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Manage access to lists

Control which members and workflows can view and update lists.

Table of Contents

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

When workspace, team, member, or workflow access settings differ, access is determined by this priority order (highest to lowest):

  1. Member access overrides all other settings.

  2. Team access overrides workspace access.

  3. Workspace access is the default for all members.

Workflow access is independent of other settings; workflows have Read only access unless explicitly granted Read and write access.

Members can belong to multiple teams. If team permissions differ and no member-specific setting is in place, the most permissive access level from any of the member's teams is applied. For example, if one team grants Read only access and another grants Read and write access, a member on both teams will have Read and write access unless a member access setting overrides it.

As a best practice, set the workspace access level that fits the majority of members, then add team or member settings for exceptions.

Note: Before February 2026, Attio defaulted to the more permissive access setting when workspace and member permissions conflicted. This sometimes made it difficult to intentionally restrict access.

Now, member-level settings always take priority over workspace defaults. During the update, existing permissions were automatically adjusted to preserve members’ current access, so no one lost or gained access unexpectedly.

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.

  • Add themselves to any list, which makes it visible in their sidebar and grants full editing access.

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.

  • Workflow automations have Read only access.

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:

  1. Open the list and click Share.

  2. 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:

  1. Click your workspace name in the top-left corner.

  2. Select Workspace settings from the dropdown.

  3. In the left sidebar, click Lists.

  4. 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, but does not apply to 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 Read only access to lists unless explicitly granted Read and write access.

List permissions examples

Real world use cases

These examples illustrate common ways to configure list permissions for real world 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. Set the following:

  • Workspace access to No access

  • Executive team access to Read and write

  • Each 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 more permissive team level is applied.

Example 4:

Workspace access is set to Read only, Sales team is set to Read and write, and member access for a person on the Sales team is set to No access. The person will have No access, since the member access setting overrides workspace and team access.

Frequently asked questions