The [/customize](/customize) screen is where you bend the platform's built-in vocabulary to fit your space. From one place you can rename and recolor the five built-in roles, tune the per-space permission matrix, add display-only custom roles, define membership tiers, and set up shop areas and area leads.

Operational settings (space identity, integrations, webhooks) live under Settings ([/settings](/settings)), not here.

![The Customize screen: panels down the left, the built-in roles ready to rename and recolor.](/docs-media/customize.jpg)

## Before you start

You need the **board** or **admin** role to open [/customize](/customize) at all. Most panels let board members read the current configuration, but the changes that alter authorization (editing the permission matrix, creating roles, changing tiers, assigning area leads) are **admin-only**. When you are a board member, those controls render as view-only.

Open [/customize](/customize) and use the left-hand nav to move between panels: Roles, Permissions, Membership tiers, Areas, Area leads, Invite codes, and Onboarding. This page covers the first five.

## Rename and recolor the built-in roles

The five roles (`admin`, `board`, `treasurer`, `member`, `associate`) are fixed and drive every permission check. You cannot add or remove them, but you can change how they are displayed everywhere in the app.

1. Go to the **Roles** panel.
2. Under **Built-in roles**, each row shows the fixed role code, an editable display name, a badge color, and an optional short description.
3. Edit the name, pick a color, or type a description. Each field saves when it loses focus (on blur); you do not submit a form.

The new label appears anywhere the role is shown. The underlying role code never changes, so permissions and RLS are unaffected.

## Add a custom role

Custom roles are extra labels for org structure, committees, mentors, working groups. They are **display-only and do not grant any permissions** on their own. (They can, however, appear as subjects in the permission matrix; see below.)

1. In the **Roles** panel, under **Custom roles**, choose **+ Custom role** (admin only).
2. Enter a `slug` (lowercase, kebab/underscore), a display name, a color, and an optional description.
3. Choose **Create**. Existing rows are edited in place on blur, and **Delete** removes a role permanently.

## Edit the permission matrix

The **Permissions** panel is a grid: capabilities down the side, role subjects across the top. Checking a box grants that permission to that role for this space.

- **`admin` is never listed**, it implicitly holds every permission and cannot be locked out.
- Subjects are the built-in roles (except admin) plus any custom roles you created.
- Toggles save immediately per subject; a "..." indicator shows while saving, and a failed save reverts.

Permissions are **additive**. A grant only widens what a role can do through the surfaces that consult permissions; it never overrides the database tenant isolation (RLS) that keeps spaces separate. The available capabilities include, among others:

| Code | What it allows |
| --- | --- |
| `members.manage` | Manage members |
| `payments.manage` | Manage payments |
| `governance.manage` | Manage proposals, incidents, policies |
| `ops.kb.write` | Write knowledge base |
| `ops.secrets.read` | Reveal secrets |
| `classes.instruct` | Run classes: attendance, completion |
| `door.operate` | Open/lock doors, push/revoke cards |
| `customize.manage` | Customize roles, tiers, areas, invites, onboarding |

The full catalog is grouped by area (Ops, People, Finance, Governance, Community, Certifications, Classes, Equipment, Access, Admin) in the panel itself.

## Define membership tiers

Every space is seeded with three built-in tiers: **Plus**, **Basic**, and **Associate**. Tiers set the plans a member can be placed on (see [members](/members)).

1. Go to the **Membership tiers** panel.
2. Choose **+ New tier**, then set a `slug`, display name, price in USD, and a billing cadence: `monthly`, `quarterly`, `annual`, `one_time`, or `custom`.
3. Choose **Create tier**. For any tier, edit the price inline (saves on blur).

Built-in tiers are marked **built-in** and can be **archived** (hidden) but not deleted. Custom tiers can be deleted outright.

## Set up areas and area leads

Areas tag tasks, projects, and knowledge base entries by shop space. New spaces come seeded with areas like `woodshop`, `electronics`, `laser`, and `3d-printing`.

To manage areas:

1. Open the **Areas** panel and choose **+ New area**.
2. Enter a `code`, a display name, and an optional emoji icon.
3. Reorder with the sort-order field, **Archive** to hide an area from pickers without losing history, or **Delete** to remove it.

To manage area leads:

1. Open the **Area leads** panel. Each row is an **area-lead role**; unfilled roles show as **Vacant**.
2. Choose **+ Area-lead role**, give it an area code and a role name (e.g. `woodshop` / "Woodshop Lead").
3. Use the per-row dropdown to assign a current member, or set it back to **Vacant** to unassign.

The assigned member effectively holds that area-lead role, so any Ops item whose access list includes it becomes available to them. You can also assign leads from the member directory.

## Related

- [Invite codes](/docs/how-to/invite-links) and [Onboarding](/docs/how-to/configure-onboarding), the remaining Customize panels.
- [Members](/members), where roles and tiers are applied to people.