User Roles Explained: Administrator vs Auditor vs User
The three user roles in approval software are Administrator (full control: workflows, vendors, users, settings), Auditor (read-only visibility of everything, action rights nowhere), and User (submit requests, approve assigned stages).
Three roles sound too simple for a serious system — until you notice what the simplicity buys: every combination of powers is either structurally allowed or structurally impossible, with nothing left to policy or memory. This guide covers what each role does and how the model enforces segregation of duties. Part of the user management guide.
The three roles, side by side
| Capability | Administrator | Auditor | User |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submit requests | Yes | No | Yes |
| Approve assigned stages | Yes | No | Yes |
| Build workflows | Yes | No | No |
| Manage vendors | Yes | No | No |
| Invite / deactivate users | Yes | No | No |
| See all requests & reports | Yes | Yes — read-only | Own submissions + assigned approvals |
| Edit audit trail | No — nobody can | No | No |
Why the Auditor role exists
Most systems offer admin and user, and give auditors an admin login "just to look." That's a control failure: anyone with read-everything plus do-anything is one bad day from an evidence problem. The dedicated Auditor role gives compliance teams, external accountants, and board members complete visibility with zero action rights — they can see every request, dashboard, and report, and can change nothing. Oversight without exposure.
How the roles enforce segregation of duties
The three-role model maps directly onto the conflicting powers that create fraud risk: the person who builds the workflow (admin) can be different from the person who approves through it (user), and the person who watches both (auditor) can act in neither. Combined with the rule that requesters never approve their own requests, the model makes the classic one-person schemes structurally impossible rather than procedurally discouraged: Segregation of Duties in Accounts Payable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between an administrator and an auditor?
Administrators control the system — workflows, vendors, users, settings. Auditors see everything and control nothing. The distinction is what makes oversight safe.
Can an administrator edit the audit trail?
No — and that's a design property, not a permission. The hash-chained trail is immutable for every role, including the highest.
How many roles does a small team need?
All three, even at ten people: one admin, the rest users, and an auditor login for your accountant. The roles cost nothing and the oversight is free.
Approvdit runs the three-role model with read-only Auditor access and an audit trail no role can edit — including Administrator. Book a live demo.