This article explains the difference between internal and external users in Lumiform, how licenses work, and which permissions each user type has.
Overview
Lumiform distinguishes between two types of users:
- Internal users
These users have a registered email address inside the Lumiform platform. A paid license is required for each internal user, no matter how limited their permissions are. - External users
These users do not have access to the Lumiform applications and do not require a paid license. They interact with Lumiform only through links or emails when actions or reports are shared with them.
Internal Users
Internal users are part of your organization or have been invited into your Lumiform workspace with any level of permissions.
Definition:
An internal user is identified by an email address that is invited and registered in the Lumiform platform. This includes users with full permissions as well as users who receive heavily restricted access.
Key points:
- Requires a paid license
- Applies to any user who has login access, even if their permissions are limited
- Can log into the web and mobile applications
- Has feature access based on the assigned role and your plan
- One license cannot be shared across multiple people at the same time
- Administrators can remove an email address from a license and reassign it at any time
- External partners can be invited to the platform with restricted permissions, but they count as internal users for licensing purposes
External Users
External users are people who only need to receive or update information and do not need access to the Lumiform platform.
Definition:
An external user has no Lumiform login and does not use a license.
Key points:
- Does not require a paid license
- Cannot log into the Lumiform web or mobile applications
- Can interact with actions, submitted forms, and analytics only through email or view links
- Ideal for suppliers, contractors, franchisees, or partners who only need limited interaction without full platform access
Comparison Table
|
Feature |
Internal User |
External User |
|
Requires a paid license |
Yes |
No |
|
Login to Lumiform app (web and mobile) |
Yes |
No |
|
Feature access based on plan |
Yes |
No |
|
Assigned to actions |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Receive action notifications by email |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Update action status |
Yes |
Yes, via shared link |
|
Create and submit forms |
Yes |
No |
|
Receive submitted form reports by email |
Yes |
Yes |
|
View submitted form reports on the web (via link) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Create checklists and workflows |
Yes |
No |
|
Access analytics inside Lumiform |
Yes |
No |
|
View analytics reports via link |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Invite users, manage templates, change settings |
Yes |
No |
Typical Use Cases
Internal users:
- Store managers
- Quality managers
- Area managers
- Administrators
- Employees who regularly create, submit, review, or manage checklists
- External partners who need to log into Lumiform with restricted permissions
External users:
- Contractors who only need to update assigned actions via a link
- Suppliers who only need to confirm completion of tasks
- Franchise partners who need to view submitted reports or analytics without logging in
- Any person who must receive information but should not access the application directly