> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/basics/getting-started/user-permissions-and-licenses.md).

# User licenses, profiles and permissions

Understand how your license, profile and permissions determine what you can do in Phocas.

{% hint style="success" %}

* If you have a Viewer license and need more functionality, ask your administrator about upgrading to a Full license.
* If you have a Full license and need access to more features, ask your administrator about changing your profile or permissions.
* If you're an administrator, see these pages for related information: [Users](/administration/users.md), [User permissions](/administration/users/add-update-user/user-permissions.md) and [Profiles](/administration/profiles.md).
  {% endhint %}

Your license determines the functionality available to you. Your profile contains the permissions that control which of those features you can use. Together, they determine **what you can do** in Phocas and which menus, buttons and options you see.

Your [data access](/basics/getting-started/data-access.md) controls **what data you can see**.

## License

There are two main types of user licenses: Viewer and Full. Separate add-on licenses are required for the CRM, Rebates and Sales Insights modules.

<table><thead><tr><th>Viewer license</th><th valign="top">Full license</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Designed for users who primarily need to view data.</td><td valign="top">Designed for users who need to analyze data and use a wider range of Phocas features.</td></tr><tr><td><p>Provides view-only access to shared <a href="/basics/dashboards/dashboards-classic/use-dashboards.md">dashboards</a> and <a href="/basics/favorites/view-and-save-favorites.md">favorites</a>.</p><p>With the Budgets &#x26; Forecasts permission, also provides access to view budget workbooks. You can edit a workbook only when assigned a task in the budget workflow.</p></td><td valign="top">Includes Viewer capabilities and access to additional actions and module features, subject to your permissions.</td></tr><tr><td>Ideal for users who need insights but don't perform deep data analysis or customization.</td><td valign="top">Ideal for users who need to slice and dice the data, such as analysts and decision-makers.</td></tr></tbody></table>

With either license, you:

* Need a Phocas user account and must sign in to Phocas.
* Are subject to database permissions and restrictions, which determine what data you can see.
* Can access the core Phocas platform, including the homepage, navigation menu and user menu.

With a Viewer license, you see the same core Phocas platform as someone with a Full license, but your access is limited to dashboards, favorites and alerts shared with you, plus budget workbooks if you have the Budgets & Forecasts permission. Some menu items might still appear even though you can't access their features.

For example, Viewers can't open databases directly, so the Analytics menu is empty.

{% columns %}
{% column width="58.333333333333336%" %}

<figure><img src="https://900295827-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7pj8v25BOyqZTdG5mdD1%2Fuploads%2FcyKyhJ18YeX6eyM07LwE%2Fimage.png?alt=media&amp;token=6e8c134c-0c0a-445a-946e-21c699ddacdb" alt=""><figcaption><p>Analytics menu with a Viewer license</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endcolumn %}

{% column width="41.666666666666664%" %}

<figure><img src="https://900295827-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7pj8v25BOyqZTdG5mdD1%2Fuploads%2FiA7Uhg21tlBAVAfwBzil%2Fimage.png?alt=media&amp;token=34c0ce31-4350-4711-a95a-3ccb82f7246e" alt=""><figcaption><p>Analytics menu with a Full license</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endcolumn %}
{% endcolumns %}

When you open an Analytics favorite with a Viewer license, you see fewer menu items and options than someone with a Full license, as shown below.

<figure><img src="https://900295827-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7pj8v25BOyqZTdG5mdD1%2Fuploads%2FTp7odZMmPfcXLbuJkOv3%2Fimage.png?alt=media&amp;token=4d308354-50f4-4319-850a-6b56536129e6" alt=""><figcaption><p>Analytics favorite with a Viewer license</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://900295827-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7pj8v25BOyqZTdG5mdD1%2Fuploads%2FdlO1tQ4EMPGcmVqiA7J9%2Fimage.png?alt=media&amp;token=88187779-0ce6-4f96-8fff-3de1b59d1eaf" alt=""><figcaption><p>Analytics favorite with a Full license</p></figcaption></figure>

<details>

<summary>Compare dashboard and favorite actions by license</summary>

The table shows which actions each license supports. With a Full license, you also need the relevant permissions to perform an action.

<table data-search="false"><thead><tr><th width="451">Action</th><th>Viewer license</th><th>Full license</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Set a dashboard as your home dashboard</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Set a favorite as your default view</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Interact with dashboard data (hover and filter)</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Interact with a favorite (sort, hover and select cells)</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>View the underlying query details for dashboard widgets and favorites</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Analyze dashboard data (drill down and explore the underlying data)</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Customize your view of a favorite (change properties, streams, measures and other settings)</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Slice and dice data in a favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>View underlying transactions in a Transaction mode favorite</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Apply a custom date range (period) in a dashboard</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Apply a custom date range (period) in a favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Refresh a dashboard</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Print a dashboard</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Print a favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Create, edit and clone a dashboard or favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Share a dashboard or favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Subscribe to a favorite</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr></tbody></table>

</details>

## User profile and permissions

A profile is a set of permissions that an [administrator](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/administration/) assigns to your user account.

You might have a system profile, such as Basic or Advanced, with a predefined set of permissions, or a user-specific profile with permissions selected for you.

* **Viewer license:** By default, you are assigned the Viewer system profile, which provides read-only access to dashboards and favorites. If your organization uses Budgets & Forecasts, an administrator can convert this to a user-specific profile and add the Budgets & Forecasts permission. You retain your Viewer license and can access budget workbooks, with editing limited to assigned workflow tasks. Learn more about the [types of users in Budgets & Forecasts](/budgets-and-forecasts/getting-started/overview-of-key-terms-and-concepts/overview-of-users-and-data-access.md), including guidance for administrators.
* **Full license:** Your system or user-specific profile determines which features you can use. For example, you might have permission to analyze a dashboard but not share it, or to view budgets but not create your own.


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