasks only"
3. Review guest role (should say "Guest", not "Member")
4. Remove guest from comment threads if necessary

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Next Steps

You now know how to build and manage your taskboard team! Ready to continue?

1. Board Settings & Configuration - Customize your board
2. Real-time Collaboration - Work together live
3. Notifications and Mentions - Stay informed
4. Task Assignment and Ownership - Advanced assignment
5. Permissions and Access Control - Deep dive on permissions

Related Articles

• Creating Your First Taskboard
• Basic Task Management
• Guest Collaboration
• Task Comments and Activity Feed
• Team Collaboration Best Practices

Quick Reference

Add Organization Member:

• Settings → Members → Add Members → Select → Choose role → Add

Invite Guest:

• Settings → Guests → Invite Guest → Enter email → Configure permissions → Send

Change Role:

• Settings → Members → Find member → Click role dropdown → Select new role

Remove Member:

• Settings → Members → Find member → Remove icon → Confirm

Transfer Ownership:

• Settings → Members → Transfer ownership → Select new owner → Confirm

Member Roles:

• Owner (1) - Full control
• Admin (few) - Manage board
• Member (most) - Do work
• Viewer (some) - Read-only
• Guest (external) - Limited access

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Ready to customize your board? → Board Settings & Configuration