If you've ever wondered why a client can see one program but not another, or why a team member can edit content but can't access billing, the answer lives in Coachful's roles and permissions system. Understanding how client roles work — and how they interact with org-level roles — saves you hours of support back-and-forth and keeps your coaching business running cleanly.
This guide breaks down every role available in Coachful, what each one can and can't do, and how to assign or change roles without breaking anything.
The TL;DR on Coachful Roles
- Platform roles (user / editor / coach / admin / super_admin) control what someone can do inside the Coachful system globally.
- Org roles (super_coach / coach / member / virtual_assistant) control what someone can do inside your specific coaching workspace.
- Clients are typically assigned the member org role — they can access programs, sessions, and squads they're enrolled in, and nothing else.
- You can promote a member to a higher org role at any time from your dashboard.
Platform Roles vs. Org Roles: What's the Difference?
Coachful is a multi-tenant platform, which means dozens of coaches run independent businesses on the same infrastructure. Because of that architecture, there are two distinct layers of permissions you need to understand.
Platform roles are system-wide. They determine what kind of account someone holds across all of Coachful — not just inside your workspace. Most people you interact with will simply be a user. Editors can manage platform-level content. Admins and super_admins are Coachful staff roles, not something you assign to your own clients.
Org roles are scoped entirely to your coaching organization. When someone joins your workspace — whether by purchasing a program, accepting an invite, or signing up through your lead-magnet page — they get an org role. This is the layer you actively manage as a coach.
Quick reference: Org roles at a glance
- super_coach (Owner) — Full control. Billing, branding, integrations, all content, all client data. Only one per org. This is you.
- coach — Can create and manage programs, host sessions, message clients, and view analytics. Cannot access billing or change org-level settings.
- member — The default client role. Can access enrolled programs, book sessions, join squads, and message their coach. Cannot see other clients' data or unpublished content.
- virtual_assistant — Operational access without client-facing permissions. Can manage scheduling, update program content, and handle admin tasks. Cannot see private client conversations or billing details.
What the Member Role (Client) Can Actually Do
When a client buys one of your offers or accepts an invitation to your workspace, they land in Coachful as a member. Here's exactly what they can and can't access.
What members can do
- View and complete tasks inside any program they're enrolled in
- Track their habits and goals within that program
- Book 1:1 sessions, group calls, or intake calls using your availability calendar
- Join cohort squads (auto-created when they enroll in a program) and community squads you've added them to
- Send and receive messages in real-time via Stream Chat — both in squads and direct conversations
- Join HD video calls directly from the platform
- View their own invoices and payment history
- Update their profile, notification preferences, and password
What members cannot do
- See programs, squads, or sessions they haven't been enrolled in or invited to
- View other clients' profiles, progress, or messages
- Access your coach dashboard, analytics, or business settings
- Edit or delete any platform content
- Manage your org's billing or Stripe Connect details
- Invite other users to the workspace
This separation is by design. A client who purchases your 12-week weight-loss program should never stumble into your business coaching program's private cohort — and they won't, because enrollment-based access means members only see what they've paid for or been explicitly added to.
Running multiple programs for different niches? Coachful's permission model keeps each cohort completely siloed. Clients in your "90-Day Body Reset" program have zero visibility into your "Executive Mindset Mastermind" cohort — even if both live on the same subdomain. Explore how Coachful handles multi-program businesses →
How to Assign or Change a Client's Role
Changing a member's role is straightforward. You might do this to promote a long-term client to a coach role, add a team member as a virtual assistant, or fix a role that was assigned incorrectly during onboarding.
- Go to your coach dashboard and navigate to People → Clients (or People → Team for non-client roles).
- Find the person you want to update using the search bar or by scrolling the list.
- Click their name to open their profile card.
- Select the Role dropdown — you'll see the available org roles based on your plan.
- Choose the new role and click Save. The change takes effect immediately — no email confirmation required.
If you need to bulk-update roles (for example, when onboarding a new cohort of 20 clients), you can import a CSV with role assignments from People → Import clients. The CSV template includes a role column that accepts member, coach, or virtual_assistant.
Enrolling Clients in Programs and Squads
Role assignment and program enrollment are separate actions. A client can be a member of your org without being enrolled in any program — this is common for leads who've signed up through a lead-magnet page but haven't purchased yet.
To give a client access to a specific program:
- Go to Programs → [Your Program] → Members.
- Click Add member and search for the client by name or email.
- Select their start week or day if you want to drop them into a specific point in the curriculum (useful for clients joining mid-program).
- Click Enroll. Coachful will automatically create a cohort squad for them if one doesn't already exist, and they'll receive a welcome notification.
Squad access works similarly. For community squads — the always-on group channels — you manually add members from Squads → [Squad name] → Members → Add. Cohort squads, on the other hand, are auto-created and auto-populated when a client enrolls in a program, so you don't need to manage those manually.
Roles for Your Team: Coaches and Virtual Assistants
If you're scaling beyond a solo coaching practice, you'll want to add team members with roles that match their responsibilities — without giving everyone full admin access.
Adding a coach to your org
A coach role gives someone the ability to build and deliver programs, manage their own client relationships, host sessions, and review client progress. They can't touch your billing settings or export your full client database. Ideal for associate coaches, guest experts, or contractors you've brought on to deliver specific programs.
To add a coach: go to People → Team → Invite team member, enter their email, select Coach as the org role, and send the invite. They'll get an email with a link to create their Coachful account if they don't already have one.
Adding a virtual assistant
Virtual assistants are the unsung heroes of a well-run coaching business. In Coachful, the virtual_assistant role gives your VA access to scheduling, program content management, and client communication threads — without exposing sensitive financial data or private 1:1 session notes. Perfect for delegating inbox management, session reminders, and content uploads.
Pro tip: Use the virtual_assistant role for anyone who helps you operationally but isn't a credentialed coach. It's a tighter permission set that protects both your clients' privacy and your business data.
How Permissions Interact with Billing and Offers
Coachful uses Stripe Connect, which means payments go directly to your bank account — not through Coachful as an intermediary. The billing permissions layer matters here.
Only the super_coach (owner) can:
- Connect or disconnect the Stripe account
- Create, edit, or archive offers (one-time, recurring, payment plans, or multi-tier)
- Apply or create coupon codes
- Issue refunds or manually adjust invoices
- View the full revenue dashboard
Coaches can view which offers a client has purchased (so they know what programs to enroll them in), but they can't create new offers or access your Stripe dashboard. Members (clients) can only see their own invoices and payment history — nothing about other clients or your overall revenue.
If a client reports a billing issue, they should contact you directly. You can manage their subscription from People → Clients → [Client name] → Billing, where you'll see their active subscriptions, payment history, and options to pause, cancel, or modify their plan.
Troubleshooting Common Role and Permission Issues
A client says they can't see their program
The most common cause is that the client is a member of your org but hasn't been enrolled in the program yet. Check Programs → [Program name] → Members to confirm they appear on the roster. If they don't, enroll them manually or ask them to use the purchase link again. Also verify the program is published — draft programs are invisible to members.
A team member has too much access (or not enough)
Double-check their org role under People → Team → [Name] → Role. If a virtual assistant has coach-level access, that's a role misconfiguration — update it immediately. Conversely, if a coach says they can't edit a program, confirm the program is assigned to their account under the program's settings.
A client can see another client's messages
This shouldn't happen under normal circumstances. If a client reports seeing another client's squad or direct messages, check whether both clients were added to the same community squad. Community squads are visible to all members added to them — if that's not your intention, remove the wrong member from Squads → [Squad name] → Members.
An invited team member can't accept their invite
Invite links expire after 48 hours. If your team member's link has expired, go to People → Team → [Name] → Resend invite. Make sure they check their spam folder, too — the invite email comes from no-reply@coachful.co.
A client lost access after their subscription ended
This is expected behavior. When a recurring subscription lapses (failed payment or cancellation), Coachful automatically restricts the client's program access. Their account and data remain intact — you can reinstate access by reactivating their subscription or manually re-enrolling them in Programs → Members → Add.
You can't find a client in the People tab
Clients who signed up through a lead-magnet page or linked their email but never completed a purchase appear as leads, not clients. Check People → Leads for them. You can convert a lead to a client manually by enrolling them in a program or assigning them the member role.
Using Michelle (Your AI Assistant) to Manage Roles
Coachful's built-in AI co-pilot, Michelle, can handle role management tasks using natural language. Instead of clicking through menus, you can type commands like:
- "Add Sarah Johnson to the 90-Day Reset program starting Week 3."
- "Change Marcus's role to coach."
- "Show me all clients who aren't enrolled in any active program."
Michelle is available from the coach dashboard via the chat icon in the bottom right corner. For bulk actions or anything that touches billing, you'll still need to confirm through the standard UI — Michelle flags these for review rather than executing them automatically, which keeps your financial data protected.
Ready to Build a Perfectly Structured Coaching Team?
Getting your roles and permissions right from day one means fewer support headaches, cleaner client experiences, and a team that can operate without you hovering over every action. Whether you're a solo coach managing 20 clients or scaling a team of associate coaches across multiple programs, Coachful's permission layers give you exactly the control you need — without unnecessary complexity.
If you're setting up your workspace for the first time, start with the guide to inviting your first clients, then come back here to fine-tune their access. Already running? Sign in to your Coachful workspace and review your team's roles under People → Team today — it takes less than five minutes and it's one of the highest-leverage admin tasks you can do.
Not on Coachful yet? Start your free trial and see how a purpose-built platform handles the permissions, billing, and client management complexity that generic tools can't touch.