How to set Redmine role permissions

Role permissions in Redmine define what a project member can see and change after a role is assigned. They matter when one team needs issue access without project administration rights, or when client-facing users need a narrower project surface than the default Manager or Developer roles.

The role editor separates project, issue tracking, wiki, repository, time-tracking, and visibility settings. Issue permissions also use tracker coverage, so allowing issue creation requires both the permission checkbox and tracker coverage for the trackers used by the project.

Test a new role with an account that has no other role in the target project. Redmine combines permissions when a member has multiple roles, so a single-role test account shows whether the new permission set grants the intended actions and blocks project administration actions.

Related: How to add members to a Redmine project
Related: How to troubleshoot Redmine permissions

Steps to set Redmine role permissions:

  1. Sign in to Redmine with an administrator account.
  2. Open Administration → Roles and permissions.
  3. Click New role.
  4. Enter the role name and choose the role visibility defaults.

    Use Copy workflow from when the new role should follow the issue workflow of an existing role such as Developer.

  5. Select the issue permissions and tracker coverage for the role.

    A support role can view issues, add issues, and add notes, while edit, delete, and project administration permissions remain unchecked.

  6. Save the role and confirm it appears in the role list.
  7. Assign the role to a test user in the target project.

    The test user should have only this role in the project, otherwise another role can mask an over-restricted or over-permissive setting.
    Related: How to add members to a Redmine project

  8. Sign in as the test user and open the New issue form for the project.

    The form confirms that View Issues and Add issues work for the project tracker.

  9. Open a project settings URL as the test user and confirm Redmine returns 403. 
    https://redmine.example.net/projects/field-service/settings/members

    If project settings open for the test user, remove high-risk permissions such as Edit project, Select project modules, or Manage members from the role and retest.