How to Manage the Privileges of Contact Collaborators?

When a contact list is shared, the owner of the list can select which permission collaborators are given. ‘View Only’ – the default one- lets them email, call, or message the shared contacts, which will appear in autocomplete fields across Gmail, Calendar, and other Google Workspace apps.

However, this permission doesn’t allow to add new contacts, edit or delete existing ones. To enable these actions, the owner must give them a higher permission level during the initial sharing or changentheir privileges to a higher permission.

 For a detailed explanation of each permission type, refer to this article.

Steps to Change Collaborator Permissions

  1. Log in to your shared contacts manager from the Shared Contacts for Gmail™ website.

    Click on the “Sign in with Google” button in the top right corner of this page.

  2. Locate the relevant contact list and click the share (enter image description here) icon associated with it.

    find the label where you want change permission

  3. Identify the collaborator whose permissions you wish to change, then click the dropdown next to their current permission level.

  4. Select the new permission level as appropriate.

  5. Click Save to confirm the changes and close the dialog.

Once updated, the collaborator will immediately have access to the capabilities granted by their new permission level.

FAQ

Can I assign different permission levels to each group member?

No. When you share a contact label with a group, all members inherit the same permission level. If you need different access levels for each person, you’ll need to unshare the label from the group and re-share it with each user individually, assigning the appropriate permissions.

Do permission changes take effect immediately for collaborators?

Yes, changes are applied instantly in the app. Collaborators will immediately gain the new access rights. If they’re updating in a third-party app like Google Contacts, you can click the ‘Sync’ button at the top of your dashboard to trigger immediate changes.

Learn more about instant sync here.

What’s the difference between ‘Editor’ and ‘Can Delete’ permissions?

Editor: Can add new contacts to the shared label and update existing contact information.
Can Delete: Includes all ‘Editor’ rights, plus the ability to remove contacts from the shared label.

See the full breakdown of permissions here.