Manage access to lists
Control which members, teams, and workflows can view and update lists.
Available on plus, pro and enterprise plans.
Admins and members with Full access to a list can configure its permissions.
Access controls vary by plan.
Set list permissions to control which actions members, teams, and workflows can take on lists and their entries.
Note: See the Sharing and permissions article to learn more about managing access across Attio features.
Who can manage access to lists?
Only workspace admins and list members with Full access can manage list access. If you cannot manage permissions, contact a workspace admin or a list member with Full access.
Access controls for lists vary by Attio plan:
Free: All members have full access to all lists. Managing team and member access is not available. Workflow access is configurable.
Plus: Customize workspace-wide access. Managing team and member access is not available. Workflow access is configurable.
Pro and Enterprise: Manage access for the workspace, teams, individual members, and workflows.
List access levels
These are the access levels for lists:
Full access: Can change the name or icon, create or update or delete attributes, manage attribute options, add and import records, export the list, duplicate the list, delete the list, and manage list access.
Read and write: Can create or update or delete entries and views, add and import records, view list data, export the list, duplicate the list, and add comments.
Read only: Can view data, export the list, duplicate the list, and add comments.
No access: Not able to view the list or its content anywhere in the workspace.
The table below shows which actions are available for each access level.
Legend:
✅ Yes = This access level can take this action.
❌ No = This access level cannot take this action.
Action | No access | Read only | Read and write | Full access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the list | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
View list data | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Add or import records | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Create, update, delete list entries | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Create, update, delete list views | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Export list | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Duplicate list | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Add comments | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Create, update, delete attributes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Manage attribute options | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Rename or delete list | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Manage list access | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Access priority rules
As a best practice, set the workspace access setting to the lowest level of access anyone in the workspace should have. Then use team and member access settings to grant additional access to the people who need it.
A member's access is based on the most permissive setting that applies to them across the workspace access setting, any teams they're part of, and any member access settings. More specific settings can only grant additional access. They cannot reduce access below the workspace default. This means that No access settings for individual members or teams have no effect if workspace access grants a more permissive level.
For example, if workspace access is set to Full access and a member is assigned No access, they will still have Full access. If workspace access is set to Read only and one of a member’s teams is assigned Read and write access, they will have Read and write access.
Workflows inherit the workspace default access setting. You can grant individual workflows additional access beyond the workspace default.
Admin access to lists
Workspace admins can view and manage all lists through Workspace settings, regardless of access settings. By default, an admin’s sidebar will only show lists they’ve been explicitly added to.
To see all lists as a workspace admin, go to Workspace settings by clicking your workspace name in the upper-left corner and selecting Workspace settings from the dropdown. In the left sidebar, scroll to Lists to view all active lists in the workspace.
From there, admins can:
Click a list name to open its List settings.
Manage attributes under the Attributes tab.
Adjust access settings under the Permissions tab.
Grant themself access to any list, which makes it visible in their sidebar.
This setup allows admins to self-manage their visibility and control over all workspace lists, while keeping their main interface focused on the lists most relevant to them.
Configure list access
Default access settings for lists are as follows:
The workspace has No access.
The creator has Full access.
Admins can view the list in Workspace settings.
Workflows inherit the workspace access setting.
Workspace admins and Full access members can update list access from two places:
The Share menu when viewing the list
The list’s settings page in Workspace settings
Configure list access from the list
Follow these steps to configure list access permissions:
Open the list and click Share.
To update the workspace-wide default access setting, use the dropdown next to Workspace access.
3. To set team or individual member access (available on Pro and Enterprise plans), add teams or members and choose their access from the dropdown next to the name, then click Add.
4. To give a workflow access, click over to the Automations tab, search for and select the workflow, choose the access level, and click Add.
Configure list access from Workspace settings
Follow these steps to manage access to lists from Workspace settings:
Click your workspace name in the top-left corner.
Select Workspace settings from the dropdown.
In the left sidebar, click Lists.
Select the list, then the Permissions tab.
Workspace access: Set the workspace default with the dropdown to the right of Workspace access. Workspace access applies to all members and is the default applied for workflows.
Teams: Click + Add to add a team, then use the dropdown to customize access for all team members.
Individual members: Click + Add to add a member, then use the dropdown to customize access.
Automations: Click + Add to add a workflow automation, then use the dropdown to customize access. Workflows have the workspace access setting unless explicitly updated.
List permissions examples
Real-world use cases
These examples show common ways to configure list permissions for different scenarios.
Example 1:
The Marketing team should be able to update a Campaign Tracker list, but other teams should only be able to view it. Set the following:
Workspace access to Read only
Marketing team access to Read and write
Example 2:
A Fundraising Pipeline list contains sensitive investor information and should only be visible to the Executive team and workspace admins. Only admins should be able to create and update attributes in the list. Set the following:
Workspace access to No access
Executive team access to Read and write
Individual admin members to Full access
Resolving conflicting access levels
These examples show how workspace, team, and member settings are applied when they conflict.
Example 3:
Workspace access is set to No access, Sales team is set to Read and write, and Marketing team is set to Read only. No member access is set. A member on both teams will have Read and write access, since the most permissive access level is applied.
Example 4:
An admin wants to ensure one member has no access to a list while others in the workspace have Read and write. Setting workspace access to Read and write and adding No access for that individual will not work, as the member would still have Read and write access since a member access setting cannot override a more permissive workspace default. Instead, the admin should set workspace access to No access, then grant Read and write access individually to the members and teams who need it.