Managing user access and permissions in the admin panel
Last updated: August 10, 2026
Plan availability | Business and Enterprise Scale only |
Platform(s) | Web/Browser, Mac app, and Windows app |
Related reading |
Managing user access in the admin panel overview
The admin panel allows admins to take actions like adding and removing users from workspaces, activating and deactivating users, and transferring base ownership.
Understanding user states in the admin panel
Before taking action on a user, it helps to understand the 4 states a user can be in. These states determine what the user can access, whether they consume a seat, and where they appear in the admin panel. The action you need to take depends on which state you're starting from and which you're targeting.
Action | What it does | Frees their seat? | Removes from Users list? | Prevents login? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removes workspace, base, and interface permissions | No | No | No |
| Prevents login and removes their seat. Does not affect content they own. | Yes | No. Still visible, grayed out | Yes |
| Permanently removes the user record. Cannot be done through the admin panel. | Yes | Yes, permanently. | Yes |
Managing workspace user permissions in the admin panel
To manage workspace user permissions in admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Workspaces.
Under the " Collaborators " column, click the collaborator group name of the collaborator whose permission you want to manage.
Click the ⌄ icon next to the collaborator's name you want to manage under the "Permissions" column.
Select the collaborator’s new permission for that collaborator.
Managing base user permissions in the admin panel
To manage base user permissions in admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Bases.
Under the " Collaborators " column, click the collaborator group name of the collaborator whose permission you want to manage.
Click the ⌄ icon next to the collaborator's name you want to manage under the "Permissions" column.
Select the collaborator’s new permission for that collaborator.
Managing interface user permissions in the admin panel
To manage base user permissions in admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Interfaces.
Under the " Collaborators " column, click the collaborator group name of the collaborator whose permission you want to manage.
Click the ⌄ icon next to the collaborator's name you want to manage under the "Permissions" column.
Select the collaborator’s new permission for that collaborator.
Removing access and deactivating users in the admin panel
Deactivating users and removing them from a workspace, base, or interface are different actions. Deactivating users prevents them from logging in to Airtable, while removing users only removes their existing workspace and base privileges—still allowing users to log into Airtable and create workspaces, bases, and interfaces.
To remove access or deactivate users in the admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Users.
Select the user you want to remove or deactivate.
Click ... icon next to the collaborator’s name you want to remove or deactivate.
Click Remove access or Deactivate.
Click Remove access or Deactivate to confirm the changes.
Removing a managed user in the admin panel
If your organization manages a user's Airtable account (indicated by no 'Guest' tag in the Users list), you must complete two steps before the user is fully removed.
To stop managing a user in the admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Users.
Find the user and click the ... icon.
Click Stop managing account.
Click Confirm.
If you click “Remove access” before first stopping management of that user, the action will appear to succeed but the user will remain in the Users list.
To remove a previously managed user in the admin panel:
1. With the same user selected, click the ... icon.
2. Click Remove access.
3. Click Confirm.
Troubleshooting why users reappear after removal from the admin panel
If a user reappears in your workspace or base shortly after being removed, work through the following checks in order:
Check group membership
The user may belong to a group that still has access to the workspace or base.
Open your admin panel.
Click Groups.
Search for the user by name or email
If they appear in a group, either remove them from the group, or remove the group's access to the relevant workspace or base
Check for domain-wide access
If your workspace has domain-wide access enabled, any user with a matching email domain is automatically re-added after removal.
Open the workspace in Airtable
Go to Workspace settings > Collaborators
If domain-wide access is on and you don't need it, turn it off or restrict it to specific users
Check for access via another workspace or shared base
The user may have been re-invited through a workspace or base not included in your original removal.
Go to Admin Panel > Users
Search for the user by name or email
Click their name to open the user detail panel
Select the Workspaces or Bases tab to see every access point they currently hold
Remove access individually from any that shouldn't apply
Reactivating deactivated users in the admin panel
To reactivate users in the admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Users.
Select the “Status” filter and select Deactivated.
Click ... icon next to the collaborator’s name you want to reactivate.
Click Provision.
FAQs
How do I programmatically remove users from workspaces, bases, and interfaces?
Deactivating users and removing them from a workspace, base, or interface are different actions. Deactivating users prevents them from logging in to Airtable, while removing users only removes their existing workspace and base privileges—still allowing users to log into Airtable and create workspaces, bases, and interfaces.
Check out our API documentation to learn how to programmatically remove users from the admin panel.
Why am I unable to add users due to their email domain?
If domain verification has been enabled at your organization, then the email address of the user that you are attempting to add must match one of the allowed domains as configured in your organization’s admin panel. To add a new domain to your organization’s allowlist you’ll need to:
(Non-admin users): Contact an admin to have them change the domain verification settings in admin panel.
(Admin users): Adjust domain settings as outline in this article.
How do I review active, deactivated user in the admin panel?
Open your admin panel.
Click Users.
Select the “Status” filter and select All.
Can deactivated users be removed from the user's list in the admin panel?
No. While there is no way to remove deactivated users from the user's list, you can filter deactivated users out of your results if needed.
To display only active users in the admin panel:
Open your admin panel.
Click Users.
Select the “Status” filter and select Active.
Are deactivated user-owned bases, workspaces, etc., included in my account's usage and storage limits?
Deactivated users who own bases, workspaces, etc., do not count toward your account’s overall usage. However, their bases and workspaces will remain under their ownership. The deactivated user will lose access to the account but retain ownership of the bases and workspaces.