Last updated: May 14, 2026, 10:42 AM
Troubleshoot permission errors on Toast Web and Toast POS, including the Forbidden error, "can't edit permissions you don't have," expired profiles, and owner access issues.
To assign or edit another employee's permissions in Toast Web, you must have the 8.2 User Permissions permission and all of that employee's existing permissions. If you are missing even one permission that the other employee has, Toast blocks the change. Use the Quick Fix table below to go directly to your issue.
Applies to: Toast Web. All user types who manage employee permissions — managers, admins, owners, and super admins. Not applicable to Toast Payroll or POS access code (PIN) issues.
| What you're experiencing | Go to |
|---|---|
| Can't assign or edit another employee's permissions | |
| Can assign some job codes but not others | |
| Seeing "Sorry, you can't edit permissions you don't have" | |
| Seeing a Forbidden error when saving | |
| Permissions work at one location but not others | |
| Seeing "Someone needs to unlock this for you" | |
| Need owner-level access for your account | |
| Added permissions but employee still doesn't have access | FAQ: I've added permissions but the employee still doesn't have access |
If you're having trouble assigning or editing permissions, work through these steps in order. Most permission issues are resolved by step two.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Toast Web with an account that has the 8.2 User Permissions permission. You also need all of the permissions that the employee you're editing currently has.
If you're still blocked after completing these steps, find your specific error message or situation in the sections below.
Permissions in Toast control what your employees can access on the POS and in Toast Web. Rather than assigning permissions to individuals, permissions are typically assigned to a Job (also called a job code or job role). When you assign an employee to a job, they inherit the permissions for that role. The person at a restaurant who has all permissions enabled is sometimes called a "super admin" or "super user."
Inherited vs. overridden permissions:
For the full list of available permissions, see Permissions Reference Guide.
What this means: Toast requires that you have both the 8.2 User Permissions permission and every permission that the employee you're editing already has. If you can not see the permissions section for an employee profile, you do not have 8.2 User Permissions. If you are missing even one of their permissions, Toast blocks the change entirely — it does not tell you which specific permission is missing.
The Jobs and Permissions tab shows which roles are assigned to you and the permissions attached to each role. If 8.2 User Permissions appears as a gray checkbox (inherited), it is already active and you do not need to override it.
You must have every permission that the employee you're editing has, plus 8.2 User Permissions. To compare:
Expected outcome: Once your permissions match or exceed the other employee's permissions (and you have 8.2 User Permissions), you can edit their profile and assign or change permissions.
Note: If you are using Safari or Microsoft Edge, switch to Google Chrome and try again before troubleshooting further.
What this means: To assign a specific job code to an employee, you must have every permission that the job includes — not just 8.2 User Permissions. Each job in Toast has its own set of permissions. If the Server job includes permissions you don't have but the Host job only includes permissions you do have, you can assign Host but not Server.
Expected outcome: Once your permissions include every permission in the job you are trying to assign, you can assign that job to employees.
Note: If you also need to create new jobs, you must have the 4.10 Employee Jobs & Wages permission in addition to 8.2 User Permissions.
What this means: The account currently signed in to Toast Web does not have all the permissions of the employee being edited. To make a permission change, you must have that permission yourself.
This error also appears when a user has full permissions at more than one location and is trying to edit permissions for employees who have access to those same multiple locations. To proceed in that scenario, the editing user must have group-level permissions on top of the required permissions at each individual location.
Resolution:
What this means: A Forbidden error when saving permission changes means you are attempting to edit group-level permissions that you do not have yourself. This error is specific to restaurants using Multilocation Management (MLM).
Group-level permission changes cannot be made by Customer Care. Contact the owner, operator, or finance contact for your restaurant to resolve this.
If you are not part of a multilocation group and are seeing a Forbidden error, clear your browser cache and cookies, switch to Google Chrome, and try again. If the error persists, contact Customer Care.
What this means: In a Multilocation Management (MLM) setup, permissions are scoped to specific locations. You may have full permissions at Location A but limited permissions at Location B. Toast checks your permissions at the exact location you are currently editing.
Expected outcome: Once your permissions are updated at the affected location and you log back in, you should be able to manage permissions for employees at that location.
For detailed guidance on managing permissions across locations, see Get Help With MLM Employee Access & Permissions and Manage User Jobs & Permissions With MLM.
What this means: This message appears when an employee tries to log in to Toast Web but their account does not have the necessary permissions to access the page they are trying to reach.
Expected outcome: After verifying permissions or clearing the browser cache, the employee should be able to access Toast Web without the "unlock" message.
To add owner-level permissions to your account, another user at your restaurant who already has owner permissions must log in to Toast Web and update your employee profile. This change cannot be made by Customer Care — it must come from an existing owner or admin at your restaurant.
If the only owner at your restaurant is no longer available (e.g., they have left the business), contact Customer Care for assistance with account recovery. Have your restaurant's business documentation ready.
If you have worked through the steps above and still need help, have the following information ready before reaching out to Customer Care:
I added permissions to an employee's profile, but they still cannot access the feature on the POS or in Toast Web. Why?
Two common causes:
If the permissions were added for POS access, you may also need to resync the POS device. On the POS passcode screen, select the overflow menu (three dots) in the top-right corner and choose Resync Data.
Why can't I access a specific location within a multilocation group? I can access other locations but not this one.
Your location-specific permissions may not be correctly configured. In a multilocation setup, permissions are assigned per location. Contact your restaurant's administrator or owner to review and update your permissions for that specific location. See Get Help With MLM Employee Access & Permissions for more information.
I need a specific permission but don't have it. How do I get it?
Contact a manager or admin at your restaurant who has the required permissions to update your employee account. Another user at your restaurant — not Customer Care — must make this change. If you do not know who the admin is, ask your general manager or restaurant owner.
How do I give an employee the ability to increase prep time for online orders?
Bumping prep time for online orders requires the 3.29 Throttle Online Orders permission. To assign it, you must have 8.2 User Permissions and 3.29 Throttle Online Orders yourself. You can assign this at the job level (applies to all employees in that job) or the individual employee level.
To assign at the individual level:
Expected outcome: The employee can now adjust prep time for online orders on the POS.
Can I copy or clone another employee's permissions to a new employee?
Toast does not support cloning or mirroring an employee profile automatically. To match another employee's access, assign the same jobs at the same locations. Using job-based permissions (rather than individual overrides) makes this consistent and easier to maintain. For instructions on assigning jobs, see Assign User Access Permissions.
What do the gray and blue checkboxes mean in the permissions editor?
Inherited permissions come from the employee's job role. They appear as gray checkboxes and are applied automatically — do not override an already-inherited permission, as it is already active. Overridden permissions are manually set at the employee level and appear as blue checkboxes. Override when an employee needs access beyond their job role's defaults, or when you need to restrict a specific permission for one employee.
I have all the correct permissions but still see a message saying I need administrator access to make changes.
Clear your browser's cache and cookies, then log back in and try again. This is often a browser session issue rather than an actual permissions problem.
If the issue persists after clearing cache, contact Customer Care.
I'm the owner or admin and I can't create a new job role in Toast Web. Why?
Creating new jobs in Toast Web requires the 4.10 Employee Jobs & Wages permission in addition to being an owner or admin. Check your employee profile to confirm this permission is enabled.
If your restaurant uses Toast Payroll, note that job management in Toast Payroll is separate from job creation in Toast Web. Jobs created in Toast Payroll sync to Toast Web, but if you need to create a new job directly in Toast Web, you must have the appropriate permissions in Toast Web. [Information missing: requires input on whether Toast Payroll job sync to Toast Web is automatic or requires manual action]
I changed an employee's permissions in Toast Web but the POS still shows the old permissions. Do I need to restart the device?
Permission changes made in Toast Web may not immediately reflect on the POS device. To update the POS:
I accidentally removed a permission from my own employee profile and now I don't have the authority to restore it. What do I do?
You cannot add permissions to yourself that you do not currently have. Another user at your restaurant who has the permission you removed (plus 8.2 User Permissions) must re-add it to your profile. Contact your restaurant's owner or another admin to make this change.