Managing Team Members
Edit roles and remove team members
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:
- Click your profile icon in the top right
- Go to Settings
- Click the Team tab
- 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
- Find the member in the Team Members list
- Click the ⋮ (three dots) menu next to their name
- Select Change Role
Step 2: Select New Role
- In the role dialog, select Admin
- Review the permissions they'll receive
- 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
- Find the Admin in the Team Members list
- Click the ⋮ menu
- Select Change Role
- Choose Member
- 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
- Find the member in the Team Members list
- Click the ⋮ menu
- Select Suspend
Step 2: Confirm Suspension
- Review the warning message
- Understand the impact:
- Member cannot log in
- Documents remain intact
- Can be reactivated anytime
- 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
- Go to Settings > Team
- Look for members with Suspended status (yellow badge)
- Click the ⋮ menu next to their name
Step 2: Activate
- Select Activate
- Confirm the action
- 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:
- Pending signatures - Documents waiting for their signature
- Active documents - Documents they're currently working on
- Shared folders - Folders they manage
- Team responsibilities - Tasks they're responsible for
How to Remove a Member
Step 1: Open Member Menu
- Find the member in the Team Members list
- Click the ⋮ menu
- 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
- Review the summary of what will happen
- Understand the impact:
- Member cannot log in
- Documents transferred to Owner
- Seat freed up
- Cannot be undone
- 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
- Find the member in the Team Members list
- Click the ⋮ menu
- Select Change Team
Step 2: Select New Team
- Choose a team from the dropdown
- Or select "No team" to remove from all teams
- Click Save
Step 3: Update Team Role (If Applicable)
If assigning to a team:
- Choose Team Lead or Member
- Click Save
Removing from a Team
To remove a member from their team:
- Click the ⋮ menu next to their name
- Select Change Team
- Choose No team
- 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:
- Identify critical documents - Which docs are important?
- Assign new owners - Who should manage them?
- Notify stakeholders - Let people know about changes
- 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:
- You're trying to remove yourself - You cannot remove your own account
- You're trying to remove the Owner - The Owner cannot be removed
- You're a Member - Only Owners and Admins can remove members
- Pending signatures - You must handle pending signatures first
"The removed member can still log in"
This shouldn't happen. If it does:
- Refresh the members list
- Verify their status shows "Deactivated"
- Ask them to log out and try again
- Contact support if issue persists
"Where did their documents go?"
All documents are transferred to the workspace Owner:
- Log in as Owner
- Go to Documents
- Look for documents with "Transferred from [Name]" indicator
- Or search by the removed member's name
"Can I undo a removal?"
No, removal is permanent. To restore access:
- Send a new invitation to their email
- They'll join as a new member
- Their old documents remain with the Owner
- 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:
- Refresh the page
- Check for pending invitations (they reserve seats)
- Wait a few minutes and check again
- 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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