# Understanding Custom Role in DoubleTick and How Do You Create One?
The four default roles in DoubleTick cover most team setups really well. But sometimes, your business has a unique need that doesn't quite fit into any of them.
That's where custom roles come in.
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#### **What is a Custom Role?**
A custom role is a role that you build yourself. Instead of picking from the default options, you hand-pick exactly which permissions to include — giving a team member access to only what they need, and nothing else.
For example, imagine you have a developer who needs to integrate DoubleTick with your CRM. They need access to API keys and webhooks — but they have no reason to read customer conversations or touch your billing details. A custom role lets you create something that fits that exact situation perfectly.
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#### **Two Types of Custom Roles**
Just like default roles, custom roles come in two types:
**Custom Organization Role** — for account-level permissions. Use this when you want to control access to things like team management, billing, integrations, API keys, analytics, and audit logs.
**Custom Channel Role** — for WhatsApp-specific permissions. Use this when you want to control access to things like conversations, message templates, bots, and calls — within a specific WhatsApp number.
You'll choose which type you're creating as part of the setup process.
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#### **How to Create a Custom Role**
The steps are the same whether you're creating a custom Organization Role or a custom Channel Role — the only difference is which section you start from.
1. Log in to your DoubleTick account.
2. Click on **Settings** in the left-hand panel.
3. In the Settings search bar, type **Roles** and open the **Roles** section.
4. Under **Manage Roles**, you'll see two sections — **Organization Level Roles** and **Channel Level Roles**.
5. Click into whichever section matches the type of custom role you want to create.
6. Click **Create New Role**.
7. Give your role a clear, recognisable name — something that tells you exactly what it's for (for example, *Developer Access* or *Support Agent - Read Only*).
8. Optionally, add a description to remind yourself and your team what this role includes.
9. Select the permissions you want to include from the list.
10. Click **Save**.
Your custom role is now ready to use. You'll be able to assign it to team members when you invite someone new or when you update an existing team member's profile.
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#### **A Few Things Worth Knowing**
**You can create as many custom roles as you need.** There's no limit — so if different teams or individuals need different levels of access, you can build a role for each situation.
**Custom roles don't affect default roles.** Creating a custom role doesn't change or remove any of the four default roles. They'll always be there.
**You can go back and edit a custom role anytime.** If your team's needs change, you can update the permissions in a custom role without having to create a new one from scratch.
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In the next two articles, we'll go through all the permissions available when creating a custom Organization Role and a custom Channel Role — so you know exactly what you're working with when you build your own.
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