Purpose of this article
This article explains how user accounts, permission levels, and roles work in Scaler, including what each controls, who can manage access, and which settings every user should review.
How access and settings work in Scaler
Scaler separates user settings, permission levels, and roles.
Each serves a different purpose.
- User settings control how you experience the platform
- Permission levels control what you can access or edit
- Roles describe how you typically use Scaler
Understanding this distinction helps avoid confusion during onboarding.
User profile settings (all users)
Every user can manage their own profile settings from the profile menu in the top-right corner of the platform.
User profile settings include:
- Name and email address
- Platform language
- Preferred unit display, including:
- Area (square metres or square feet)
- Energy (kilowatt-hours or kBtu)
- Emissions (kilograms or pounds)
- Water (cubic metres or gallons)
- Waste (metric tonness or US tons)
- Date format
- Password management
- Two-factor authentication
- Active browser sessions
- Newsletter subscription
- Account deletion
These settings affect how data is displayed, not how it is stored or reported.
Permission levels (what you can access)
Permission levels determine what actions a user can take in Scaler.
Scaler currently supports three permission levels.
Admin
Admins have full access across the platform. Admins can:
- Access all portfolios and assets
- Add and remove users
- Assign permission levels and roles
- Configure company-level settings
- Control access to financial data
- Generate company-level reports, view company-level analytics
Admins are responsible for user management and governance.
Member
Members are full users of Scaler, but without administrative control. What a member can do depends on:
- Which portfolios or assets they are given access to
- Whether that access is:
- View-only access (analytics)
- Edit access (data collection, configuration, and reports)
Members may:
- Work in the Data Collection Portal and generate reports (if given edit access)
- View analytics (if permitted)
Members cannot:
- Invite or manage other users
- Change company-level settings
Data request contributor
Data request contributors are not full Scaler users. They are typically:
- External stakeholders
- Internal teams providing specific data
Data request contributors:
- Receive a secure link to complete a data request
- See only the specific fields they are asked to fill in
- Do not have full platform access
- Do not log in to Scaler as members
This permission level is designed for targeted data collection, not ongoing platform use.
Roles (descriptive only)
Each user can also be assigned a role, such as:
- ESG team member
- Internal property manager
- External property manager
- Asset manager
- Consultant
Roles in Scaler are descriptive only. They:
- Do not grant or restrict access or control permissions
- Are used to understand how users typically interact with the platform
Roles may be used in the future to support onboarding flows or guidance, but today they are not linked to access rights.
Company settings (admin only)
Some settings apply across the entire company and are available to admins only.
Company settings include:
- Company name and details
- Company-level reporting access
- User and portfolio overview
- Company-level reports
Company settings do not override portfolio or asset-level configuration, but they control visibility and availability at the company level.
Best practices for onboarding
During onboarding, it is recommended to:
- Ask all users to review their profile settings
- Assign the minimum required permission level initially
- Confirm portfolio and asset access early
- Revisit access once workflows are established
This helps reduce errors and avoid unnecessary reconfiguration later.
Where to go next
If you manage access:
- Managing users & permissions
If you are continuing setup:
- Portfolio settings overview
If you are a non-admin user:
- Getting started in Scaler by role