User Management

User management in EmberBlocks allows you to control who can access your app and what they can do. Manage team members, create custom roles, and optionally connect to an external user table for additional user data.

Overview

The Users tab in your app editor has three sections:

Section	Purpose
Members	View and manage app users
Roles	Create and configure access roles
External	Connect to an external user table

User Roles

Roles determine what users can do in your app.

Default Roles

Every app starts with two default roles:

Role	Permissions	Notes
Admin	Full access including billing, user management, role creation, and app deletion	Fixed, cannot be modified
User	Published app access only	Default role for new invites

Admin Role

The Admin role is special:

• Cannot be edited or deleted
• Has access to all features including:
  • Editor (Layout, Data, Actions tabs)
  • User management
  • Role creation and deletion
  • Billing information
  • App deletion
• The app creator is automatically assigned Admin

User Role

The default User role:

• Can only access the published version of the app
• Cannot see the editor or make changes
• Cannot invite other users
• Perfect for end users who consume data

Custom Roles

Create custom roles to define specific permission levels for your team.

Creating a Custom Role

1. Navigate to the Users tab
2. Click Roles in the sidebar
3. Click Create Role
4. Configure the role:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	Role name (e.g., “Manager”, “Analyst”)
Description	No	Explain what this role is for
Edit App & Invite Users	No	Toggle to grant editor access

The “Edit App & Invite Users” Permission

This is the key permission that separates editors from users:

Permission	Enabled	Disabled
Access app editor	Yes	No
Create/edit views	Yes	No
Manage components	Yes	No
Configure data sources	Yes	No
Create/edit actions	Yes	No
Invite users	Yes	No
Manage user roles	Yes	No
Access published app	Yes	Yes

Example Custom Roles

Role	Edit Permission	Use Case
Manager	Enabled	Team leads who build and manage the app
Analyst	Disabled	Users who view reports and dashboards
Contractor	Disabled	External users with limited access
Support	Enabled	Support team who can edit but not delete

Editing Roles

1. Click on a role in the list
2. Update the name, description, or permissions
3. Click Save

Role Changes

Changes take effect immediately for all users with that role.

Deleting Roles

1. Click the menu icon on the role card
2. Select Delete
3. Confirm the deletion

Reassign Users First

You cannot delete a role that has users assigned. Reassign those users to a different role first.

Managing Members

Viewing Members

The Members section displays all users with access to your app:

Column	Description
User	Name and email
Role	Assigned role
Status	Accepted or Pending invitation
Joined	When they joined or were invited

Searching and Filtering

• Use the search box to find users by name or email
• Filter by role to see specific groups
• Sort by name, role, or join date

Inviting Users

To invite new users:

1. Navigate to Users > Members
2. Click Invite User
3. Fill in the invitation form:

Field	Required	Description
Email	Yes	User’s email address
First Name	No	User’s first name
Last Name	No	User’s last name
Role	Yes	Select a role to assign
Profile Image	No	Upload or link an avatar

4. Click Send Invite

The user receives an email invitation to join the app.

Invitation Status

Status	Description
Pending	Invitation sent, waiting for user to accept
Accepted	User has joined the app

Editing User Details

1. Click on a user in the list
2. Update their details:
   • First name
   • Last name
   • Role assignment
   • Profile image
3. Click Save

Changing User Roles

1. Find the user in the members list
2. Click the role dropdown
3. Select the new role
4. Changes apply immediately

Removing Users

1. Click the menu icon on the user row
2. Select Remove
3. Confirm the removal

Admin Protection

You cannot remove the last Admin from an app. Transfer ownership first.

Bulk Role Assignment

For managing many users:

1. Select multiple users using checkboxes
2. Click Change Role in the bulk actions bar
3. Select the new role
4. Apply to all selected users

External User Table

Connect your app members to an external database table for additional user data.

Why Use External User Tables?

Link app members to your existing user data to:

• Access additional user fields (department, manager, etc.)
• Use external user data in formulas via $user
• Keep user data synchronized with your main database
• Avoid duplicating user information

How It Works

1. Your app members are stored in EmberBlocks
2. Each member has an external_row_id field
3. This ID links to a row in your external table
4. The external table’s fields become available via $user

Setting Up External User Connection

1. Navigate to Users > External
2. Select a connected database
3. Choose the external user table
4. Select the key field to match on:

Field	Description
Key Field	The field in the external table that matches external_row_id

Common key fields:

• email - Match by email address
• user_id - Match by unique ID
• employee_id - Match by employee identifier

Linking Members to External Records

For each app member, set their external_row_id:

1. Edit the member
2. Set the External Row ID to match the key field value
3. Save changes

Example:

• External table has email as key field
• Member email: john@company.com
• Set external_row_id: john@company.com

Accessing External User Data

Once linked, external fields are available in formulas:

{{$user.department}}
{{$user.manager_name}}
{{$user.hire_date}}

Preview External Data

In the External settings, you can preview:

• Which members are linked
• What external data is available
• Any unmatched members

Formula Context

User data is available throughout your app via the $user variable:

Built-in Fields

Field	Description
$user.id	EmberBlocks user ID
$user.email	User’s email address
$user.first_name	User’s first name
$user.last_name	User’s last name
$user.role	User’s role name
$user.image	Profile image URL

External Fields

If an external user table is connected:

{{$user.department}}
{{$user.location}}
{{$user.employee_id}}

Example Formulas

Filter data by department:

{{FILTER(tasks, tasks.department = $user.department)}}

Show manager-specific content:

{{IF($user.is_manager, 'View Team Reports', 'View My Reports')}}

Personalized greeting:

Welcome, {{$user.first_name}}!

Permissions Best Practices

Start Restrictive

• Begin with minimal permissions
• Add access as needed
• Use custom roles for specific team needs

Role Planning

Before creating roles, consider:

1. Who needs to edit the app?
2. Who only needs to view data?
3. Are there different viewing permissions needed?
4. Should anyone be able to invite others?

Regular Audits

Periodically review:

• Users who haven’t accessed the app
• Pending invitations that should be revoked
• Roles that are no longer needed
• Permissions that may be too broad

Documentation

• Add descriptions to custom roles
• Document what each role is for
• Keep a record of role assignments

Security Considerations

Data Access

• Users only see data based on their role
• Editor access grants full data visibility
• Use component visibility formulas for row-level filtering

Sensitive Data

• Be cautious with Admin role assignment
• Regularly review who has editor access
• Remove access promptly when users leave

External Connections

• External user tables expose database fields
• Only include necessary fields in your user table
• Avoid exposing sensitive internal data

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Can’t invite users	Not Admin or Editor	Request appropriate role
Invitation not received	Email issues	Check spam folder, resend invitation
External data not showing	Missing link	Verify external_row_id matches
Role changes not working	Page cache	Refresh the page

User Can’t Access App

1. Check they’ve accepted the invitation
2. Verify their role has appropriate permissions
3. Ensure the app is published (for User role)
4. Check for any visibility formulas hiding content

External Data Not Loading

1. Verify the database connection is active
2. Check the key field mapping is correct
3. Ensure external_row_id is set for the member
4. Confirm the external table has matching data

Related Topics

• App Settings - Configure app properties
• Apps - Learn about app structure and publishing
• Formulas - Use $user in dynamic expressions
• Database Connections - Connect external databases