Note: From October 1st, 2025, we introduced new plans that better reflect how our customers use Deputy: Lite, Core, and Pro. If you're an existing customer, look out for an email with all the details you’ll need. Learn more about the new plans and what this change means for you .

This article provides an overview of custom access levels in Deputy, including setup tips and support resources.

Before you read

Target audience: This article is for users with System Administrator access.
Plan restrictions: Custom access levels are only available for customers on Pro and Enterprise plans. If you're not on one of these plans, check out Deputy access levels.
Feature update: Custom access levels has a new look in Business settings. This change is being gradually rolled out to all eligible Deputy accounts. If you're not on the new experience yet, check out Classic custom access levels and permissions (Discontinuing).

This article covers

How do custom access levels work in Deputy?
When should I use custom access levels vs. default access levels?
Where can I find custom access levels settings in Deputy?
What should I set up before I start using custom access levels?
What training and support can I get for custom access levels?
- Introduction guides
- Permission guides

How do custom access levels work in Deputy?

Custom access levels let you define what different roles can see and do in Deputy, beyond Deputy’s default access levels.

They are configurable sets of permissions that allow you to decide:

Which areas of Deputy a user can access
What actions they can perform
What data they can view or edit
What access levels are called in Deputy. You can align the titles with existing roles in your business such as Operations Manager, HR Administrator and Reporting Analyst

When should I use custom access levels vs. default access levels?

Deputy's default access levels are designed to cover common roles and responsibilities. However, you might want to create a custom access level when the default options don’t meet your operational needs. For example:

A default access level provides too much or too little access: A role might need most of the Location Manager permissions, but still require some restrictions around schedule management.
You need to separate responsibilities: Such as allowing someone to approve timesheets, but not approve pay, or vice versa.
You want to restrict access to sensitive information: Such as limiting visibility of pay rates, personal employee information, or financial data.
Different roles require different reporting or export capabilities: Some roles might need access to reports or exports that others should not have.

Where can I find custom access levels settings in Deputy?

You can manage custom access levels from the Business settings section of your account. Go to Access & permissions → Access levels.

Check out: How do I view and edit access level permissions and settings for a detailed overview of the Access levels page.

What should I set up before I start using custom access levels?

You'll want to check and set up a few key things to make sure you can use custom access levels smoothly.

Decision	What to Consider	Where to look / Action
Does my Deputy plan support custom access levels?	Custom access levels are only available on Pro and Enterprise plans.	Check which plan you’re on via once.deputy.com → Settings → Subscription. Your current plan will be displayed under the Your Plan heading. If you want to upgrade, see How to change your Deputy plan.
Should I create new access levels from scratch, or modify existing ones?	Deputy's default access levels may already meet your needs, or may only need slight adjustments.	Review the permissions for Deputy's default access levels to work out which guide you need: Create a new custom level from scratch Create a custom access level from an existing one
How should responsibilities be structured?	Clarify day-to-day workflows for your team: • Who approves timesheets? • Who approves pay? • Who manages employee records? • Who runs reports or exports data? • Who reports to who?	To reduce any operational issues, map your internal workflows to roles before you adjust permissions in Deputy.
Which roles should have access to sensitive data?	Decide who can view or manage sensitive information such as: • Pay rates or payroll data • Personal employee information • Reports and exports • Business configuration settings	Use our detailed Permissions guides in the section below to understand what each permission allows users to view or edit.

What training and support can I get for setting up custom access levels?

We have a range of help centre articles to help you set up custom access levels and assign individual permissions.

Introduction guides

Learn the basics of creating and managing custom access levels:

Permission guides

Use these as a reference guide when assigning permissions, so you’re clear on what each permission enables: