---
title: "FAQs: Users, roles and permissions"
description: "Common questions about Blend-ed roles, staff permissions and teams answered, including why a staff member can sign in but can't see or do anything."
source: "https://docs.blend-ed.com/product/faqs-and-troubleshooting/faqs-users-roles-and-permissions/"
---

# FAQs: Users, roles and permissions

**What’s the difference between a role and a permission?**  
 A role is what someone is: Super Admin, Admin, Staff or Learner. Permissions apply only to Staff, and decide what they can do. See [General overview: Users, roles and teams](/product/users-roles-and-teams/).

**A staff member can sign in but can’t do anything.**  
 They have no permissions yet. A staff member with no permissions can sign in but sees only Home. See [How to edit a staff member’s permissions](/product/users-roles-and-teams/how-to-edit-a-staff-member-s-permissions/).

**A staff member can’t see a menu item they need.**  
 Staff only see the parts of the navigation their permissions allow. For example, Analytics needs **View Analytics** and Billing needs **Billing View**. See [General overview: Staff permissions](/product/users-roles-and-teams/general-overview-staff-permissions/).

**A staff member’s Authoring page is empty.**  
 Staff only see courses they’re on the course team for. Add them to the course team. See [Managing Your Course Team & Learner Communication](/product/course-creation/managing-your-course-team-and-learner-communication/).

**I invited someone with the wrong role.**  
 Change it from the Users list. See [How to assign or change a user’s role](/product/users-roles-and-teams/how-to-assign-or-change-a-user-s-role/).

**An invited user still shows as Invited.**  
 They haven’t completed registration yet. Until they do, the list shows their email address instead of a name.

**Should I give staff User Management?**  
 Only if you’d be comfortable making them an Admin. User Management lets them manage users and roles, including their own.

**Can a platform Admin edit any course?**  
 Platform roles are separate from course team roles. To give someone access to one specific course, add them to that course’s team.