# Workspaces & Switching

## Overview

A workspace is a self-contained space for one business or one client. Everything you do happens inside the workspace you currently have selected: its connected WhatsApp channel, contacts, conversations, broadcasts, flows, templates, team members, plan, and billing all live in that one box and never leak into another. This lets a marketing agency run a separate workspace per client, and a SaaS founder give every customer their own.

Switching workspaces re-scopes the whole app in one click — the inbox, devices, billing, and dashboard all change to show only the selected workspace. Your role is set per workspace, so the same person can be an owner in one workspace and an agent in another.

> Sealed by design. A contact, device, or campaign that belongs to "Acme Co." is invisible from "Bloomly Marketing", even when both workspaces are owned by the same person. Each workspace also has its own WhatsApp channel — one can run on the Unofficial API while another uses the WhatsApp Cloud API or Twilio.

Every workspace keeps the following separate from all others:

Property | What it covers
--- | ---
Channel | The WhatsApp connection (Unofficial API, WhatsApp Cloud API, or Twilio) and its connected numbers.
Plan & billing | The subscription plan, free-trial window, message/device/user limits, and which features are unlocked.
Contacts & conversations | The contact list, opt-in state, the Team Inbox, and chat history.
Content & automation | Templates, broadcasts, campaigns, flows, auto-replies, and scheduled messages.
Team & roles | The members invited to the workspace and the role each one holds inside it.
Branding & settings | Brand color, timezone, business hours, message footer, language, data residency, and notification preferences.

## Your First Workspace

You do not create your first workspace manually. When you register, WaDesk creates one for you automatically. By default it is named after you — for example "Bohecil's workspace" — and you are added as its owner.

The default workspace starts on the Starter plan with a free-trial window so you can explore every feature before committing. From a fresh workspace, the recommended path is:

1. Connect a WhatsApp channel from the Devices screen (see Connecting a Channel). Until a number is online, the dashboard stays empty.
2. Review your Dashboard to confirm data is flowing.
3. Decide whether to keep the auto-generated name or rename the workspace from Settings.
4. Invite teammates and assign roles (see Team Members & Roles).

> Tip: The compact workspace button in the header drops the owner's name prefix — "Bohecil's workspace" shows simply as Workspace. The full name still appears in the button's tooltip and in the dropdown, so multiple workspaces stay easy to tell apart.

## Creating Another Workspace

To run a second business or client, create a new workspace. There are two ways in, both opening the Create workspace page:

- The workspace switcher in the header → Create new workspace at the bottom of the dropdown.
- The user (avatar) menu in the top-right → Create workspace.

### Step by step

1. Open Create new workspace from the switcher.
2. Fill in the form on the left (see the field table below). Only the name is required.
3. Review the right-hand panel — it lists your existing workspaces (click any to switch to it) and a reminder that each workspace is sealed.
4. Click Create workspace.

Field | Required | Validation / notes
--- | --- | ---
Workspace name | Yes | The friendly label your team sees at the top of the app, e.g. Bloomly Marketing. Up to 120 characters.
Industry | No | E-commerce, SaaS, agency, education, healthcare, finance, travel, hospitality, or other.
Team size | No | A rough range (1, 2–5, 6–20, 21–100, 100+).
Timezone | No | Any timezone (type to search). Defaults to Asia/Kolkata. Used by scheduling and business hours.

When you submit, WaDesk:

1. Checks the workspaces-per-owner limit on your current plan. If you are at the limit, creating is blocked and you are pointed to upgrade.
2. Creates the workspace on the Starter plan with the default brand color and attaches you as its owner.
3. Makes it your current workspace, lands you on the Dashboard with a success message, and adds a "Workspace created" entry to your notifications.

> Plan limit: The number of workspaces a single owner can create is capped by your current plan. If you hit the limit, WaDesk blocks the create action and points you to upgrade. Platform admins are never limited.

## The Workspace Switcher

The switcher is the button on the left side of the top header, just after the logo. It shows which workspace you are currently in and is the fastest way to move between them. It appears only when you are signed in and have an active workspace.

The button has three parts:

- A small square tile showing the first two letters of the workspace name (e.g. BO for "Bohecil's workspace"), tinted with the workspace's brand color, so each one is easy to tell apart.
- The workspace name — with the owner's name prefix dropped, and shortened with an ellipsis if it is long.
- A chevron that opens the dropdown.

Click the button to open the Your workspaces dropdown. It lists every workspace you belong to, most recently active first, each with its colored tile and name. A checkmark and a highlight show the one you are currently in.

> Note: A "Create new workspace" link sits at the bottom of the dropdown for quick access.

## Switching Between Workspaces

To switch, open the switcher dropdown and click the workspace you want. WaDesk sets it as your current workspace and reloads into that tenant's data — the Dashboard, Team Inbox, contacts, and every other screen now reflect the selected workspace only.

1. Click the workspace button in the header.
2. Pick a workspace from the Your workspaces list.
3. The app re-scopes instantly; the button updates to the new name and color.

### How switching works

When you switch, WaDesk:

1. Confirms you are a member — you can only switch into a workspace you actually belong to. A request for one you are not a member of is ignored, so the switcher cannot be used to jump into someone else's workspace.
2. Sets it as your current workspace and moves it to the top of the switcher list.
3. Records the entry (with IP and device) on the Activity Log, unless you re-selected the same workspace.

> Why switching matters: Because data is sealed per workspace, switching is how you "log in" to a different client without signing out. It also changes which WhatsApp channel is active — so a broadcast you compose after switching uses the new workspace's channel, not the previous one.

> Trial & switching: If a workspace's free trial has expired, its feature pages are blocked — but workspace switching stays open on purpose. You can always switch out of an expired-trial workspace into another (non-expired) one without being trapped. See Plans & Free Trial.

## Roles Inside a Workspace

A workspace is meant to be shared. Beyond the owner, you can invite teammates and give each one a role that controls what they can see and do inside that workspace. Roles are per-workspace — being "Manager in Acme" does not make you a Manager in any other workspace.

WaDesk has five roles in a strict hierarchy. The navigation adapts to each member's role, so a button they cannot use never appears:

Role | Rank | Typical access
--- | --- | ---
Owner | 100 | Everything — settings, devices, billing, campaigns, flows, and team management.
Admin | 80 | Everything the owner has except billing; can invite members.
Manager | 60 | Dashboard, Chat, Templates, Analytics, all inbox queues; manages tags and saved replies.
Agent | 40 | The Team Inbox — their team and assigned conversations; reply, note, resolve, snooze, tag.
Viewer | 20 | Read-only access to their team's queue and assigned conversations.

Each screen has a minimum role (for example the Dashboard needs Manager, and Broadcasts need Admin). Agents and Viewers who open a higher-tier page are gently redirected to the Team Inbox rather than shown a dead-end error. For the full capability list and how to invite, see Team Members & Roles.

> Tip: Invited members switch into your workspace using the same switcher described above — it lists every workspace they belong to, whether they own it or were invited. A brand-new invited user is auto-switched into your workspace on their first login.

## Troubleshooting

Symptom | Likely cause & fix
--- | ---
"Create workspace" is blocked or errors | You have hit the workspaces-per-owner limit on your current plan. Upgrade your plan, or delete an unused workspace. Platform admins are never limited.
The switcher button is missing from the header | The switcher appears only when you are signed in and have an active workspace. If you are mid-registration with no workspace yet, finish signing up first.
A workspace I expect is not in the dropdown | The list shows only workspaces you are a member of. Ask the owner to invite you, or confirm you were not removed.
I switched but the data did not change | The switch is rejected if you are not a member of the target workspace. Confirm membership; re-open the dropdown and pick again.
Feature pages are blocked in one workspace | That workspace's free trial has likely expired. Switch into another workspace (switching always works), or buy a plan from Account → Plans.
Two workspaces show the same two-letter tile | The tile is the first two letters of the name. Rename one workspace from Settings, or set a distinct brand color so the tiles differ by tint.

## Next Steps

With a workspace selected, the natural path forward is:

- Connecting a Channel — pair WhatsApp via the Unofficial API, Cloud API, or Twilio.
- Dashboard Overview — read your KPIs and confirm messages are flowing.
- Plans & Free Trial — understand the trial window and how to upgrade.
- Team Members & Roles — invite teammates and assign per-workspace roles.