Roles & Permissions
HelmKeep uses a flexible, role-based permissions system. Every member is assigned one or more roles, and each role grants a set of permissions that control what the member can do. Roles are household-scoped, so they can differ between households.
Built-in Roles
When a household is created, four built-in roles are automatically set up:
Owner
Full control over the household. Has every permission, including managing roles and deleting the household. Cannot be deleted.
Manager
Can manage tasks, members, auctions, and finances. Cannot manage roles, settings, or delete the household.
Treasurer
Focused on financial operations. Can view and adjust balances, manage allowances, and approve tasks.
Member
Default RoleThe default role assigned to new members. Can submit task completions, bid in auctions, and view other members.
Permissions Breakdown
Permissions are dot-delimited strings organized into groups:
| Permission | Description |
|---|---|
| tasks.create | Create new tasks and task templates |
| tasks.edit | Edit any task (not just your own) |
| tasks.delete | Delete or cancel tasks |
| tasks.assign | Assign tasks to members |
| tasks.submit | Submit task completions |
| tasks.approve | Approve or reject task submissions (all categories) |
| auctions.create | Create and configure auctions |
| auctions.manage | Close, cancel, or modify active auctions |
| auctions.bid | Place bids in auctions |
| balances.view | View all member balances |
| balances.adjust | Make manual balance adjustments |
| balances.allowance.manage | Configure allowance settings for members |
| invitations.create | Create and send household invites |
| invitations.revoke | Revoke pending invites |
| members.manage | Create managed accounts and remove members |
| members.view | View all member profiles and details |
| roles.manage | Create, edit, delete roles and assign them |
| settings.manage | Manage household-level settings |
| household.delete | Permanently delete the household |
Custom Roles
Members with the roles.managepermission can create custom roles with any combination of permissions. This allows you to tailor access for specific members — for example, a “Chore Captain” role that can create and assign tasks but cannot manage finances.
Custom roles are managed in the Settings page under the Roles section. Each role has a name, description, priority level, and a set of permissions selected from the full list above.
Category-Scoped Approvals
In addition to the global tasks.approvepermission, HelmKeep supports category-scoped approvals. This allows a member to approve tasks only within specific categories — for example, a member could be authorized to approve “Kitchen” tasks but not “Yard Work” tasks.
Category-scoped permissions follow the pattern tasks.approve.<categoryId> and are configured through the role management interface or the category approval scope settings.