Does Asana Support Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)?

As of late 2025, Asana offers organization-level RBAC with custom roles, available to:

Enterprise+ customers
Enterprise customers with the Permissions Management Add-on

This feature gives super admins centralized control over what users can do across the organization, allowing permissions to be managed by role rather than individually.

What RBAC Means in Asana

RBAC lets you define and manage custom roles at the organization level, ensuring teams have the right level of access while maintaining compliance and consistency.

Centralized control: Manage all user permissions from the Admin Console
Custom roles: Create roles with tailored permissions (e.g., “Project Manager,” “Finance Reviewer”)
Standardized workflows: Apply consistent permission structures across teams
Security and compliance: Enforce least-privilege access and reduce risk
Delegated management: Allow trusted admins to manage users or assign roles via Okta or Microsoft Entra ID

Standard and Custom Roles

Role Type	Description
Super Admin	Full control of the organization; manages users and settings. Permissions can’t be modified.
Admin	Manages teams, members, and settings. Super Admins can delegate limited user management permissions.
Member	Default for internal users (e.g., `@yourcompany.com`). Standard project and collaboration access.
Guest	Default for external collaborators (e.g., clients). Restricted access to shared work only.
Custom Roles	Created by Super Admins and based on one of the standard roles. Configurable permissions allow precise control.

Setting Up RBAC

Go to the Admin Console → Members → Manage Roles
Create a custom role with a name, description, and base role
Adjust permissions to match what the role should be able to do
Assign roles manually, in bulk via CSV, or through your identity provider (SCIM integration with Okta or Entra ID)
Set default roles for new internal and external users under Admin Console → Security → Role Defaults

AI Permissions Within RBAC

Super admins can now control access to Asana AI features on a per-role basis, including:

Asana AI (top-level toggle)
Core AI (on-demand tools like Smart Chat and Smart Summaries)
Proactive AI (auto-generated summaries and insights)
AI Automations (AI Studio workflows and generative rules)

*Organization-wide AI settings still take priority.

If AI is disabled for your org, it’s off for everyone regardless of role permissions.

How RBAC Differs from Object-Level Permissions

RBAC manages organization-wide access, while traditional Asana permissions (projects, tasks, teams) still control access within specific work objects.
Both layers work together:

RBAC = what a user can do globally
Object access = what a user can see or edit locally

Tips for Admins

Use custom roles for functional teams (e.g., Marketing Analyst, IT Support, HR Partner)
Regularly audit roles and assignments to maintain least-privilege access
Integrate with Okta or Entra ID for automated provisioning
Test new roles with a limited group before rolling out org-wide
For teams without RBAC, continue managing access at the project/team level as before

Legacy Note

Before this update, Asana used a context-based access model — permissions were managed at the team, project, or task level, not globally. That model still applies to all non-Enterprise customers, but Enterprise+ orgs can now fully centralize access with RBAC.