Notion Member Roles: Owner vs Admin vs Member vs Guest

Notion workspaces can have dozens of people collaborating on databases, pages, and projects. But not every person needs the same level of access. If you assign the wrong role, a guest might see confidential company data or an admin might accidentally delete a critical workspace setting.

Notion offers four built-in roles: Owner, Admin, Member, and Guest. Each role has distinct permissions for editing workspace settings, inviting people, managing billing, and accessing content.

This article explains each role in detail, shows you how to assign or change a role, and lists the exact permissions each role has. You will also learn which role to choose for different team members and how to avoid common permission mistakes.

What Each Notion Role Can Do: Permissions Breakdown

Notion roles control access at the workspace level. The permissions stack from Guest (least access) to Owner (full access). Each role inherits the permissions of the roles below it, plus additional capabilities.

The table at the end of this section shows the exact permission differences. But first, here is a plain-language description of each role.

Guest Role

A Guest is someone who does not belong to your workspace full time. Guests can only see pages you explicitly share with them. They cannot see the workspace sidebar, the teamspaces list, or any page that has not been shared with them directly. Guests cannot invite others, change settings, or view billing. Use the Guest role for external contractors, freelancers, or clients who need access to only a few specific documents.

Member Role

A Member is a standard workspace user. Members can see all pages in teamspaces they are added to, create new pages, edit content, and add comments. Members cannot change workspace settings, manage billing, or invite new people unless the workspace allows open join. Most full-time employees should be Members. A Member sees the full workspace sidebar and all teamspaces unless a teamspace is set to private.

Admin Role

An Admin has nearly all permissions except a few Owner-only actions. Admins can change workspace settings, manage integrations, adjust security settings, and invite new members. They can also export the entire workspace, delete pages, and manage templates. Use the Admin role for team leads, department heads, or IT managers who need to configure the workspace but should not delete it or handle billing.

Owner Role

The Owner role has full control over the workspace. Only an Owner can delete the workspace, transfer ownership to another person, manage billing and subscription plans, and change the workspace name. An Owner can also downgrade or cancel the plan. Every workspace must have at least one Owner. If the sole Owner leaves, the workspace becomes unmanageable. Assign the Owner role to one or two trusted people, such as the company founder or the head of IT.

How to Assign or Change a Role in Notion

You must be an Admin or Owner to change roles. Follow these steps to update a person’s role.

1. Open Settings & Members
   Click Settings & Members in the left sidebar. The sidebar is located on the left side of the Notion window.
2. Go to the People tab
   In the Settings & Members window, click the People tab at the top. You will see a list of everyone in your workspace.
3. Find the person and click the three-dot menu
   Locate the person whose role you want to change. Click the three-dot icon on the right side of their row.
4. Select Change Role
   From the dropdown menu, click Change Role. A list of roles appears.
5. Choose the new role
   Click the role you want to assign: Guest, Member, Admin, or Owner. The change takes effect immediately.

Common Mistakes and Limitations When Assigning Roles

Guest Cannot Access the Sidebar

A common frustration is when a guest reports they cannot see the workspace sidebar or any pages. This is by design. Guests only see pages you share with them. To share a page with a guest, click the Share button in the top-right corner of the page, type the guest’s email, and set the permission level. The guest will see only that page and any subpages you choose to share.

Only One Owner Exists and Leaves the Organization

If the only Owner leaves the company, no one can change roles or manage billing. To prevent this, always assign the Owner role to at least two people. If you are the sole Owner and need to leave, transfer ownership to another Admin before you go. Go to Settings & Members > People, find the Admin, click the three-dot menu, and select Transfer Ownership.

Member Cannot See a Teamspace

If a Member reports they cannot see a teamspace, the teamspace may be set to private. Only teamspace admins can see private teamspaces by default. To fix this, go to the teamspace settings and add the Member to the teamspace. Open the teamspace, click the three-dot menu next to the teamspace name, select Settings, and add people under Members.

Admin Cannot Delete the Workspace

An Admin might try to delete the workspace but find the option grayed out. Only the Owner can delete the workspace. If you need to delete the workspace, ask the Owner to do it or have the Owner transfer ownership to you first.

Notion Workspace Roles: Permissions Compared

Permission	Owner	Admin	Member	Guest
Delete workspace	Yes	No	No	No
Transfer ownership	Yes	No	No	No
Manage billing and plan	Yes	No	No	No
Change workspace name	Yes	Yes	No	No
Invite new members	Yes	Yes	No	No
Manage integrations	Yes	Yes	No	No
Export workspace	Yes	Yes	No	No
Change security settings	Yes	Yes	No	No
Create and edit pages	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only shared pages
Add comments	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only on shared pages
View workspace sidebar	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

This table shows the exact permissions for each role. Use it as a quick reference when deciding which role to assign to a new team member.

Now you understand the difference between Owner, Admin, Member, and Guest in Notion. You can assign the correct role based on each person’s responsibilities. Start by reviewing your current workspace members in Settings & Members > People and update any roles that are too permissive or too restrictive. As a best practice, keep the Owner role to one or two trusted people and use the Guest role for all external collaborators.