CLM Users and Roles – CounselLink Clients

This article covers the following:

Roles in CLM
Adding a CLM User
Reassigning Roles
Creating and Editing Teams
Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Roles in CLM

CLM access has two parts: what a user can do and what a user can see.

System roles define baseline permissions in CLM Administration.
Document-level roles apply only within a specific contract or document.
Access filters can further limit visibility by values such as Region, Contract Category, Department, Contract Country, and Contract Entity.

A user may have permission to work in CLM but only see the contracts that match their assigned access.

Role Guide

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) uses the following roles:

Role	Description
Chief Negotiator	Actively runs negotiations and moves contracts forward.. By default, Chief Negotiators can view only contracts they create. Capabilities: Invite users to contract documents Accept redlines Conduct negotiations Move contracts through stages
Contract Manager	Manages executed contracts and maintains contract records. By default, they can view and edit only contracts they add, unless combined with a Viewer role. Capabilities: Update the contract information Add executed contracts
Viewer and Viewer Plus	Users who need visibility without negotiation authority. Viewer provides read-only access to all company contracts or a defined subset. Viewer Plus provides view and download access to all company contracts or a defined subset.
Requester	Can create contract requests and edit them until they are converted into contracts. Once converted, the Requester cannot edit the contract or its documents. Only see requests they create and the contracts generated from those requests.
Admin	Users who configure CLM. They can manage: Fields Integrations Workflows Templates

Document-level Roles

Document-level roles are different from system roles.

Lead manages document negotiation. Leads can invite users to the document, create internal and external discussions, accept proposed text changes, and close discussions.
Reviewer reviews and comments without owning negotiation.

Use document-level roles when someone needs access to a specific contract, not broader access across CLM.

Combining Roles

Roles can be combined to expand access.

Chief Negotiator + Viewer lets a negotiator view contracts they did not create.
Chief Negotiator + Viewer Plus adds download access.
Contract Manager + Viewer or Viewer Plus extends visibility beyond contracts they personally added.
Chief Negotiator + Admin or Contract Manager + Admin adds configuration privileges.

Adding a User in CLM

You can add users, assign system roles, and define contract access parameters.

Document-level roles assigned within a specific contract differ from system roles assigned in CLM Administration.

Access to contracts can also be controlled by:

Region
Contact Category
Department
Contact country
Contract entity

Click +Add User at the top of the User Search page. See this topic for more information on how to add a new user.

Or, edit an existing user by Edit Roles from their User Profile page.
In the Add new user window, enter the user’s information. Or, if you are editing a user, make the selections as necessary.
Select the appropriate role(s).
Click Update .

After roles are assigned, users receive an email notification with a secure login link.

Reassigning User Roles in CLM

If you deactivate a user, you may need to reassign their contract responsibilities.

Find the user.
Open the Roles tab on their User Profile page.
Click Delegate Responsibilities under the Contract Responsibilities section..

The Delegate Contract Responsibilities page displays.
Select a replacement user or team from the dropdown. Click the information icon to review which roles will be reassigned.
Optional: Click See Contract to view affected contracts.
Click Save.

Creating and Editing CLM Teams

A team consists of two or more CLM users grouped together. Teams can:

Receive notifications
Participate in contract routing or approval workflows
Be invited as reviewers or leads on contracts

You can create or edit teams from the Teams tab on the Administration page.

You must have the CLM Admin role to create and edit teams.

Creating a New Team

Click + New Team. The Team edit page displays.
Enter a name for the team.
Optional: Enter a description for the team.
Click +Add Members to search and find users to add. You can select from the drop down or type in a specific email address in the field.
Click Add.
Click Save.

Editing an Existing Team

Click the name of the team from the list.
Edit the team name or the description if necessary.
Perform one of the following:
- Add a member
  1. Click +Add Members. The Add Members window displays.
  2. Select one or more users.
  3. Click Add.
- Delete a member
  - Click the three vertical dots at the end of the row for the user.
  - Click Delete.
Click Save.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Why can’t a user see a contract?

Start with three checks:

Do they have the right system role?
Were they added with the right document-level role, if access is contract-specific?
Do their access filters allow them to see that contract? CLM access can be restricted by Region, Contract Category, Department, Contract Country, and Contract Entity.

What’s the difference between a system role and a document-level role?

A system role controls what a user can do across CLM. A document-level role controls what they can do inside a specific contract or document. CLM explicitly treats these as different types of access.

When should I combine roles?

Combine roles when a user needs broader visibility than their base role provides. For example, a Contract Manager who needs to see more than the contracts they added should also have a Viewer role.

When should I use a team instead of adding people one by one?

Use a team when the same group regularly needs notifications, approval routing, or reviewer/lead access on contracts.

CounselLink Answer Center for Clients