Every Wistia user has a specified set of permissions that determines what they can access and interact with in an account. These permissions can give users the ability to create Folders and channels, upload and download media, share media, record, edit, create live events, and more.
There are four different kinds of users in Wistia:
Account Owners
Managers
Standard Users
Limited Users
Each account can have up to three Account Owners, but the number of Managers, Standard, and Limited Users can vary based on your plan level and needs. Let’s take a look at how each type of user can interact with your Wistia account.
Account Owner
Account Owners have the highest permission level of any user. Each account may have up to three Account Owners.
Owners have access to anything a Manager or user does, but in addition, they can:
Monitor the usage of the account (bandwidth & videos)
Change the account logo, name, or URL
Create API keys
Purchase, upgrade, or downgrade a subscription
Change billing information
Cancel the Wistia account
Additionally, the Account Owner has the final say over who can access the videos hosted on Wistia. In context of the Wistia application, the “Owner” maintains the rights over all hosted content.
Note
If you are leaving your organization or handing over your Wistia account to a different person, we strongly recommend adding another owner to your account.
Manager
Managers are the second most powerful user in a Wistia account and can carry out almost any account action. They can add folders, Channels, upload media, and share content with new viewers. They can also control users, and create new groups.
When it comes to account settings and billing, their permissions are more limited. They can't see statements, change plans, or view billing information. They also don't have the ability to cancel an account. Within an account's Settings menu, they can access the following pages:
Personal
Private User Sessions
Account Usage
Email Settings
Integrations
Tags
Standard User
A standard user can create and upload any new content within a Wistia account. This includes:
Media
Folders
Channels
Recordings
Live Events
For any content that a Standard User has created, they can edit, customize, or delete it.
In addition to creating content, a Standard User can also be added to existing Folders or channels with varying permissions levels.
In a Folder a Standard User hasn't created, they may be given full admin permission, or may be limited to only view content, upload, download, share, and/or view stats.
For more information on folder permissions and adding users to a folder, head to our Folder Permissions page.
In a Channel a Standard User hasn't created, they may be given permission to just view and comment, or full permission to take any actions in a Channel they'd like.
For a full breakdown on channel permissions, head to our Channel Permissions page here.
Limited User
A Limited User has the least level of access in an account. Limited Users can only access Folders and channels that they've been added to.
Within a folder, a Limited User can have upload, download, share, and/or stats permissions. If a Limited User has admin permissions in a Folder, this includes all possible permission options previously mentioned.
For a full breakdown on Folder permissions and adding users, head here.
In a channel, a Limited User can have just viewer access, or full permissions to edit content, add new content, add users, and more.
For a full breakdown on channel permissions and adding users, head to our Channel Permissions page.
User role comparison
If you'd like to see a full comparison of Standard and Limited User's permission levels, we've created a chart to break things down.
| Limited User | Standard User |
Create new Folders | No 🚫 | Yes ✅ |
Create new channels | No 🚫 | Yes ✅ |
Create Live Events | No 🚫 | Yes ✅ |
Can add other users | Yes ✅ only in the Folders and channels they’ve been added as "Admin" or "Collaborator" to
No access to Manage Team page | Yes ✅ same as Limited User, plus on Folders and Channels they've created |
Can see a list of other users in the account | No 🚫 | Yes ✅ only in the Folder and channel permission modals, to search for users to add |
Can access folders set to “Anyone in my Wistia account” | Yes ✅ permission options include:
- Can view (view and comment)
- Can manage (equivalent to admin permissions: full access to upload, download, customize, record, see analytics, delete) | Yes ✅ same as Limited User |
Can have folders shared with them | Yes ✅ with varying permission levels: - Viewer (view and comment) - Upload (upload, create sections) - Download (download media) - Share (can see share modal) - Stats (folder and media stats) - Admin checked (all of the above, add users, move/copy content, delete content) | Yes ✅ same as Limited User |
Can have Channels shared with them | Yes ✅ options: - Viewer (sees audience page only) - Collaborator (add content, edit settings, add users, publish, see channel analytics) | Yes ✅ same as Limited User |
Can record | Yes ✅ with upload permissions to a folder, or full admin permissions to a folder | Yes ✅ same as Limited User and in Folders they've created |
Can edit | Yes ✅ with upload permissions to a folder on content you've uploaded, as well as with admin permissions to a folder | Yes ✅ same as Limited Users and in Folders they've created |
General user access
If you'd like to give all users in your account permission to view or manage a Folder, head to our Folder Permissions page here.