Whether or not everyone in a group can be made an admin often depends on the specific platform or software being used. Most collaborative tools allow the creator or owner of a group to assign admin privileges to additional members. However, some limit the number of admins allowed in order to maintain a hierarchy and prevent confusion. Let’s explore some common scenarios for groups and admin capabilities.
Groups in Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a popular collaboration platform that supports creating groups for team communication and collaboration. When you create a new team in Microsoft Teams, you are automatically made an owner of that team. As an owner, you can make other members of the team admins as well. There is no set limit on the number of admins you can assign.
To make someone an admin in a Microsoft Teams team:
- Go to the team you want to manage
- Click on the ellipses next to the team name and select “Manage team”
- Select the “Members” tab
- Find the member you want to make an admin and click on the ellipses next to their name
- Select “Make admin”
This will promote the selected user to be a team admin, granting them administrative privileges for that specific team. There is no limit, so you can make every member of the team an admin if desired.
Groups in Microsoft 365
In addition to Teams, Microsoft 365 allows creating groups within SharePoint sites and other Office 365 apps. Just like with Teams, the person who creates the Microsoft 365 group is automatically an owner. Owners can make others group admins.
To add admins:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center
- Go to “Groups” and select the group you want to manage
- Under “Members”, click “Manage admins”
- Select the members you want to make admins
- Save your changes
Again, there is no set limit here, so you can make all members of an Office 365 group admins if you want.
Groups in Slack
Slack takes a slightly more restrictive approach to group admins. When you create a new workspace in Slack, you are automatically set as the workspace owner. Owners can promote others to be admins.
To make someone an admin:
- Go to “Administer” in your workspace settings
- Select “Manage members”
- Choose the member you want to promote
- Select “Make Admin”
However, Slack limits workspaces to a maximum of 15 admins. So while you are not restricted in who you can make an admin, you can’t have every member be an admin due to the 15 user cap.
Groups in Facebook
Facebook group admins control membership and content moderation for Facebook groups. Group creators are automatically admins. Existing admins can add more admins by:
- Going to the group’s Admin Panel
- Choosing “Edit Admins” from the menu
- Typing in the name of the member you want to make an admin
- Selecting “Add as Admin”
There is no published limit on the number of admins a Facebook group can have. However, Facebook suggests keeping the number of admins small for easier management.
Groups in LinkedIn
On LinkedIn, group admins can admit or deny requests to join private groups. The owner who creates the group is the main admin. Additional admins can be added using these steps:
- Navigate to the group profile page
- Click “Add admins” in the right sidebar
- Search for members to add as admins
- Select “Add as admins”
LinkedIn does not appear to enforce a maximum number of admins for groups. But as with Facebook, keeping the admin team small promotes efficiency.
Groups in Discord
Discord servers have owner, admin, and moderator roles. The person who creates a Discord server becomes the owner. Owners can promote members to be admins or moderators.
To make a member an admin:
- Right click on the member’s username
- Select “Server Profile”
- Choose “Admin”
Discord allows unlimited admins on a server. Owners have the highest permissions, followed by admins, then moderators.
Groups in Basecamp
In Basecamp, there are three permission levels for groups: Owners, admins, and members. The account owner who creates the Basecamp group is automatically the owner. To add an admin:
- Navigate to the “People” settings for your group
- Find the member you want to make an admin
- Click “Permissions”
- Select “Make this person an admin”
Basecamp does not appear to limit how many admins you can appoint. But they recommend keeping the admin team small.
Groups in Asana
Asana workspace admins can manage users and permissions, billings settings, integrations, and custom fields for the workspace. Workspace owners automatically become admins. To make another member an admin:
- Go to workspace Settings
- Choose “Members”
- Select the member you want to promote
- Click “Change to Admin”
Asana doesn’t enforce a maximum number of admins. But the best practice is to keep the admin team limited to avoid confusion.
Conclusion
Most collaboration platforms allow group owners to appoint unlimited admins. While software does not restrict how many admins you can have, companies recommend limiting admins for easier management.
Here is a summary of maximum admins for popular platforms:
| Platform | Maximum Admins |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams | Unlimited |
| Microsoft 365 | Unlimited |
| Slack | 15 |
| Unlimited | |
| Unlimited | |
| Discord | Unlimited |
| Basecamp | Unlimited |
| Asana | Unlimited |
While most platforms allow unlimited admins, keeping the admin team small optimizes efficiency and reduces confusion. Consider starting with just 1-2 admins and adding more only as needed.
Additional Considerations
Here are some additional points to consider when deciding on admin access for group members:
- Too many admins can create confusion around who is responsible for what
- Evaluate if members really need admin privileges or can function with standard permissions
- Consider naming one admin the lead to make ultimate decisions
- Have a plan to remove admin access if members leave the group
- Document roles and responsibilities for admins
While most platforms impose no hard limit, carefully choose admins and aim for the minimum needed to get the job done. Limiting the size of your admin team will help optimize workflow and efficiency for your group overall.