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Understanding User Types in Sierra: Primary Manager, Manager, Agent, and Lender

A breakdown of Sierra’s four user roles, what each can do, and how permissions affect account-wide settings, lead management, and collaboration.

Summary

This article explains the four user types in Sierra: Primary Manager, Manager, Agent, and Lender, and how each user type can access and influence Sierra’s platform. You will learn who can make account-wide decisions, who can manage billing, who can create or delete leads, and how permissions impact collaboration across your team.

Table of Contents

  1. Why This Feature Matters
  2. User Types and Permissions
    1. Primary Manager
    2. Manager
    3. Agent
    4. Lender
  3. Best Practices for Assigning User Roles
  4. Troubleshooting Common Issues
  5. FAQs

Why This Feature Matters

Sierra’s permission structure ensures that the right people have the right level of control. Understanding user types helps your team operate smoothly, maintain account security, avoid unintended changes to global settings, and ensure everyone knows their responsibilities within the platform.

User Types and Permissions

Primary Manager

The Primary Manager is the highest-level user in Sierra. There can only be one Primary Manager per account.

Primary Manager capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Full access to all settings and features in Sierra
  • Authority to update billing, payment information, and request account changes
  • Ability to permanently delete leads from the CRM
  • Ability to emulate (log in as) any other user in the account
  • Ability to create system-wide content and settings, including but not limited to:
    • Global Site Settings, such as Site Registration Settings
    • Lead Routing Rules
    • Creating Action Plans, Drip Campaigns, and Contact Templates that all users can apply
    • Website content, such as Blogs and Content Pages
    • Ability to emulate Manager-level, Agent-level, and Lender-level users

The Primary Manager has ultimate control over how the entire system functions.

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Manager

A Manager is the second-highest permission level in Sierra.

Manager capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Access to all major settings in Sierra
  • Ability to influence account-wide behavior, including but not limited to:
    • Global Site Settings, such as Site Registration Settings
    • Lead Routing Rules
    • Creating Action Plans, Drip Campaigns, and Contact Templates that all users can apply
    • Website content, such as Blogs and Content Pages
  • Ability to emulate Agent-level and Lender-level users

Manager limitations:

  • Managers cannot permanently delete leads
  • Managers cannot emulate the Primary Manager or other Managers

⚠️Important: While Managers have broad access, only the Primary Manager can make account-level and irreversible changes. Some Managers may also have a special designation that allows Sierra Support to treat their requests like those of the Primary Manager. This designation is shown by a red asterisk and does not change the Manager’s permissions within the CRM.

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Agent

Agent-level users are focused on managing their own leads and workflows.

Agent capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Managing their own leads and communication
  • Creating Action Plans, Drip Campaigns, and Contact Templates for personal use
  • Creating content (such as blog posts) for the main website if granted permission, including but not limited to:
    • Blog posts
    • Content Pages
    • Other approved content types
      • Published content becomes visible to all site visitors
  • Using all lead engagement and CRM tools available to their role

Agent limitations:

  • Cannot change account-wide settings
  • Cannot influence how other users use the platform
  • Cannot create system-wide Action Plans, Drip Campaigns, or content

  • Cannot emulate any users

Agents operate independently without affecting other users' workflows.

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Lender

Lender-level users have very similar permissions to Agent-level users and are focused on collaborating within the CRM as a lending partner.

Lender capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Managing their assigned or shared leads
  • Using their own tools within the CRM to communicate and track activity
  • Creating personal Action Plans, Drip Campaigns, and Contact Templates
  • Creating website content, if granted permission, including but not limited to:

    • Blog posts
    • Content Pages
    • Other approved content types
      • Published content appears on the main website for all visitors

Lender limitations:

  • No influence over Global Site Settings
  • Cannot create system-wide resources
  • Cannot emulate any users

Lenders have personal-level control but cannot impact the broader account structure.

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Best Practices

  • Assign the Primary Manager role only to the person responsible for business operations, billing, and account governance, and do not share Primary Manager login credentials with anyone. This helps protect account security and prevents unintended changes to critical settings.
  • Grant Manager permissions to trusted operational leaders who need to manage system-wide settings or assist agents.
  • Set expectations with Agents and Lenders that their content and workflows are personal unless permissions extend to public-facing content.
  • Use emulation by the Primary Manager or Managers to support users, troubleshoot issues, or provide coaching while maintaining secure access.
  • Review user roles periodically to ensure permissions still match team responsibilities.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Issue: An Agent created an Action Plan, but another user cannot see it.
    Agent-level and Lender-level Action Plans are personal. Only Managers and the Primary Manager can create global Action Plans.
  • Issue: A lead was deleted and is missing from the CRM.
    Only the Primary Manager can permanently delete leads. If a lead is missing, check whether the Primary Manager recently made deletion changes.
  • Issue: A Manager cannot emulate the Primary Manager.
    Managers cannot emulate the Primary Manager or other Managers. Only the Primary Manager can emulate all users.
  • Issue: Website content unexpectedly appeared on the main site.
    If Agents or Lenders have permission to create content, published items are public-facing. Review permissions if this should be restricted.

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FAQs

  • Can we have more than one Primary Manager?
    No. Each account can have only one Primary Manager.
  • Can a Manager do everything a Primary Manager can do?
    Almost, but Managers cannot delete leads and cannot make billing or account ownership changes.
  • Can Agents or Lenders create content for the website?
    Yes, but only if they have been granted permission. Their content becomes visible on the main site.
  • Who should set Lead Routing Rules?
    Lead Routing Rules should be set by the Primary Manager or a Manager, as these rules impact the entire team.
  • Can an Agent ever impact other users?
    No. Agents can only modify their individual workflows and settings.

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