> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.onform.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.onform.com/programs/staff-seats-and-access/access-and-access-requests.md).

# Access and access requests

Choose whether staff work with every athlete or only the ones you give them, share athletes through Collections, and request or approve access.

Works on: iPhone, iPad, Android and web. **Access Control** and access requests are for organizations that have **Manage Organization**.

In an organization, your staff work with the athletes and teams they have access to. This page explains the ways a coach gets access, how an admin decides who sees whom, and how a coach asks for access to an athlete they can't open yet.

## How a coach gets access to an athlete

A staff member can work with an athlete or team when any of these is true:

* **They share a workspace.** They're a member of the athlete's or team's workspace.
* **They're in a Collection with that athlete.** Every staff member a Collection is shared with works with every athlete in it, including athletes added later.
* **An admin approved their request.**
* **They have universal access.** Either your organization lets all staff work with all athletes, or an admin turned on **Universal access** for that person.
* **They're an admin.** Admins can always work with every athlete and team in the organization.

## Choose who staff can work with (admins)

If your organization has **Manage Organization**, you choose one of two settings:

| Setting                             | What it means                                                                                             |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **All athletes and teams**          | Every staff member can work with every athlete and team in the organization.                              |
| **Only granted athletes and teams** | Staff can find any athlete or team, but only work with the ones they have access to (see the list above). |

To change it:

1. Make sure you're in your organization, then tap the account switcher. It's at the bottom of Home on iPhone and iPad, and at the top on Android and web.
2. Tap **Manage Organization**, then **Access Control**.
3. Under **Who Staff Can Work With**, choose **All athletes and teams** or **Only granted athletes and teams**.
4. Confirm with **Limit Access** or **Allow Everyone**. The change applies straight away.

On the same screen, **Who Can Create Workspaces** sets whether staff can add new athletes and teams with **+**, or only admins can (**Only organization admins**). If only admins can, your coaches find athletes by searching instead.

### Give one coach access to everyone

With **Only granted athletes and teams**, you can still let a trusted coach work with every athlete:

1. In **Manage Organization**, tap **Staff**, then tap the coach's name.
2. Under **Access**, turn on **Universal access**.

## Give a coach their athletes (admins)

**A group of athletes:** share a Collection with them. Open the Collection's menu, tap **Edit Collection**, then tap **Share With Staff Members** (or **Manage Staff Access** if it's already shared) and add the coach. You can also choose Collections when you first add a staff member.

**One athlete or team:**

1. Open the athlete's or team's workspace.
2. Open the workspace menu: on iPhone and iPad, tap the three dots next to the workspace name (or touch and hold the workspace on Home); on Android and web, tap the menu at the top.
3. Tap **Add Existing Staff Member** and choose the coach.

**Taking access away:** in **Manage Staff** (or **Manage Organization** > **Staff**), tap the coach's name. Their workspaces and Collections are listed there, and you can remove them from a workspace or a Collection. If a workspace says it's managed by a Collection, remove the coach from that Collection instead.

## Request access to an athlete (coaches)

If your organization uses **Only granted athletes and teams**, you can still find every athlete and team. To work with one you don't have access to yet:

1. On the Home screen, open search: tap the magnifying glass at the top on iPhone and iPad, or the search bar at the top on Android and web.
2. Search for the athlete, team or Collection.
3. Tap **Request access**.

Your request goes to your organization's admins, and the row shows **Waiting on an admin** (iPhone and iPad) or **PENDING** (Android and web). When an admin approves it, you're notified and the athlete's workspace appears on your Home screen. Changed your mind? Tap the request to cancel it.

You might also see **Request access** inside a workspace, if athletes you don't have access to are added to it.

## Approve requests (admins)

When coaches ask for access, a red number appears on the account switcher.

1. Tap the account switcher, then **Manage Organization**. It shows how many requests are waiting.
2. Tap **Access Control** and scroll to **Access Requests**.
3. For each request under **Pending**, tap **Approve** or **Ignore**.

Ignored requests move to **Ignored**, where you can still **Approve** them later or **Discard** them. Approved requests are listed under **Approved**.

## If something goes wrong

| What you see                                                              | What to do                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| A coach can't find an athlete on their Home screen                        | They may not have access yet. Share a Collection with them, add them to the athlete's workspace, or ask them to request access. Also check they're in your organization, not their **Personal Account**.     |
| You can't find **Access Control**                                         | It's inside **Manage Organization**. If your account switcher shows **Manage Staff** instead, your organization doesn't have it yet. Give coaches access with Collections and **Add Existing Staff Member**. |
| A coach doesn't see **+** on the Home screen                              | Your organization may let only admins create workspaces. An admin can change this under **Who Can Create Workspaces**, or add the athlete for them.                                                          |
| You see **Request access** on videos that are already in your own Library | Email <support@onform.com> with the name of the athlete or workspace, and we'll look into it.                                                                                                                |
| An approved coach still can't open the athlete                            | Ask them to close Onform completely and open it again, or sign out and back in.                                                                                                                              |

## Related

* [Staff, seats and roles](/programs/staff-seats-and-access/staff-seats-and-roles.md)
* [When to use individuals, teams or Collections](/programs/teams-and-rosters/when-to-use-individuals-teams-or-collections-to-stay-organized.md)
* [Set up your organization](/programs/set-up-your-organization/set-up-your-organization.md)
* [Quick start: coach in your program](https://github.com/Onform-Inc/onform-docs/tree/main/get-started/start-here/staff-coach.md)
* [Switch between your organization and your Personal Account](/programs/teams-and-rosters/organizations-and-personal-account.md)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://help.onform.com/programs/staff-seats-and-access/access-and-access-requests.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.