# Accounts & Permissions

PEARS uses a multi-layered permission system to control what users can access and manage. Every user has a base account with module access flags that determine which modules they can use. On top of that, directory roles grant organizational administrative capabilities, and additional permission modifiers like collaborators, editable users, and viewable permissions provide fine-grained control over record access.

![Screenshot: The Account Settings page showing the Profile tab with user information and the Permissions tab for configuring access settings](/files/dVkGE9rQOiEDUy98vraQ)

## What Every User Can Do

Every active PEARS user can:

* Create records in modules they have access to (based on their SNAP-Ed User, Extension User, or Event Creator flags)
* View and edit their own records
* View records where they are added as a collaborator
* View their own homepage, dashboard, and unfinished items
* Manage their own account settings via **Account Settings** (opened from the user menu in the top navigation bar)

## Permission Layers

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Module Access Flags**

Module access flags determine which PEARS modules a user can access. These are assigned on the user's account via [Manage Users](/administration/administration/manage-users.md):

* **SNAP-Ed User** — Grants access to SNAP-Ed modules including Program Activities, PSE Site Activities, Social Marketing Campaigns, Indirect Activities, Partnerships, Coalitions, Success Stories, Surveys, Reports, and Exports.
* **Extension User** — Grants access to Extension modules including Action Plans, Quarterly Efforts, Direct Contacts, Community Relationships, Professional Development, Performance Reviews, and all SNAP-Ed modules.
* **Event Creator** — Grants access to Community Events and the ability to create new events.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Directory Roles**

Directory roles are organization-level administrative roles that grant permissions to manage settings, data, and users. These roles are assigned via the [PEARS Directory](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/directory.md) and include Organization Administrator, User Manager, Programming Manager, Data Manager, and more.

* [SNAP-Ed Directory Roles](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/directory/snap-ed-roles.md)
* [Extension Directory Roles](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/directory/extension-roles.md)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Program Area Team Roles**

Program Area Team roles are optional designations for Extension organizations that identify staff involvement in program area governance. Roles include Leader, Consultant, Member, and Follower.

* [Program Area Team Roles](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/directory/program-area-team-roles.md)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Record-Level Access**

Record-level access controls who can view or edit individual records. The record creator can grant other users access through the collaborators feature.

* [Collaborators](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/collaborators.md) — Grant other users View Only or View & Edit access to specific records.
* [Contributors](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/contributors.md) — Mark collaborators who were directly involved in performing the work described in a record.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Account-Level Permissions**

Account-level permissions extend a user's ability to see or edit data beyond their own records. These are configured on individual user accounts.

* [Editable Users](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/editable-users.md) — Allow another user to edit all of your recorded data.
* [Viewable Permissions](/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions/viewable-permissions.md) — Grant users the ability to view data from specific units, program areas, or other users.
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://support.pears.io/accounts-and-permissions/accounts-and-permissions.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.