👥Important

Managing Team Members

Edit roles and remove team members

5 min read
Beginner

Managing Team Members

As your team grows and changes, you'll need to manage members effectively. This guide covers viewing members, changing roles, suspending users, and removing members from your workspace.

Only Workspace Owners and Admins can manage team members. Regular Members cannot perform these actions.

Viewing Team Members


Accessing the Members List

To view all workspace members:

  1. Click your profile icon in the top right
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Click the Team tab
  4. Scroll to the Team Members section

Understanding the Members List

Each member entry shows:

  • Name - Full name of the member
  • Email - Their email address
  • Workspace Role - Owner, Admin, or Member (shown as colored badge)
  • Team - Which team they're on (if any)
  • Team Role - Team Lead or Member (if on a team)
  • Status - Active, Suspended, or Deactivated
  • Actions - Menu (⋮) for managing the member

Member Status Indicators

Active (Green badge)

  • Member can log in and use SignNXT
  • Has full access based on their role
  • Can create and manage documents

Suspended (Yellow badge)

  • Member cannot log in
  • Temporary restriction
  • Can be reactivated at any time
  • Documents remain intact

Deactivated (Gray badge)

  • Member has been removed from workspace
  • Cannot log in
  • Documents transferred to Owner
  • Cannot be reactivated (must re-invite)

Changing Member Roles


Promoting a Member to Admin

Step 1: Open Member Menu

  1. Find the member in the Team Members list
  2. Click the (three dots) menu next to their name
  3. Select Change Role

Step 2: Select New Role

  1. In the role dialog, select Admin
  2. Review the permissions they'll receive
  3. Click Save

Only the Owner can promote members to Admin. If you're an Admin, you won't see this option.

Step 3: Notify the Member

Let them know about their promotion:

  • Send them an email or message
  • Explain their new responsibilities
  • Provide training on Admin features
  • Answer any questions they have

Demoting an Admin to Member

Step 1: Consider the Impact

Before demoting an Admin:

  • They'll lose access to all documents
  • They can't manage users anymore
  • They can't access workspace settings
  • Make sure this is appropriate

Step 2: Change Role

  1. Find the Admin in the Team Members list
  2. Click the menu
  3. Select Change Role
  4. Choose Member
  5. Click Save

Step 3: Communicate

Explain the change to the person:

  • Why they're being demoted (if appropriate)
  • What access they'll lose
  • What they can still do
  • How to get help if needed

Demoted Admins immediately lose access to all documents except their own. Make sure they've completed any Admin tasks before demoting.

Suspending Members

Suspending temporarily blocks a member's access without removing them from the workspace.


When to Suspend

Use suspension for:

  • Investigations - Suspected policy violations
  • Leave of absence - Extended vacation or medical leave
  • Pending termination - While processing offboarding
  • Security concerns - Suspicious activity
  • Contract disputes - Temporary access restriction

Suspended members cannot log in, but their documents remain in the workspace. Use suspension for temporary restrictions only.


How to Suspend a Member

Step 1: Open Member Menu

  1. Find the member in the Team Members list
  2. Click the menu
  3. Select Suspend

Step 2: Confirm Suspension

  1. Review the warning message
  2. Understand the impact:
    • Member cannot log in
    • Documents remain intact
    • Can be reactivated anytime
  3. Click Suspend Member

Step 3: Verify Status

The member's status changes to Suspended (yellow badge) immediately.


What Happens When Suspended

For the suspended member:

  • ❌ Cannot log in to SignNXT
  • ❌ Cannot access any documents
  • ❌ Cannot sign documents
  • ❌ Cannot receive notifications
  • ✅ Documents remain in workspace
  • ✅ Audit trail preserved

For the workspace:

  • ✅ All their documents remain accessible
  • ✅ Other members can still access shared documents
  • ✅ Seat remains occupied (still counts toward limit)
  • ✅ Can reactivate at any time

Reactivating Suspended Members

To restore access for a suspended member:

Step 1: Find Suspended Member

  1. Go to Settings > Team
  2. Look for members with Suspended status (yellow badge)
  3. Click the menu next to their name

Step 2: Activate

  1. Select Activate
  2. Confirm the action
  3. Member can log in immediately

Step 3: Notify Member

Let them know their access has been restored:

  • Send them an email
  • Confirm they can log in
  • Provide any necessary updates

Reactivation is instant. The member can log in as soon as you click Activate.

Removing Members

Removing a member permanently removes them from your workspace. This is different from suspension - it cannot be easily undone.


When to Remove

Remove members when:

  • Employee leaves - Termination or resignation
  • Contract ends - Contractor or temporary worker
  • Role change - No longer needs access
  • Duplicate account - Accidentally created multiple accounts
  • Security breach - Compromised account

Removing a member is permanent. They must be re-invited to rejoin the workspace. Consider suspension for temporary restrictions.


Before Removing a Member

Check for:

  1. Pending signatures - Documents waiting for their signature
  2. Active documents - Documents they're currently working on
  3. Shared folders - Folders they manage
  4. Team responsibilities - Tasks they're responsible for

How to Remove a Member

Step 1: Open Member Menu

  1. Find the member in the Team Members list
  2. Click the menu
  3. Select Remove

You cannot remove yourself or the workspace Owner. The Owner role cannot be removed or transferred.

Step 2: Check Pending Signatures

SignNXT automatically checks if the member has pending signatures.

If they have pending signatures:

  • You'll see a warning with the count
  • You must choose what to do with those documents
  • Options: Cancel documents or Reassign to another member

If no pending signatures:

  • Removal proceeds immediately
  • No additional steps needed

Step 3: Handle Pending Signatures

Choose one option:

Option A: Cancel Documents

  • All documents with pending signatures are voided
  • Signers are notified
  • Documents move to "Voided" folder
  • Use this when documents are no longer needed

Option B: Reassign to Another Member

  • Select a replacement signer
  • Documents are reassigned to them
  • They receive notification
  • Use this to continue the signing process

Step 4: Confirm Removal

  1. Review the summary of what will happen
  2. Understand the impact:
    • Member cannot log in
    • Documents transferred to Owner
    • Seat freed up
    • Cannot be undone
  3. Click Remove Member

Step 5: Verify Removal

The member is immediately removed:

  • Status changes to Deactivated
  • They cannot log in
  • Seat is freed up
  • Documents transferred to Owner

What Happens When Removed

For the removed member:

  • ❌ Cannot log in to workspace
  • ❌ Loses access to all documents
  • ❌ Removed from all teams
  • ❌ Removed from all shared folders
  • ✅ Can still access other workspaces (if member of multiple)

For the workspace:

  • ✅ All their documents transferred to Owner
  • ✅ Seat freed up immediately
  • ✅ Can invite new member in their place
  • ✅ Audit trail preserved
  • ✅ Document history intact

For documents:

  • ✅ Documents remain in workspace
  • ✅ Ownership transferred to Owner
  • ✅ Signing history preserved
  • ✅ Audit logs show original creator
  • ✅ Other signers unaffected

Removed members' documents are transferred to the workspace Owner to ensure business continuity. The Owner can then reassign them to other members if needed.

Document Ownership Transfer

When a member is removed, their documents are automatically transferred to the workspace Owner.


What Gets Transferred

  • ✅ All documents they created
  • ✅ All templates they created
  • ✅ All drafts (unsent documents)
  • ✅ All sent documents
  • ✅ All completed documents

What Stays the Same

  • ✅ Document content unchanged
  • ✅ Signing history preserved
  • ✅ Audit logs intact
  • ✅ Signers unchanged
  • ✅ Expiry dates unchanged

After Transfer

The Owner can:

  • View and manage all transferred documents
  • Reassign documents to other members
  • Continue sending drafts
  • Void or delete documents if needed

Managing Team Assignments


Changing a Member's Team

Step 1: Open Member Menu

  1. Find the member in the Team Members list
  2. Click the menu
  3. Select Change Team

Step 2: Select New Team

  1. Choose a team from the dropdown
  2. Or select "No team" to remove from all teams
  3. Click Save

Step 3: Update Team Role (If Applicable)

If assigning to a team:

  1. Choose Team Lead or Member
  2. Click Save

Removing from a Team

To remove a member from their team:

  1. Click the menu next to their name
  2. Select Change Team
  3. Choose No team
  4. Click Save

They'll remain in the workspace but won't be on any team.

Best Practices


1. Regular Member Reviews

Review your member list monthly:

  • Are all members still active?
  • Do any members need role changes?
  • Should any suspended members be reactivated or removed?
  • Are there duplicate accounts?

2. Offboarding Checklist

When an employee leaves:

Day 1 (Last day of work):

  • Suspend their account immediately
  • Review their pending signatures
  • Identify critical documents

Within 1 week:

  • Reassign pending signatures
  • Transfer important documents
  • Remove from all teams
  • Remove from shared folders

Within 2 weeks:

  • Permanently remove from workspace
  • Verify seat freed up
  • Update team documentation

3. Suspension vs Removal

Use this decision tree:

Temporary restriction? → Suspend

  • Leave of absence
  • Investigation
  • Contract dispute

Permanent departure? → Remove

  • Termination
  • Resignation
  • Contract ended

Not sure? → Suspend first, remove later


4. Document Transfer Strategy

Before removing a member:

  1. Identify critical documents - Which docs are important?
  2. Assign new owners - Who should manage them?
  3. Notify stakeholders - Let people know about changes
  4. Update processes - Adjust workflows if needed

5. Communication

Always communicate member changes:

For promotions:

  • Congratulate publicly
  • Explain new responsibilities
  • Provide training

For demotions:

  • Explain privately
  • Be respectful
  • Clarify expectations

For removals:

  • Handle professionally
  • Follow company policy
  • Protect privacy

Troubleshooting


"I can't remove a member"

Possible causes:

  1. You're trying to remove yourself - You cannot remove your own account
  2. You're trying to remove the Owner - The Owner cannot be removed
  3. You're a Member - Only Owners and Admins can remove members
  4. Pending signatures - You must handle pending signatures first

"The removed member can still log in"

This shouldn't happen. If it does:

  1. Refresh the members list
  2. Verify their status shows "Deactivated"
  3. Ask them to log out and try again
  4. Contact support if issue persists

"Where did their documents go?"

All documents are transferred to the workspace Owner:

  1. Log in as Owner
  2. Go to Documents
  3. Look for documents with "Transferred from [Name]" indicator
  4. Or search by the removed member's name

"Can I undo a removal?"

No, removal is permanent. To restore access:

  1. Send a new invitation to their email
  2. They'll join as a new member
  3. Their old documents remain with the Owner
  4. You can reassign documents to them manually

"The seat wasn't freed up"

Seats are freed immediately upon removal. If you still see the limit:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Check for pending invitations (they reserve seats)
  3. Wait a few minutes and check again
  4. Contact support if issue persists

Security Considerations


Immediate Suspension

For security incidents, suspend immediately:

  • Suspected account compromise
  • Policy violations
  • Unauthorized access attempts
  • Data breach concerns

Don't wait - suspend first, investigate later.


Audit Trail

All member management actions are logged:

  • Who performed the action
  • When it happened
  • What changed
  • IP address and user agent

This audit trail is permanent and cannot be deleted.


Document Access After Removal

Removed members lose access immediately:

  • Cannot log in
  • Cannot access documents via links
  • Cannot sign pending documents
  • Cannot receive notifications

However, they may have:

  • Downloaded documents before removal
  • Saved copies locally
  • Forwarded emails with document links

If dealing with sensitive documents, consider additional security measures like revoking document access or changing passwords.

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