Administration

Last updated February 2026

Overview

The Admin area is where you configure system-wide settings, manage users, maintain reference data, review audit trails, monitor background services, and access a suite of administrative tools. You'll find it on the rightmost tab (cog icon) of the main navigation ribbon.

Admin sub-tabs

The Admin ribbon contains these top-level areas:

• Utilities – admin tools like entity merging, bulk operations, user management, and associated configuration tabs
• Templates – inventory/CDD template administration including fields, workflows, tasks, and triggers
• Documents – search indexes, checked-out documents, recycle bin, and workspaces
• Global Information – reference data such as relationships, properties, risk ratings, taxes, countries, and addresses
• Health Check – error log viewer with search, reporting, and debug controls
• Audit Log – full change history for every record in the system
• Queued Tasks – background task queue for monitoring, retrying, and managing scheduled work

Utilities

The Utilities screen is the main Admin landing page. It shows a searchable, categorised grid of admin tools – each displayed as a tile with a title, description, category, and colour-coded icon.

How to get there

Select Admin > Utilities from the navigation ribbon.

Finding tools

Type in the search bar at the top to filter utilities by title, description, or category. Results update instantly as you type. Tools you don't have permission to use are automatically hidden.

Associated tabs

Along the bottom of the Utilities screen you'll see links to related areas (depending on your permissions):

• Audit Log – change history
• Application Settings – your personal app preferences (saved screen filters, layout choices, etc.)
• Service Monitors – background service status
• Locks – view and manage record locks
• Configuration – system-wide settings
• User Permissions – manage users, groups, and roles
• Entity Permissions – control which entities users can see
• Customer Feedback – user-submitted issues and suggestions

Utility Tools

Utilities are organised into five categories. Here's what each tool does:

Documents

• Set document permission – choose which entities allow access to practice management documents
• Import documents to entities – bulk-import documents from a folder structure
• Generate missing email indexes – create search entries for emails that were added without the Outlook add-in
• Synchronise two file persisters – sync file storage between two storage providers (e.g. when migrating)
• Validate blob storage – check that cloud storage matches PlainSail's records (read-only, makes no changes)
• Reapply metadata to blob storage – refresh metadata used for full-text document searching

Entities

• Merge two entities – combine two entities into one, transferring all data from the source to the target
• Convert an entity – change an entity's type (e.g. Person to Company)
• Reassign relationships – bulk reassign relationships when a director or officer is replaced
• Update entity images – update profile images from a folder of image files
• Update addresses – refresh addresses that use an address provider
• Client profile page – configure which fields appear on the entity profile and control the PEP setting
• Add inventory to entities – select a template and add it to one or more entities
• Create screening file – export a client list for upload to your screening provider

Entity merge procedure

Entity conversion procedure

Finance

• Test cheque template – preview a cheque template without making real payments
• Change book currency for client – change an entity's base currency (via plugin)
• Repost invoice journal – reprocess the accounting entries for one or more invoices (useful after updating ledger mappings)
• Repost credit note journal – reprocess the accounting entries for a credit note
• Setup global accounting policy notes – manage the policy notes that appear on Financial Statements
• Override month end date – set or clear a month-end override date within all timesheets for a billing run

Users

• Reassign user tasks – move all tasks from one user to another
• Update default time activities – restrict which fee types are available for selected teams
• Block/Allow all logins – prevent non-admin users from logging in (admins can always log in and reverse this)
• Log off all users – send a forced logoff with a configurable timer and message. Cannot be cancelled once started.
• Upload user log files – upload application log files for PlainSail support to review

Other

• Reset local configuration – reset your local config file (you'll need to close PlainSail first)
• Refresh screens – refresh all displays without restarting
• Refresh permissions – reload your role assignments without restarting
• Control client monitor – turn the local background monitor on/off for debugging
• Synchronise schedule – add missing events to the background schedule
• Flatten inventory views – rebuild the report views used for inventory reports (backups are kept automatically)
• Refresh inventory display values – fix stale display values in inventory summaries where the lookup source has changed
• Create JFSC report – generate difference reports via the JFSC (Jersey only – runs in the foreground, so your app will be busy until it finishes)
• Test email – test your email delivery settings

Templates

The Templates section is where you build and manage the reusable building blocks behind inventories (CDD checklists), workflows, scheduled tasks, and automation triggers.

How to get there

Select Admin > Templates from the navigation ribbon.

Fields

The Fields tab lists all field definitions available to your inventory templates. Each field has a name, data type (text, number, date, lookup, dropdown, file upload, etc.), and controls for how many values it allows.

• Ctrl+N or Ctrl+A – add a new field
• Double-click a field to edit it
• Show Usages – find all templates that use a field
• Deleting a field that's in use marks it as not in use rather than removing it

Inventory Templates

Each template defines a complete checklist – sections, fields, rules, and conditions. You can control which entity types it applies to, how many instances are allowed, and whether it's created automatically.

• Add – create a new template
• Edit – open the template editor to add, remove, and reorder fields and sections
• Sync/Recalculate – reprocess all existing instances of a template

Workflow Templates

Define multi-step processes with steps, assignments, conditions, branching logic, and actions. See the Workflows guide for more on how workflows work day-to-day.

Task Templates

Set up recurring or one-off tasks with a name, schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.), assignment (user, team, or role), and entity scope.

Task template fields

Field	Description
Name	Template name.
Description	What the task is for.
Category	Task category (from the UserTaskCategory list).
Priority	Default priority for created tasks.
Assigned To	Default assignee (user or user group).
Schedule	When to create the task: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annually.
Entity Scope	Which entities to create tasks for: All, Administered, Specific type, or Custom filter.
Due Date Offset	Number of days after creation for the due date.

Triggers

Triggers automatically create inventories, workflows, or tasks when something happens – for example, when a new entity is created, a relationship is added, or an entity's administered status changes.

• Entity Created – fires for new entities of a specific type
• Relationship Created – fires when a new relationship is added
• Address Linked – fires when an address is linked to an entity
• Inventory Created – fires when an inventory is created
• Administered Entity Changed – fires on changes to the administered status
• Always True – fires unconditionally (useful for testing)

Trigger configuration reference

The table below shows the configurable trigger types, what each responds to, and typical configuration options.

Type	Description	Configuration
Entity Created	Fires when a new entity is created.	Filter by entity type. Action: launch inventory, launch workflow, create task.
Relationship Created	Fires when a relationship is created between entities.	Filter by relationship type. Action: launch inventory, launch workflow, create task.
Address Linked	Fires when an address is linked to an entity.	Filter by address type. Action: launch inventory, launch workflow, create task.
Inventory Created	Fires when an inventory instance is created on an entity.	Filter by template name. Action: launch workflow, create task.
Administered Entity Changed	Fires when an entity's administered status changes.	Filter by entity type, old and new administered status. Action: launch inventory, launch workflow, create task.

Configuring a trigger

Testing a trigger

There is no built-in “test” mode for triggers. To verify a trigger works correctly:

• Create a trigger with narrow filter conditions.
• Simulate the event (e.g. create a test entity).
• Verify the action was executed (check tasks, workflows, or notifications).
• Review Admin > Queued Tasks for any errors.

Debugging trigger misfires

If a trigger does not fire as expected:

• Check that the trigger is active (not disabled).
• Verify the filter conditions match the event.
• Check Admin > Queued Tasks for failed task entries.
• Review the system Audit Log for errors.

Documents Administration

The Documents admin section manages document infrastructure across the system. Select Admin > Documents to get here.

• Search Indexes – manage the full-text search indexes used for finding documents by content. Create new indexes, edit configurations, and trigger rebuilds.
• Checked Out Documents – see all documents currently checked out by users. Handy for finding locked files and forcing check-ins when someone has forgotten.
• Recycle Bin – view and manage deleted documents. You can restore them to their original location or permanently delete them.
• Workspaces – manage document workspaces – the folder hierarchies used to organise files. Create, rename, or restructure as needed.

Global Information

Global Information is where you maintain the reference data used throughout PlainSail. Select Admin > Global Information to get here.

Relationships

Manage relationship types that describe how entities connect (e.g. Director, Shareholder, Beneficiary). Each type has a name, reverse label, description, and an option to trigger automatic screening when the relationship is created.

Properties

Manage category lists and property bags – the dropdown values and classifications used across the system (entity categories, activity types, CDD risk categories, sub-types, etc.).

Risks

Define risk rating levels (e.g. Low, Medium, High, Very High) with scores and colours used in risk assessments.

Taxes

Manage tax types (e.g. GST, VAT) with rates and bands used in billing and invoicing.

Countries

Maintain the country list including currency mappings. You can switch between a card view and a table view.

Global Addresses

Manage shared addresses used by multiple entities (e.g. a registered agent's address).

• Navigate to Admin > Global Information > Global Addresses to view, create, edit, or delete shared addresses.
• Link a global address to an entity via the entity’s Contact tab.
• Useful for office addresses shared across many entities managed by the same firm.

Health Check (Error Log)

The Health Check screen shows application errors logged by all users. Select Admin > Health Check from the ribbon.

What you'll see

Each error shows the date, who it affected, the error message, a description, the area of the application where it occurred, and how many times it's happened.

Filtering

• Date range – defaults to today; changing the date refreshes automatically
• User – filter by affected user (non-admins can only see their own errors)
• Search – text search across messages and descriptions
• Max records – limit results to 100, 200, 500, 1,000, or 5,000

Actions

• Report Error – send the error to PlainSail support. If it's already been reported, you'll see who sent it and when.
• Delete Error – remove a single error (only do this if support is already aware of it or it's trivial)
• Delete All Errors – remove all errors from the system. Use extreme caution – only do this if instructed by PlainSail support.
• Track User – quickly filter to the user who experienced the selected error

Debug panel

Click Show Log Files to access debug controls. You can switch to detailed logging for troubleshooting, then switch back to normal mode when you're done. Debug logging only affects your session and doesn't persist after a restart.

Audit Log

The Audit Log records every create, update, and delete operation in the system – who made the change, when, and exactly what changed. Select Admin > Audit Log from the ribbon (or from the Utilities tabs).

What you'll see

Each entry shows the date, event type (e.g. Entity Updated, Document Saved), who made the change, the type and ID of the record that changed, and any additional context.

Filtering

• Date range – defaults to today
• User – filter by who made the change
• Event name – filter by a specific type of event
• Max records – limit results

Useful actions

• Track Object – show the full history of a specific record across all time
• Track Business Entity – show all changes related to a particular entity
• Navigate to Entity – jump directly to the entity in the Client View
• Show Session – see every property-level change made in a single save operation (property name, old value, new value)
• Export to Excel – export the current filtered data to a spreadsheet report

Queued Tasks

Queued Tasks shows all background work being processed by PlainSail's background service – screening jobs, workflow triggers, billing tasks, document operations, and more. Select Admin > Queued Tasks.

What you'll see

Each task shows which entity it relates to, the type of work, its status (Pending, Processing, Completed, or Error), when it was scheduled, and any error details if it failed. Four summary badges at the top show counts by status.

Filtering

• Date range – when the task was originally scheduled
• Entity – filter by a specific entity (click an entity name on any task to set this)
• Status – Pending, Processing, Completed, or Error
• Event type & message type – narrow down to specific kinds of work
• Show system tasks – toggle to include routine background operations (off by default)

Dealing with errors

• Show All Errors – reset filters and show every failed task across all dates
• Retry All Errors – reset all failed tasks so they're reprocessed
• Retry All Stuck – reset tasks that have been processing for more than 5 minutes without finishing (usually from a service interruption)
• Retry All Selected – reset only the tasks you've ticked

Service Monitors

The Service Monitors screen shows the status of all background services. Navigate to Admin > Utilities > Service Monitors.

What you'll see

Each service shows its name, when it was last started, when it last checked for work, when it's next scheduled to check, and any control messages.

Actions

• Restart Services – restart all background services (takes effect on the next check-in)
• Reset Errors – clear error counts for all services so they resume normal operation

Local background controls

A separate Background Services screen (via the "Control client monitor" utility) lets you pause and resume your local background polling. This only affects your own session – it doesn't impact other users or the main background service.

Background service reference

The following background services are monitored by PlainSail:

Service	Description
Notification Service	Delivers in-app notifications to users.
Background Task Processor	Executes queued tasks (imports, sync, calculations).
Outlook Integration	Monitors Outlook interop status.
Document Indexer	Indexes documents for full-text search (when configured).
Email Delivery	Monitors SMTP connectivity for outbound emails.
External Feed Processor	Fetches data from external providers (bank feeds, investment data).

Service status values

• Running (green) – the service is operational.
• Stopped (red) – the service has stopped. Requires investigation.
• Warning (amber) – the service is running but has encountered non-critical errors.

Record Locks

When someone opens a record for editing, it's locked to prevent conflicts. The Locks screen shows all current locks. Navigate to Admin > Utilities > Locks.

What you'll see

Each lock shows what type of record is locked, the entity it relates to, who holds the lock, and when it was acquired.

Actions

• Unlock – release a specific lock. The user holding it receives a notification explaining what happened.
• Unlock All for User – release all locks held by a user. Note: system-level locks must be unlocked individually to prevent accidental bulk releases.
• Track User – filter to see all locks held by a particular person

System Configuration

The System Configuration screen controls core settings that affect the entire application. Navigate to Admin > Utilities > Configuration.

System information

The header displays your environment details – connected server, version numbers, and build type. Click Copy System Info to copy this to your clipboard (useful when raising support tickets).

Key settings

• Company Name – shown throughout the application
• Currency Code – the system's default currency. Changing this is very unusual and may affect historical records.
• Owning Entity – your organisation's entity. Click Navigate to open it.
• Bank Imports Folder – where bank import files are located
• Timekeeping Minutes Per Unit – time recording granularity (5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes)
• Default Working Hours Per Week – standard hours for utilisation calculations
• Block All Logins – whether non-admin logins are currently blocked
• Monitor Intervals – how often each background service checks for work
• Max Service Errors – how many errors a service can accumulate before it stops itself

Advanced options

Click Show Options to open the advanced configuration editor. This includes settings for screening, digital KYC, cloud storage, report configuration, and other feature-specific options. It uses the same field/section layout as inventory templates.

Local app settings

Click Show Settings to view local application configuration – server connections, file paths, logging preferences, and connection settings. Press Ctrl+S to save, Escape to cancel.

System version numbers

The application version is displayed in the bottom-left corner of the application window in Major.Minor.Patch.Build format (e.g. 4.8.12.1234):

• Major – significant platform changes
• Minor – feature releases
• Patch – bug fixes and minor updates
• Build – the specific build number

SMTP email configuration

Outbound email (for invoice delivery, notifications, etc.) requires SMTP to be configured:

Two-factor authentication

PlainSail relies on Windows Integrated Authentication. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is configured at the Active Directory / Azure AD level, not within PlainSail:

• Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) in your Azure AD or on-premises AD.
• Users will be prompted for a second factor when logging into Windows.
• Once authenticated to Windows, PlainSail uses the Windows credential automatically.

Backup and restore

PlainSail stores data in a SQL Server database. Backup and restore are managed at the database level:

• Backups – configured by your DBA using SQL Server’s built-in backup tools (full, differential, transaction log).
• Restore – performed by your DBA. Restoring from backup replaces all data.
• PlainSail does not have a built-in backup/restore UI.
• Document files are stored separately (either in the database or on a file share, depending on configuration). Ensure document storage is included in your backup strategy.

User Permissions

User Permissions is where you manage who can log in and what they're allowed to do. Navigate to Admin > Utilities > User Permissions.

The screen has three sub-sections: Users, Groups, and Roles.

Users

The Users list shows all accounts, sorted by last name. Select a user to see their details: name, email, groups, roles, login status, and settings like auto-approve timesheets and practice management access.

• Search – filter by name, login name, or email. Press Escape to clear.
• Can logon only – show only active users (on by default)
• Logged in only – show only currently signed-in users

Adding a user

User creation field reference

Field	Required	Description
First Name	Yes	User’s first name.
Surname	Yes	User’s surname.
Windows Name	Yes	The Active Directory username in DOMAIN\username format. This is how PlainSail authenticates via Windows Integrated Authentication. For non-AD environments, use the local Windows username.
Email	No	User’s email address for notification delivery.
Entity Link	Yes	Link to the user’s entity record (Person type).
Start Date	Yes	The date the user’s access begins. Users cannot log in before this date.
End Date	No	The date the user’s access ends. Set this when a user leaves the organisation.
Target Utilisation	No	The target billable hours percentage. Used for utilisation reports in the Billing widget.
Reports To	No	The user’s line manager. Controls who can approve timesheets, overtime claims, and which users appear in management reports.
User Groups	Yes	Assign the user to one or more user groups (e.g. Standard User, Administrators).
Roles	Yes	Assign specific roles (permissions) from the role list.

Bulk import

Click Add Users (plural) to search your domain for Windows accounts not yet in PlainSail. Double-click cells to edit values before importing. A summary shows successes and any failures.

Editing & deactivating

Select a user and click Edit (or double-click) to change their details. To deactivate, untick Can logon. To fully remove, click Delete – if the user has any work history, their login is disabled instead of deleting them.

Impersonation

For testing permissions, select a user and click Impersonate. Your roles are temporarily replaced with theirs until you restart or use Refresh Permissions. This only affects roles, not entity visibility. You cannot impersonate the system user.

Groups

Groups are the primary way to manage permissions. Roles are assigned to groups, and users inherit roles through their group memberships.

• Administrators – full access. Roles can't be changed. You can't remove the last user or yourself.
• Standard User – baseline group for all users. Its roles are often hidden when picking roles for other groups to reduce clutter.

To create a group, click Add Group and enter a name and description. Then add users and roles as needed. When picking roles, you can choose which base groups' roles to filter out.

Roles

Roles are predefined in the system – you can't create or delete them. The Roles tab lets you search all roles and see which users and groups hold each one. Click any user or group name to navigate to it.

Entity Permissions

Entity permissions control which entities each user can see. This is completely separate from roles (which control what you can do). Navigate to Admin > Utilities > Entity Permissions.

How it works

Users and entities are organised into permission groups. Each group has an inclusion type:

• Included – users in the group can see the entities in it
• Excluded – entities are hidden from users in the group, even if visible through another group. Exclusion always wins.

The screen

Three panels: groups on the left, the selected group's entities or users in the centre, and available items to add on the right.

Managing groups

• Add Group – create a new group with a unique name and inclusion type
• Edit Group – change the name or switch between Included/Excluded (a warning explains the impact)
• Add Entities / Users – drag from the Available panel to the group, or use the add buttons
• Apply – save your changes (changes are pending until you click Apply)
• Fix Global Group – reset the global group to contain all entities and all admin users

Special groups

• Global Permissions Group – contains all entities by default (baseline visibility)
• Global Users Group – a special exclusion group for hiding users from entity lookups

Investigating permissions

Two powerful tools for troubleshooting:

• "Who can see this entity?" – select an entity and see which users have access
• "What can this user see?" – select a user and see all entities visible to them

Customer Feedback

The Customer Feedback screen collects issues and suggestions submitted by users from anywhere in the application. Navigate to Admin > Utilities > Customer Feedback.

What you'll see

Each entry shows who submitted it, when, which screen they were on, a short description, the full detail, and whether it's been archived or forwarded to PlainSail support.

Actions

• Edit – update the description or details
• Archive / Unarchive – hide from the default view (or bring it back)
• Send to PlainSail – forward the feedback to support (once sent, it can't be unsent)
• Delete – permanently remove the entry

Use the filters to search by text, and toggle Show Archived or Show Sent to include those entries.

Permissions Reference

Admin roles

• Administrator – full access to all Admin screens
• Templates_Admin – manage inventory fields and templates

Common feature roles

• Entities_Edit – edit entity records
• Entities_PaymentMethods_Create – test cheque templates
• Documents_View / Documents_ViewPracticeManagement – document access
• Billing_TimeSetup / Billing_FeeSetup – billing configuration
• Entities_Accounting_ViewPracticeManagementAccounts – month-end override utility
• Feedback_Edit – manage customer feedback
• Reports_View – access the Reports area

Super User

Some utilities require "Super User" access, which means having any of the admin-level roles. This is slightly broader than requiring the specific Administrator role.

Complete roles reference by module

The tables below list every predefined role in PlainSail, organised by module. Use Admin > User Permissions > Roles to see which users and groups hold each role.

Dashboard

Role	Description
Dashboard_ChangeWidgets	Customise dashboard widget layout.

Entities

Role	Description
Entities_View	View entities.
Entities_Create	Create entities.
Entities_Edit	Edit entities.
Entities_EditIsAdministeredStatus	Change administered status.
Entities_EditRiskRating	Change risk rating.
Entities_SetEndDate	Set entity end date.
Entities_Shares_View	View share classes.
Entities_Shares_IssueAndCreateClasses	Manage shares.
Entities_BankAccounts_View	View bank accounts.
Entities_BankAccounts_Create	Create bank accounts.
Entities_BankAccounts_Edit	Edit bank accounts.
Entities_Debts_View	View debts.
Entities_Loans_View	View loans.
Entities_Loans_Create	Create loans.
Entities_Loans_Edit	Edit loans.
Entities_Assets_View	View fixed assets.
Entities_Assets_Create	Create fixed assets.
Entities_Assets_Edit	Edit fixed assets.
Entities_PaymentMethods_View	View payment methods.
Entities_PaymentMethods_Create	Create payment methods.
Entities_PaymentMethods_Edit	Edit payment methods.
Entities_Timeline_View	View entity timeline.
Entities_Profile_ViewPracticeManagement	View practice management entities.
Entities_TaxReporting_View	View entity-level tax reporting.

Relationships & Contact

Role	Description
Relationships_View	View relationships.
Relationships_Create	Create relationships.
Relationships_Edit	Edit relationships.
Contact_View	View contact details.
Contact_Create	Create contact details.
Contact_EditAddress	Edit addresses.
Contact_EditAddressLink	Edit address links.

Documents

Role	Description
Documents_View	View documents.
Documents_ViewPracticeManagement	View practice management documents.
DocumentTemplates_ViewCreateEdit	Manage document templates.

Inventories

Role	Description
Inventories_View	View inventories.
Inventories_ViewOtherGroups	View inventories of other groups.
Inventories_Edit	Edit inventories.
Inventories_Create	Create inventories.
Inventories_Delete	Delete inventories.
Inventories_Change_IsHidden	Change hidden status.
GlobalInventories_View	Access global inventories view.

Bookkeeping & Accounting

Role	Description
Bookkeeping_View	View bookkeeping area.
Bookkeeping_MyBatches_View	View own batches.
Bookkeeping_OtherUserBatches_View	View other users’ batches.
Bookkeeping_Invoices_Post	Post invoices.
Bookkeeping_Payments_Make	Make payments.
Bookkeeping_Scenarios_View	View scenarios.
Bookkeeping_Scenarios_Edit	Edit scenarios.
Bookkeeping_ChartOfAccounts_View	View chart of accounts.
Bookkeeping_ChartOfAccounts_Edit	Edit chart of accounts.
Bookkeeping_ChartOfAccounts_Delete	Delete chart of accounts entries.
Bookkeeping_ChartOfAccounts_AccountPlans_ViewEditDelete	Manage account plans.
Bookkeeping_BankReconciliation_BankDownloads_View	View bank downloads.
Bookkeeping_BankReconciliation_Rules_View	View reconciliation rules.
Bookkeeping_BankReconciliation_Rules_Edit	Edit reconciliation rules.
Bookkeeping_BankReconciliation_Rules_Delete	Delete reconciliation rules.
Bookkeeping_BankReconciliation_Rules_CreateGlobal	Create global reconciliation rules.
Bookkeeping_ExchangeRates_View	View exchange rates.
Bookkeeping_ExchangeRates_Edit	Edit exchange rates.
Bookkeeping_QuotedInvestments_View	View quoted investments.
Bookkeeping_QuotedInvestments_Edit	Edit quoted investments.
Bookkeeping_QuotedInvestments_Create	Create quoted investments.
Bookkeeping_UnquotedInvestments_View	View unquoted investments.
Bookkeeping_UnquotedInvestments_Edit	Edit unquoted investments.
Bookkeeping_UnquotedInvestments_Create	Create unquoted investments.
Bookkeeping_ManualJournal_InvestmentAccounts	Post journals to investment accounts.
Entities_Accounting_View	View entity accounting.
Entities_Accounting_PostJournal	Post journals.
Entities_Accounting_PostTrade	Post trades.
Entities_Accounting_ReconcileBankAccount	Reconcile bank accounts.
Entities_Accounting_ReverseBatch	Reverse batches.
Entities_Accounting_ViewTrialBalance	View trial balance.
Entities_Accounting_ViewAccountingReports	View accounting reports.
Entities_Accounting_ViewPracticeManagementAccounts	View practice management accounts.
Entities_Accounting_ChangeAccountPlan	Change account plans.
Entities_Accounting_CloseYear	Close year-end.
Entities_Accounting_Portfolio_View	View portfolios.
Entities_Accounting_Portfolio_Edit	Edit portfolios.
Entities_Accounting_Portfolio_Create	Create portfolios.

Billing

Role	Description
Billing_EnterTime	Enter time records.
Billing_HR_ViewTimeSheets	View timesheets.
Billing_HR_ApproveTimeSheets	Approve timesheets.
Billing_HR_EditTimesheets	Edit timesheets.
Timesheets_ViewAllUsersTimesheets	View all users’ timesheets.
Timesheets_ApproveOvertime	Approve overtime.
Billing_WIP_View	View WIP.
Billing_WIP_Create	Create WIP.
Billing_WIP_Edit	Edit WIP.
Billing_WIP_Finalise	Finalise WIP.
Billing_RaiseInvoices	Raise invoices.
Billing_ViewRaisedInvoices	View raised invoices.
Billing_ViewDebtors	View debtors.
Billing_TimeSetup	Time configuration.
Billing_FeeSetup	Fee configuration.
Billing_ProjectSetup	Project configuration.
Entities_Billing_View	View entity billing.
Entities_Billing_EditPreferences	Edit billing preferences.

Tax Reporting

Role	Description
TaxReport_StartManual	Start manual reports.
TaxReport_AmendDataBeforeSubmission	Amend before submission.
TaxReport_AmendDataAfterSubmission	Amend after submission.
TaxReport_VerifyData	Verify report data.
TaxReport_ApproveData	Approve report data.
TaxReport_Administer	Administer tax reporting.
Entities_TaxReporting_View	View entity tax reporting.

Screening & Digital KYC

Role	Description
Screening_View	View screening data.
Screening_Administer	Administer screening.
Screening_ChangeRequiresScreening	Change screening requirements.
DigitalKyc_View	View digital KYC.
DigitalKyc_Administer	Administer digital KYC.
DigitalKyc_CreateResetVerification	Create/reset verifications.

Reports

Role	Description
Reports_View	View reports.
Reports_ViewGlobal	View global reports.
Reports_CreateAccountingReports	Create accounting reports.

Administration

Role	Description
Administrator	Full system administrator access.
IT Admin	IT-level administrator access.
Templates_Admin	Manage templates (inventory, document, workflow).
Tasks_ViewOtherTeams	View tasks of other teams.
UserTasks_Delete	Delete user tasks.
Feedback_Edit	Edit customer feedback.
ExternalFeeds_Fetch	Fetch external feed data.
ExternalFeeds_Administer	Administer external feeds.
Workflow_Edit_Name	Edit workflow instance names.
Loans_MergeLoan	Merge loan records.
Agenda_View	View agenda.
Agenda_Create	Create agenda items.
Agenda_Edit	Edit agenda items.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• F5 – refresh the current list on most Admin screens
• Escape – close a pop-up editor or cancel editing (applies to local settings and template field editors)
• Ctrl+N or Ctrl+A – add a new field (Templates > Fields)
• Ctrl+S – save local app settings (only available in the Show Settings dialogue)

Tips & Warnings

Good to know

• Configuration changes are picked up by other users automatically within a few minutes.
• All retry operations on queued tasks are recorded in the audit trail.
• Background services are managed by a supervisor service that checks on them periodically and can restart them.
• When you delete a user who has work history, their login is disabled rather than deleting them – this preserves the audit trail.

Things to watch out for

• Blocking logins doesn't log out current users – use "Log off all users" for that, and note that logoffs can't be cancelled once started.
• Don't run the task monitor manually on a live system – having two monitors processing the same tasks can cause corruption. The Start/Stop controls are only available in test environments.
• System-level locks need individual unlocking – "Unlock All for User" skips these to prevent accidentally releasing critical bookkeeping locks.
• Changing the system currency is very unusual – it can affect historical records. A warning will appear before you can confirm.
• Entity permission changes are significant – they take effect immediately and can change what users see right away.
• The JFSC report runs in the foreground – it will keep your application busy until it completes (other users are not affected).

FAQ

Can I assign a role directly to a user?

No. Roles are always assigned to user groups. Create a group with the role you need and add the user to it.

What happens if a user is in both an Included and Excluded permission group for the same entity?

Exclusion always wins. The entity will be hidden. Remove it from the exclusion group to restore visibility.

Can I create custom roles?

No. Roles are predefined in the system. If you need a new permission, contact PlainSail support.

How do I find out what roles a user has?

Select the user on the Users tab – the detail panel shows all their groups and inherited roles. Or search the Roles tab to see who holds a specific role.

Why can't I edit the system user?

The system user is a protected internal account. It can't be edited, deleted, impersonated, or removed from the Administrators group.

What does "Fix Global Group" do?

It resets the Global Permissions Group to contain all entities and all administrator users, removing any non-admin users. If your organisation relies on non-admin users having global visibility, you'll need to re-add them afterwards.

How do I retry failed background tasks?

Go to Admin > Queued Tasks, click Show All Errors to see them, then use Retry All Errors or tick individual tasks and use Retry All Selected.

Where can I see what changed in a specific save?

In the Audit Log, find the entry and click Show Session. This shows every property that was changed, with old and new values.

How do I troubleshoot "user can't see an entity"?

How do I troubleshoot "user can't perform an action"?

How do I reset a user’s password?

PlainSail uses Windows Authentication. Password resets are managed at the Active Directory level. Contact your IT or AD administrator.

How do I set up SSO / Active Directory?

Ensure each PlainSail user’s Windows Name field matches their AD username (DOMAIN\username). PlainSail uses Windows Integrated Authentication – no additional SSO configuration is needed within PlainSail itself.

How do I back up the system?

Backups are managed at the SQL Server database level. Use SQL Server Management Studio or automated backup scripts configured by your DBA. Make sure document file storage is included in your backup strategy.

What do the system version numbers mean?

The version is displayed as Major.Minor.Patch.Build (e.g. 4.8.12.1234). Major = significant platform changes, Minor = feature releases, Patch = bug fixes, Build = the specific build number.

How do I configure email settings?

Navigate to Admin > Configuration and set the SMTP server address, port, authentication credentials, and sender address. Use the Test email utility to verify delivery.

Test Yourself

Test your admin and permissions knowledge with these 10 questions covering roles, groups, entity access, and system administration tools.