Family Folder has two distinct permission systems that work independently of each other. Family-level roles determine what each person can do across the whole family — inviting members, renaming the family, and so on. Folder-level permissions are set per shared folder and control whether a family member can view files, add files, or delete files within that specific folder.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.familyfolder.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Family-level roles
Every member of a family has exactly one family role. There are three roles, listed here from most to least privileged.Family Administrator
Family Administrator
There is exactly one Family Administrator per family. This role is assigned to whoever created the family and can be transferred to another member, but it cannot be deleted or duplicated.The Administrator can:
- Invite new members (as Owner or Member)
- Change the role of any Owner or Member
- Remove any Owner or Member from the family
- Rename the family
- Transfer the Administrator role to another member
- Delete the family
Family Owner
Family Owner
A family can have multiple Owners. This role is intended for trusted adult members of a household.An Owner can:
- Invite new members (as Owner or Member)
- Change the role of any Family Member (but not other Owners or the Administrator)
- Remove Family Members (but not other Owners or the Administrator)
- Rename the family
- Transfer or receive the Administrator role directly
- Delete the family
Family Member
Family Member
Family Member is the default role assigned to anyone who accepts an invite unless the inviter chose Owner. This role provides access to the shared vault without any management permissions.A Member can:
- View and interact with folders they’ve been given access to
- Upload and manage their own files in shared folders (subject to folder permissions)
- Invite anyone
- Change any member’s role
- Remove other members
- Rename or delete the family
Role management summary
| Action | Administrator | Owner | Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invite new members | Yes | Yes | No |
| Remove a Family Member | Yes | Yes | No |
| Remove a Family Owner | Yes | No | No |
| Change a Member’s role | Yes | Yes | No |
| Change an Owner’s role | Yes | No | No |
| Rename the family | Yes | No | No |
| Transfer Administrator role | Yes | No | No |
| Delete the family | Yes | No | No |
When you change a member’s role via Family Settings, the change takes effect immediately. You cannot promote someone directly to Administrator — use Transfer Administrator instead.
Folder-level permissions
Folder permissions are set separately for each shared folder. They control what a family member can do with the files inside that specific folder. These permissions apply only to family members — there is no way to share a folder with someone outside your family. The folder owner (the person who created the folder) always retains full control and is the only one who can change sharing settings.Owner (folder)
Owner (folder)
The folder Owner is the person who created the folder. Each folder has exactly one Owner.The Owner can:
- Enable or disable sharing for the folder
- Add or remove family members from the folder
- Set or change any member’s folder permission (Contributor or Viewer)
- View, add, and delete files in the folder
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor is the default role assigned when a family member is added to a shared folder.A Contributor can:
- View all files in the folder
- Upload new files to the folder
- Delete files in the folder
Viewer
Viewer
Viewer is a read-only role for shared folders.A Viewer can:
- View all files in the folder
Folder permission summary
| Action | Owner | Contributor | Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| View files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Upload files | Yes | Yes | No |
| Delete files | Yes | Yes | No |
| Change sharing settings | Yes | No | No |
| Add/remove members | Yes | No | No |
Folder permissions only apply to shared folders. A folder that has sharing disabled is private to its owner regardless of family role.

