# Inviting Team Members (https://yapl.app/en/docs/getting-started/inviting-team)

# Inviting Team Members

Collaboration is essential for successful project management. YAPL uses a team-based access model where members are organized into teams, and teams are assigned to projects. This guide covers creating teams, inviting members, and managing roles.

## Understanding Teams in YAPL

Teams serve as the organizational unit between workspaces and projects:

- **Workspace** contains multiple **Teams**
- **Teams** contain **Members** with specific roles
- **Projects** are assigned to one or more **Teams**
- Members access projects through their team membership

<Callout type="info">
YAPL automatically creates a **Workspace Owners** system team containing all workspace owners. This team cannot be modified directly.
</Callout>

## Creating a Team

Before inviting members, create a team to organize them:

### Step 1: Navigate to Teams

1. Click **Teams** in the sidebar navigation
2. Click **Create Team**

### Step 2: Configure Team

| Field | Description | Requirements |
|-------|-------------|--------------|
| Team Name | Descriptive name for the team | 1-100 characters, unique within workspace |
| Team Type | Type of organizational unit | Regular (default) |
| Description | Purpose and scope of the team | Optional |

### Step 3: Review and Create

Review your team settings and click **Create Team**. Your new team appears in the teams list.

## Team Roles

YAPL uses three team roles with different permission levels:

| Role | Description | Capabilities |
|------|-------------|--------------|
| **Lead** | Team administrators | Full team management, add/remove members, assign items |
| **Member** | Standard team participants | Participate in team projects, view and edit assigned work |
| **Viewer** | Read-only access | View team projects and content, no editing |

### Role Requirements

- Every team must have **at least one Lead**
- You cannot remove the last Lead from a team
- Workspace owners automatically have owner-level access

## Inviting Members

### Method 1: Email Invitation

Send personalized invitations directly to email addresses:

1. Open your team (click on team name)
2. Navigate to the **Invitations** tab
3. Click **Invite Members**
4. Enter the email address
5. Select their role (Lead, Member, or Viewer)
6. Click **Send Invitation**

Email invitations:
- Expire after **7 days**
- Can be resent if expired
- Include a secure acceptance link

### Method 2: Invitation Link

Generate a shareable link for quick onboarding:

1. Open your team
2. Navigate to the **Invitations** tab
3. Click **Generate Invitation Link**
4. Configure optional settings:
   - Usage limit (number of times link can be used)
   - Expiration date
   - Default role for joiners
5. Copy and share the link

<Callout type="warn">
Shareable links should be distributed carefully as anyone with the link can join until the limit is reached or link expires.
</Callout>

## Managing Pending Invitations

Track and manage outstanding invitations:

### Viewing Invitations

1. Open your team
2. Click the **Invitations** tab
3. View all pending invitations with status

### Invitation Actions

- **Resend**: Send the invitation email again
- **Cancel**: Revoke a pending invitation
- **Copy Link**: Copy the invitation link

### Invitation Statuses

| Status | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| Pending | Invitation sent, awaiting response |
| Accepted | User has joined the team |
| Expired | Invitation link or email expired |
| Cancelled | Invitation manually revoked |

## Accepting Invitations

When someone receives an invitation:

1. Click the invitation link in email (or shared link)
2. Sign up for YAPL account (if new user) or log in
3. Review team details
4. Click **Accept Invitation**

The new member is immediately added to the team with their assigned role.

## Managing Team Members

### Viewing Members

1. Open your team
2. Click the **Members** tab
3. View all members with their roles and join dates

### Changing Member Roles

Team leads can modify member roles:

1. Find the member in the list
2. Click the role dropdown or member actions
3. Select the new role
4. Confirm the change

<Callout type="warn">
You cannot change the role of the last Lead to a lower role. Promote another member to Lead first.
</Callout>

### Removing Members

To remove a member from a team:

1. Find the member in the list
2. Click the actions menu (three dots)
3. Select **Remove from Team**
4. Confirm removal

Removed members lose access to all projects assigned to that team.

## Team Structure Best Practices

### Organizing by Function

Create teams based on organizational functions:
- **Management Team** - Project managers and leads
- **Engineering Team** - Technical staff
- **Operations Team** - Field workers and coordinators

### Organizing by Project

For large projects, create project-specific teams:
- **Project Alpha Team** - All members on Project Alpha
- **Project Beta Team** - All members on Project Beta

### Hybrid Approach

Combine both approaches:
- Functional teams for general collaboration
- Project teams for specific work assignments

## Team Permissions

Teams have default permissions that control what members can do:

| Permission | Default |
|------------|---------|
| Create Projects | Yes (Leads and Members) |
| View Projects | Yes (all roles) |
| Update Projects | Yes (Leads and Members) |
| Delete Projects | No (Owner/Admin only) |

<Callout type="info">
Workspace owners and admins can modify team permissions in advanced settings.
</Callout>

## Workspace Member Limits

Your subscription tier limits total workspace members:

| Tier | Member Limit |
|------|--------------|
| Trial | 10 seats (14-day trial) |
| Basic | 3 seats (fixed) |
| Professional | 10 included (+$6/additional) |

When you reach your limit:
- Cannot invite new members
- Upgrade subscription or remove inactive members
- Contact support for enterprise options

## Troubleshooting

### Invitation Not Received

- Check spam/junk folder
- Verify email address is correct
- Resend the invitation
- Try using a shareable link instead

### Cannot Join Team

- Invitation may have expired (7-day limit)
- Usage limit reached on shareable link
- Workspace member limit reached

### Cannot Change Roles

- Must be a Team Lead to change roles
- Cannot remove last Lead (promote another first)
- Some roles restricted by subscription tier

### Member Cannot Access Project

- Verify team is assigned to the project
- Check member's role permits access
- Ensure project is active (not archived)

## Next Steps

With your team set up:

1. **[Complete Quick Start Checklist](/docs/getting-started/quick-start-checklist)** - Ensure full setup
2. **[Assign Teams to Projects](/docs/user-guides/projects)** - Connect teams to work
3. **[Create Plans](/docs/user-guides/plans)** - Start scheduling work
4. **[Learn About Team Management](/docs/user-guides/teams)** - Advanced team features