Skip to main content
Windmill uses role-based access control to ensure team members see the right information. This guide covers access levels, delegation, and how permissions work throughout the platform.

Access levels

When you invite team members to Windmill, you choose between two access levels:

Admin

Admins can view and manage all settings for the company, including:
  • Adding and creating routines
  • Setting up the org chart
  • Managing connections
  • Setting up groups and departments
  • Inviting team members

Team Member

Team members only have access to their direct reports’ information. This is the typical role for people managers and individual contributors. Team members can:
  • View their own data and feedback
  • View their direct reports’ data (if they manage anyone)
  • Access 1-on-1 agendas and notes
  • Respond to Windy in Slack
  • Create routines for team members they manage (if applicable)
If a team member doesn’t manage anyone, they only have access to their own information.

Changing access levels

If you need to change a user’s permissions:
  1. Go to Settings > Org Chart
  2. Click on the user’s name
  3. Update their access level
  4. Click Save
Only Admins can change user access levels.
Be careful when granting Admin access. Admins can view all employee data, modify the org chart, and manage integrations. Only grant Admin access to trusted team members who need it.

Org chart-based visibility

Beyond Admin and Team Member roles, Windmill uses your org chart to determine what each person can see.

Managers can view

  • Their own profile and data
  • All direct reports’ profiles and data
  • Indirect reports (their team’s direct reports)
  • 1-on-1 agendas with their reports

Individual contributors can view

  • Their own profile and data
  • Public information about other team members (name, title, department)
  • Feedback they’ve given or received
  • Their own 1:1 notes
This access model ensures managers have visibility into their team while respecting privacy for individual contributors.

User delegation

User delegation lets you grant another person access to someone’s Windmill account. This is useful for assistants, interim managers, or HR team members who need to act on someone’s behalf.

How it works

When you delegate access, the delegated user can see everything the original employee sees in Windmill. This includes:
  • Their team’s data and feedback
  • 1-on-1 notes and agendas
  • Recaps and reports
  • Settings (if the original user is an Admin)

Important limitations

Delegation does NOT alter privacy settings for Google meetings or Google Docs. If the delegated user doesn’t have access to a Google Doc or meeting in Google Workspace, they won’t have access in Windmill either. Windmill respects the source system’s permissions—delegation only applies to Windmill-specific data.

Setting up delegation

Only Windmill Admins can set up delegation:
  1. Go to Settings > Access Delegration
  2. Click on the employee whose access you want to delegate
  3. Add the delegated user
  4. Click Delegate Access
Delegating access takes about an hour to go into effect after you save changes.

Removing delegation

To remove delegated access:
  1. Go to Settings > Access Delegation
  2. Delete the delegated acess
Access is removed within an hour of saving changes.

Permission mirroring from connected systems

Windmill mirrors permissions from your connected systems to ensure you only see information you already have access to. How it works:
  • If you can’t access a Google Doc in Google Drive, you can’t see it in Windmill
  • If you weren’t invited to a meeting, you can’t see the transcript in Windmill
  • If you don’t have access to a Slack channel, you can’t see messages from that channel in Windmill
This applies across all integrations. Windmill never grants access to information you don’t already have permission to view in the source system.

FAQs

Yes, use user delegation to grant temporary access. Set a reminder to remove the delegation when it’s no longer needed.
When a team member’s manager changes in your HRIS or org chart, their old manager loses access to their data within 24 hours. The new manager gains access immediately.
Yes, use user delegation. The delegated user inherits whatever access the original user has without becoming an Admin themselves.
Yes, when an employee is archived in Windmill or your HRIS, they lose access to the Windmill Dashboard immediately. However, historical data (like past feedback and recaps) is preserved.
Currently, Windmill supports two access levels. If you need custom permissions for your organization, reach out to support@gowindmill.com to discuss options.