This guide walks through setting up and managing access in Float - from understanding user types and permissions to inviting team members and ensuring everyone has just the access they need by aligning three key elements: who needs to be scheduled, who needs visibility, and what each person can control.
Float users: People and Guests
Before inviting anyone, it’s critical to understand how Float separates users into two types: people and guests.
PEOPLE | GUESTS |
Appears on the Schedule | Do not appear on the Schedule |
Can be assigned work | Cannot be assigned work |
Can be assigned access role | Can be assigned access role |
Requires a paid seat | Free |
Used for: Employees, freelancers, contractors, placeholders | Used for: Finance team, executives, stakeholders, PMs who need oversight but don't need to be scheduled |
Managed on the People page | Managed in Company settings > Admin > Guests |
For every team member you are about to invite, start by answering this question:
Do they need to appear on the Schedule?
Access roles and customized permissions
Access rights are changing!
Starting in late October 2026, Float is replacing the fixed Admin, Manager, and Member access rights with access roles. Your team’s current permissions won’t change when we update your account: everyone will keep the same access they have today.
If you don’t see the access roles feature in your account yet, it will be available to your team in the coming weeks - stay tuned!
For a quick overview, watch the Access roles webinar, and for more details, see the Access roles FAQ.
Both people and guests need an access role assigned to access your team. Float offers four default access roles:
Account Owner - one per team; this role can't be assigned or customized.
Depending on your needs, you can further customize permissions by assigning individual permission overrides.
For detailed permissions, check the Access roles - detailed permissions article.
Inviting team members to Float
When rolling out Float across your organization, it’s helpful to give your team a heads-up about the upcoming changes and how Float will support their day-to-day work.
To invite a team member to Float:
Add their email address to the Access tab of their profile
Assign them an access role and, if needed, additinal permissions
You can invite people from the People page or from the Schedule directly. Anyone with Create people and provide access permission (in the People and access permission group) can add people to your Float account. The Account Owner and users with the default Admin role have this permission by default. Others can be granted this permission as needed.
You can invite guests from Company settings > Admin > Guests. To access this page, you need the Configure admin settings permission (from the Company settings permission group). The Account Owner and users with the default Admin access role have it by default, and they can grant it to others as needed.
Float sends invitations from notification@float.com with the subject line “You’re invited to join [Your Team Name] in Float.” Invite links are valid for seven days. After the link expires, it must be resent. When team members open the invite link, they are prompted to create a password and log in.
Switching between person and guest
A user cannot exist as both a person and a guest at the same time. When you need to switch someone:
To change a person into a guest, first archive their profile from the People page using Actions > Move to archive, and remove their email address from the Access tab. Their historical data will be retained. Next, invite them as a guest from Company settings > Admin > Guests.
To change a guest into a person, first remove them from Company settings > Admin > Guests. Then add them as a new person from the People page or from the Schedule directly, enter their email address, assign an access role, and send the invite.
Best practices
Start with the access roles, not your people
Review the default access roles in Company settings > Access rights and define the roles you want for your current team and for anyone you add later.
Use access roles for groups and individual permissions for exceptions
If one Project Manager needs to view rates, add that permission to the person. If several people need the same extra permissions, create a custom role instead (available on Pro and Enterprise plans).Keep at least two people who can manage access
No one can change their own access role, and no one can grant more access than they have. Make sure at least two people have the default Admin role, or the Assign access roles and overrides permission, so access changes never depend on one person.Audit access regularly
Review access when someone changes role, moves from contractor to employee, or leaves.
Additional notes
Archived people lose access automatically. When you archive a person, their access rights are removed automatically. If you later reactivate them, their previous access roles are not restored and must be reassigned manually.
You cannot assign access roles via CSV import. You can import people and their email addresses via CSV, but access roles and individual permissions must be assigned manually - either from each person’s Access tab or in bulk from the People page.