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Managing localization permissions for users are detailed in the Team management article.
Newly-created organizations with ButterCMS have access to three default roles for users: admin, publisher, and author. These default roles provide a straightforward permissions structure that works for most teams.
If the default roles don’t meet your needs, please contact support to enable access to custom roles and permissions.

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The three default roles

ButterCMS provides three built-in roles that cover the most common team structures:
  • Admin - Can do everything on an account. You’ll want to use this for your developers as they deal with the content configuration that is used within your project’s code.
  • Publisher - Can edit, publish, and delete content, but cannot manage users or configure content schemas.
  • Author - Can create and edit draft content (Blog Posts, Pages, Collections) but cannot publish content live to your site.
Role selection when adding a user

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Role capabilities matrix

The following table provides a detailed breakdown of what each role can and cannot do:

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Content operations

CapabilityAdminPublisherAuthor
Create blog posts✅✅✅
Create pages✅✅✅
Create collection items✅✅✅
Edit draft content✅✅✅
Upload media✅✅✅
Edit media✅✅✅
Publish content✅✅❌
Unpublish content✅✅❌
Schedule content✅✅❌
Delete content✅✅❌

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Configuration & administration

CapabilityAdminPublisherAuthor
Create Page Types✅❌❌
Edit Page Types✅❌❌
Delete Page Types✅❌❌
Create Collections✅❌❌
Edit Collection schemas✅❌❌
Create Components✅❌❌
Edit Components✅❌❌
Configure webhooks✅❌❌
Set up preview URLs✅❌❌

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User and account management

CapabilityAdminPublisherAuthor
Add users✅❌❌
Remove users✅❌❌
Change user roles✅❌❌
Manage locales✅❌❌
Access API tokens✅❌❌
Manage billing✅❌❌
View account settings✅❌❌
Important: Only admins can delete pages and collection items if localization is enabled.

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Admin role

The Admin role provides complete access to all features in ButterCMS. This is the most powerful role and should be assigned carefully.
Multi-site accounts have access to two kinds of admins: a standard admin, that can only manage those sites they have been explicitly assigned to, and a multisite admin role that can manage all sites and content, as well as assign the multisite admin roles to other users. This is an extremely powerful role that should be assigned with caution!

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Who should be an admin?

  • Developers - Who configure content schemas, set up webhooks, and manage API integrations
  • Technical leads - Who oversee the ButterCMS implementation
  • Account owners - Who need access to billing and account settings
  • IT administrators - Who manage user access across the organization

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Publisher role

The Publisher role is designed for content managers who need to control what goes live but shouldn’t modify the underlying content structure.

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Who should be a publisher?

  • Content managers - Who oversee editorial calendars and publishing schedules
  • Senior editors - Who approve and publish content from other team members
  • Marketing leads - Who need to launch campaigns and update live content
  • Project managers - Who coordinate content releases across teams

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Publisher capabilities

Publishers can:
  1. Full Content Control - Create, edit, publish, unpublish, and delete all content types
  2. Schedule Content - Set future publication dates for content
  3. Media Management - Upload, organize, and edit media assets
  4. Preview Changes - Review content before publishing
Publishers cannot:
  1. Modify content schemas (Page Types, Collections, Components)
  2. Add or remove users from the account
  3. Access API tokens or account settings
  4. Configure webhooks or integrations

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Author role

The Author role provides the ability to create and edit content without the risk of accidentally publishing unfinished work.

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Author capabilities

Authors can:
  1. Create Content - Draft new blog posts, pages, and collection items
  2. Edit Drafts - Modify unpublished content
  3. Upload Media - Add images and files to the media library
  4. Save Work - Preserve progress on content pieces
Authors cannot:
  1. Publish content to the live site
  2. Delete any content
  3. Modify content schemas
  4. Manage users or account settings

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Choosing the right role

Use this quick guide to determine which role to assign:
If YES: Assign Admin role. Only Admins can create or modify Page Types, Collections, and Components.
If YES: Assign Publisher role (or Admin if they also need configuration access).If NO: Assign Author role.
If YES: Assign Admin role. Only Admins can add, remove, or modify user accounts.
If YES: Assign Admin role. Developers typically need access to API tokens, webhooks, and schema configuration.

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Default role limitations

  1. No Granular Content Access - Default roles apply to all content types equally
  2. No Locale Restrictions - Locale access is configured on a user’s profile and not tied to their role in ButterCMS
If you need to restrict access to content on a more granular level, you should consider custom roles and permissions.