How do you create a custom security role?

Required tools

• Administrator access to Dataverse — You must be able to create and assign roles.
• A clearly defined list of the role's required capabilities — Written down before you open the tool.

Prepare

1. 1.Start with a copy of a standard role

   Never build from scratch. Copy the standard role that most closely matches your needs and adjust it. This gives you a well-designed starting point and avoids having to discover missing permissions one by one in production.

2. 2.Describe what the role should be able to do in plain language

   Write down which tasks the person will perform before assigning permissions. The role should reflect a function within the organization, not an individual person.

Build and test

1. 3.Set the access level deliberately for each table

   Choose between your own entries, those of your unit, those of subordinate units, or those of the entire organization. This is the very core of the model—spend time on this rather than on the details.

2. 4.Provide the minimum, expand as needed

   Start with restrictive permissions. It is far easier to add a permission someone needs than to discover that half the organization has seen something they should not have.

3. 5.Test with a dedicated test user

   Create a user who only has this role, and go through the actual tasks. Do not test as an administrator—it always gives the green light.

4. 6.Document the purpose

   Explain why the role exists and who it is for. Two years from now, this will be the difference between a role that can be maintained and one that no one dares to touch.