How to Use Ninety's Directory

In Ninety, all user and team management flows through the Directory. It's where Owners, Admins, Managers, and Coaches add new users, assign roles, organize team membership, and remove access when someone leaves. The Directory is available on all plans, including Free, and is accessible to users in all roles.

Where to find the Directory

The Directory is in the left navigation under the Knowledge section. On smaller screens, the left navigation can extend below the visible area, so you may need to hover over the sidebar and scroll down to find it.

On the Ninety mobile app, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of My 90, then tap Directory.

User roles and what they mean

Roles in Ninety are company-wide, not team-specific. A user cannot be an Admin on one team and an Observer on another. Whatever role a person holds, they hold it across the entire account.

For the full permissions matrix by tool and action, see User Roles and Permissions.

Adding and inviting users

Standard invite

To add a new user to your account:

1. Click Add Teammates from the left navigation.
2. Select the user's role from the Role access dropdown.
3. Enter their email address.
4. Select their team(s) from the Team(s) dropdown.
5. Click Add teammates to finish, or click Add another user to continue adding more.
    

The new user will receive an activation email from helpful@ninety.io. After they activate their account, they can add their name to their profile in the Directory.

Adding inactive users (no email required)

To add someone to the Directory without giving them platform access, such as a contractor, board member, or employee who should appear on The Accountability Chart but doesn't use Ninety:

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Click + Add Person in the upper right.
3. Set Role access to Inactive.
4. Enter the person's first and last name. An email address is optional for inactive users.
5. Click Save.
    

Inactive users appear in the Directory, can be assigned to Seats on the Accountability Chart, and can be selected in team dropdowns, but they cannot log in to Ninety.

Bulk importing users via CSV

Owners and Admins can import multiple users at once using the CSV upload tool. To start from the Directory, click Import users via CSV in the upper right. To start from Company Settings, go to Company Settings > Data Import.

For step-by-step instructions on preparing and uploading the template, see Bulk Importing Users to Ninety.

Managing user roles

To change a user's role:

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Find the user's row.
3. Click the Role dropdown in their row.
4. Select the new role. Changes save automatically.

Who can change what:

• Owners can change any user's role, including other Owners.
• Admins can change most roles, but cannot change an Owner's role or elevate someone to Owner.
• Managers can change the roles of Team Members (Managees), Observers, and Inactive users only.
   

If the role dropdown is greyed out, your role doesn't have permission to change that person's role. An Owner or Admin will need to make the change.

Changing your own role by accident. If you accidentally lower your own permissions (for example, by changing yourself from Admin to Observer), you won't be able to restore your access. Contact support with your name, email, and company name to request restoration.

Transferring account ownership. When an Owner leaves the company, a current Owner should elevate a trusted team member to Owner before departing. If no Owner is available to make the change, contact support. For security reasons, ownership changes require verification by another account holder.

Creating and managing teams

Teams organize how content and access work in Ninety. Each team has its own Rocks, Scorecard, Meetings, Issues, To-Dos, and Headlines pages. Users can only see content for teams they belong to, except for Owners and Admins, who can see all non-private team content regardless of team membership.

Owners, Admins, Managers, and Coaches can create teams.

To create a new team:

1. Click your name at the bottom of the left navigation.
2. Click Teams (Managers) or Company Settings (Owners and Admins).
3. Click Create Team.
4. Enter the team name.
5. Click Add.
    

Team types

• Leadership Team. Each Ninety account has exactly one Leadership Team (LT). The LT owns the organization's Vision/Traction Organizer® (V/TO®), including Core Values, Core Focus, 10-Year Target, and Go to Market Strategy. Only the LT can create Company Rocks. The Leadership Team cannot be set to Private or changed to a Project team type.
• Departmental Team. The default team type. Departmental teams have access to all the same tools as the LT, but they cannot edit the organization-level V/TO sections. They can create their own team-level vision and track long-term Issues.
• Project Team. Same access as a departmental team, but without the ability to create a V/TO. Best for cross-functional work tied to the company's existing vision rather than requiring a new one. To set a team as a Project team, go to Company Settings > Teams and click the checkbox in the Project column.
• Private Team. Content in a private team is visible only to its members. Owners, Admins, and Coaches can see that a private team exists on the Teams page in Company Settings, but they cannot view its content (Rocks, Issues, Scorecards, and so on) unless they add themselves to the team. Owners and Admins can add themselves to any private team at any time. To set a team to private, go to Company Settings > Teams and check the Private checkbox.

For full details on team types and setup, see Creating New Teams.

Adding and removing users from teams

Adding users to a team

For Owners, Admins, and Coaches (via Directory):

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Find the user's row.
3. Click their Teams dropdown.
4. Check the team(s) to add them to.
5. Click away from the dropdown to save automatically.

For Owners, Admins, and Coaches (via Teams settings):

1. Click your name at the bottom of the left navigation.
2. Click Teams.
3. Click the team you want to add members to.
4. Click the profile icon next to "Team Members."
5. Search for and select the user(s).
6. Click OK.

For Managers (via Directory):

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Find the user's row.
3. Click their Teams dropdown.
4. Check the team(s) to add them to.
5. Click away from the dropdown to save automatically.

For more details, see Adding Users to a Team.

Removing users from a team

For Owners, Admins, and Coaches (via Teams settings):

1. Click your name at the bottom of the left navigation.
2. Click Teams.
3. Click the team from which you want to remove a member.
4. Click the trashcan icon next to the user.

For Owners, Admins, Coaches, and Managers (via Directory):

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Find the user's row.
3. Click their Teams dropdown.
4. Uncheck the team to remove them from it.
5. Click away from the dropdown to save automatically.

For more details, see Removing Users from a Team.

Deactivating and deleting users

When someone no longer needs access to Ninety, you have two options: deactivate them or delete them.

• Deactivating removes their login access but keeps them in the Directory. Their name still appears on The Accountability Chart and in historical content. Deactivated users can be reactivated later.
• Deleting permanently removes them from the account. They lose login access and are removed from the Directory entirely. Any incomplete items (Rocks, To-Dos, Issues, Headlines) remain on the team for reassignment. Archived content stays in the archive under the previous user's name.

To deactivate or delete a user:

1. Click Directory from the left navigation.
2. Click the user's name (you may need to search for them first).
3. Click Deactivate User or Delete User.

Owners and Admins can deactivate or delete most users. Only Owners can deactivate or delete other Owners.

Transferring a license. To replace a departing user with a new one without incurring an extra license charge, deactivate or delete the departing user first, then invite the new user. Inviting the new user before removing the old one may cause a temporary overage.

"Can't take action on that role" error. This means your role doesn't have permission to deactivate that user. Admins cannot deactivate or delete Owners. If you're an Admin trying to deactivate an Owner, ask another Owner to make the change or contact support.

For full instructions, see Delete or Deactivate a User.

What's in the Directory tool

The articles below cover each feature and workflow in detail.

Adding and Inviting Users to Your Account: How to invite new users by email, add inactive users without a login, resend invitations, copy unique invite links, and activate accounts. Also covers updating email addresses.

Bulk Importing Users to Ninety: How to use the CSV Data Import tool to add multiple users to your account at once, including downloading and completing the template and assigning roles and teams during the upload.

User Roles and Permissions: The full permissions matrix for every role in Ninety, broken down by tool. The authoritative reference for what each role can and cannot do across Rocks, Scorecard, Issues, Meetings, The Accountability Chart, and more.

Creating New Teams: How to create a new team, choose its type (Leadership, Departmental, Project, or Private), and manage team membership and settings.

Adding Users to a Team: Step-by-step instructions for adding an existing user to a team via the Directory or via Teams settings, including role-specific paths for Owners, Admins, and Managers.

Removing Users from a Team: How to remove a user from a specific team without removing them from the account, including the Manager limitation on team access.

Delete or Deactivate a User: When to deactivate versus delete, what happens to a user's content in each case, and how to reduce your license count after removing a user.

Invite Your Implementer: How to add a Professional EOS Implementer® or business coach to your account using the Coach (Implementer) role, what that role can and cannot do, and how to remove an Implementer when needed.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Directory? I don't see it in my navigation.

On our web app, the Directory is in the left navigation under the Knowledge section. The left sidebar can extend below the visible area, so hover over the sidebar and scroll down to find it. On the Ninety mobile app, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of My 90, then tap Directory.

Can I add someone to The Accountability Chart who isn't in Ninety?

Yes. Add them to the Directory with the Inactive role. No email address is required for inactive users. Once added, they can be assigned to Seats on The Accountability Chart and will appear in team dropdowns, but they cannot log in to Ninety.

How do I change a user's email address?

Only the user themselves can update their own email address in Ninety. Users can do this by going to their profile icon (bottom left) > User Settings > Contact tab > editing the email field and confirming with a verification code. Admins and Owners cannot change another user's email. Users who log in with Google or Microsoft SSO cannot change their email through the app and will need to contact support.

I deactivated a user, but we're still being charged. Why?

Deactivating a user alone does not reduce your license count. After deactivating, go to your profile icon (bottom left) > Billing > Manage Licenses and lower the quantity to match your current active paid users. Both steps are required for your bill to decrease.

Why can't I delete or deactivate a user? The option is greyed out.

The most common cause is a permissions mismatch. Admins cannot deactivate or delete Owners. Managers cannot deactivate or delete anyone. If you're an Admin trying to act on an Owner's account, ask another Owner to make the change or contact support.

Can I limit what an Admin or Owner can see?

Not directly. Admins and Owners can see and edit all non-private team content regardless of their team assignments. The only way to limit their visibility is to make the relevant teams Private. Owners and Admins can still see that a private team exists and add themselves to any private team at any time. Once they join, they can view that team's content.

Can I have more than one Owner?

Yes. Ninety supports multiple Owners, and having at least two is a good practice for continuity if one person leaves.

How do I transfer account ownership when the Owner leaves?

An active Owner can change another user's role to Owner at any time in the Directory. If the Owner has already left and no one else has Owner access, contact support. For security, Ninety requires verification from another account holder before making ownership changes on the backend.

A deleted user is still showing in a team. How do I remove them?

If a user still appears after you removed them, they may have been deactivated rather than deleted. Search for them in the Directory. If they appear, click their name and select Delete User. If they don't appear in the Directory at all but are still visible in a team, contact support.