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Manage administrator accounts and permissions for backend staff
Manage administrator accounts and permissions for backend staff

Add additional users to help you run your programs

Zack Schwartz avatar
Written by Zack Schwartz
Updated this week

You may need additional users to login to OpenWater and help you run your program. Or if someone left the organization, you need to remove that admin. OpenWater also provides different permission levels that can be set, including limiting admin access to only certain programs.

Add an Admin

Start by clicking System Settings and then Permissions in the left side navigation. Click Add User on the following screen.

When you add a new admin, they will receive an email with an auto-generated password to login.

Available Permissions

For most admins, it is simplest to check all of the available permission boxes. However, if you do not want the new admin to be able to manage other admin accounts, uncheck Manage Backend Users. See the bottom of this article for definitions of the various permissions.


Restrict an Admin to Manage Only Certain Programs

If you want to limit an admin's access to only a particular set of programs, only check the boxes for Manage Certain Programs, Process Invoices, and Manage Judge Scores. Then add them as a program manager for each program that you would like them to manage.

Edit an Admin

Click select on the admin you want to manage. Make any edits to the administrator account that you wish.

Reset an Admin's Password

You can reset an administrator's password by clicking either Auto-Generate and Email Password or Manually Set and Email Password.


​For most admins, it is simplest to check all of the available permission boxes. However, if you wish to restrict their access to only certain roles within the OpenWater backend, then refer to the following list to determine which permissions will fit the admin’s needs.

Definitions of Permissions

Manage System Configuration - this includes everything within the “System Settings” navigation item on the left, such as modifying the user profile, managing your invoice template, or adjusting your system emails. If it’s a setting that impacts more than one program at once, then it will likely be contained here.

Can Manage Programs - Enabling this will permit your admin to make changes within programs, such as the submission and judging forms, or any other adjustments that happen within an individual program. If you want to limit an admin's access to only a particular set of programs, then after checking the “Can Manage Programs” option, leave the “Default Per Program Permissions” section blank, and add them as a program manager where applicable.

Create Programs - this will allow the Admin to add new programs and clone existing programs, assuming there is space for one in your license.

Manage Backend Users - This is the permission that controls the very selections we’re modifying now. Checking this box allows the user to create other administrator accounts, and set their roles.

Process Invoice Payments - This permits an administrator to mark an invoice as paid.

Process Invoice Adjustments / Refunds - As expected, ticking this option enables the administrator to adjust user invoices, and process refunds.

Manage Public Themes - The OpenWater theme is one of the most important and technical areas of your backend system, containing the code and styling that dictates how your platform and OpenWater site appears. If your organization is using a Match Look and Feel then the themes page is where those elements live. If you have someone at your organization who is technically proficient in scripting languages like HTML or CSS, then you may wish to grant them access to this space to further customize your displays. Alternatively the “style editor” in the themes page provides some more limited point and click style options without the need for scripting languages at all.

Manage Payment Configurations - this allows access to your payment gateway configuration where you can modify your payment provider and protocols, or update the kinds of payments you receive.

Manage Public Users - Checking this option unlocks the ability to modify another account’s user profile details, merge duplicate accounts, or create new users altogether. This setting does not include the ability to add or manage other administrators.

Use Import Export - A powerful toggle that controls access to the mass import and export of users and data from your system.

Access System Logs - System logs are records of the various actions taking place on your system, such as emails being sent, payments succeeding and failing, or Single Sign On activity. Most any action with OpenWater will be contained within a log of some form, and this permission will grant the administrator access to explore.

Can Assign Funds - Opens access to the Funds Module to manage funds for their various grants workflows.

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