# No access, a grayed-out button, a locked area

The most common symptom in the portal, and almost never an error. Four causes are possible: a missing permission, a locked package, the agreement, or an open payment.

> **Type:** troubleshooting
> **For:** Anyone who cannot press a button or cannot find an area.
> **Prerequisite:** None. Changing roles and direct permissions requires the **Owner** role.
> **Where in the portal:** Everywhere: the sidebar, buttons, and the **No access to this area** page

## How to recognize it

Four pictures, four meanings:

- **The button is visible but grayed out**, and a tooltip gives the reason. You lack the matching permission. The portal only shows or hides buttons on a best-guess basis, and the platform checks every action.
- **The area is not in the sidebar at all.** Then you lack the read permission. A Member sees far fewer entries than an Owner: five in the default setup.
- **In the settings, the row says “Read-only.”** You may see the area but not change it. The page shows a notice band, and there is no Save button.
- **Entering an address directly in the address bar ends on an explanation page:** **No access to this area** with the text “Your account is missing the permission for this area. An owner can grant it.”, below it **Requested: …**, **Area: …**, and **Go to overview**.

![The explanation page for missing access to an area: a title with the name of the area, below it the Area row (1) and the Go to overview button (2)](/docs/help/bilder/dedb7cf6-no-access-page.png)

## Cause 1: Role and permission

Every account carries exactly **one** role. On top of that are direct permissions, which allow or deny individually.

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **You do not have permission for this.** in the tooltip | Your role lacks the permission for this action. | Ask an Owner for the role or a direct permission: [Who can do what in the portal?](/docs/organization/about-roles-and-permissions). |
| A Member cannot get to scenes and media | The normal case: **Member** is deliberately narrow, with only **Dashboard**, **Displays**, **Apps**, **Notifications**, and **Settings**. A Member cannot even read content. | Give targeted direct permissions, or use the **Content reader** template, which bundles read access to media, scenes, playlists, and programs: [Create custom roles and grant direct permissions](/docs/organization/custom-roles). |
| A Manager sees **Team** and **Billing** read-only and cannot install any app | That is exactly where the line is drawn: inviting, assigning roles, changing the package, handling invoices, and installing apps remain Owner matters. | Have an Owner carry out the action: [Permissions by role and by area](/docs/organization/permissions-by-role). |
| Someone is not allowed to do something although the role allows it | A **Deny** direct permission is set on the resource, and a Deny always wins. | **Revoke** the direct permission: [Create custom roles and grant direct permissions](/docs/organization/custom-roles). |
| Someone keeps a permission despite a changed role | An **Allow** direct permission applies in addition to the role. | **Revoke** the direct permission: [Create custom roles and grant direct permissions](/docs/organization/custom-roles). |
| You cannot change your own role | Self-protection: otherwise an account could take away its own ability to act. | Ask another Owner: [Manage members: change role, block, remove](/docs/organization/manage-members). |
| **This is the last owner of the organization. Appoint another owner first.** | As long as there is only one Owner, every other target role stays disabled. | First appoint another person as Owner: [Manage members: change role, block, remove](/docs/organization/manage-members). |
| **This change is reserved for owners.** | The action belongs to the administration of the organization. | Have an Owner carry it out: [Who can do what in the portal?](/docs/organization/about-roles-and-permissions). |

Which role carries which permission is listed in full at
[Permissions by role and by area](/docs/organization/permissions-by-role).

## Cause 2: The package does not include the function

Next to some areas there is a **lock** with a note like **From Premium** or the line **Included from the Pro package.** This is not an error message and not a permissions problem.

Three rules always apply:

1. **What is already set up stays.** An existing sign-in method, a key, event notifications to your systems that are already set up, your own address, your brand: all of it keeps working and stays visible.
2. **Cleaning up is always possible.** Revoking, removing, switching off, and deleting never depend on the package.
3. **Creating something new is blocked.** That is exactly where the lock is.

You will meet these blocks most often:

| Marking | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **Web displays are not enabled for your contract.** | The connection type **Web browser** is not booked. | Book it or pair through a device of your own: [Create a web display in the browser](/docs/displays/create-web-display). |
| **Multiple displays per device are not enabled for your contract.** | The second display on the same device is not booked. | Book it or use another device: [Add a second display to the same device](/docs/displays/add-second-display). |
| **Video walls are not enabled for your contract.** | Each video wall that is set up is booked individually. No package includes one. | Book a video wall: [Change your contract: displays, package, add-ons](/docs/billing/change-contract). |
| **This app is only included from a larger package.** or **This app is paid and must be booked first.** | The app’s class is above your package, or it is in no package. | **View packages** or **Book and install**: [Install or book an app](/docs/apps/install-app). |
| **No further apps can be installed at the moment.** | No other app fits. | Uninstall an unused app: [Uninstall an app](/docs/apps/uninstall-app). |
| **History from the Pro package** or **Proofs from the Premium package** | Your package does not include this view of analytics. | **Compare packages**: [When numbers are missing or wrong](/docs/analytics/troubleshooting). |
| **Playback history starts with Pro** on a display’s timeline | Your package records only this many days: Starter none, Pro seven, Premium thirty. | Choose a more recent day: [Check what a display is showing now and will show today](/docs/displays/check-now-playing). |

Next to the lock, **View packages** leads to **Billing**. If **Not included in your package.** appears there, upgrading brings the function with it:
[What do you pay for: packages, seats, and add-ons?](/docs/billing/about-packages-and-seats).

## Cause 3: Agreement and switch-off

| Marking | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **Switched off**: “Switched off for your organization.” | We have switched this function off for your organization. A larger package does not change that. | Write to us: [Support](/docs/help/support). |
| **Not in your agreement**: “Not part of your agreement.” | The function is not in your agreement. Whatever already exists stays usable. | Write to us: [Support](/docs/help/support). |
| No marking at all although you expect one | The contract status could not be retrieved right now. The button stays disabled as a precaution. | Reload the page. If it persists, write to us: [Support: where to turn, what to include, and how we help](/docs/help/support). |

## Cause 4: An open payment

If the header says **Organization frozen.**, changes are blocked, but the displays keep running and showing their content. As soon as the open invoice is settled, things continue immediately:
[Payment reminders, overdue notices, freezing, suspension](/docs/billing/overdue-payments).

## Buttons that are gray for entirely different reasons

Not every gray button is a permissions problem. These five only wait for input:

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **Save** stays inactive | **Nothing to save**: you have not changed anything yet. | Change something, and the button becomes active: [Messages and banners in the portal](/docs/help/messages-and-banners). |
| **Install** stays gray in the dialog | The required consent checkbox is not selected. | Select the checkbox: [Install or book an app](/docs/apps/install-app). |
| **Uninstall** stays gray for a moment | The dialog first loads the preview of the consequences. | Wait until the preview is there: [Uninstall an app](/docs/apps/uninstall-app). |
| **Part of a video wall** appears instead of the assignment card | The display belongs to a video wall. Assignments go to the whole wall. | Follow the link to the video wall and assign there: [Create a video wall, assign content, and dissolve it](/docs/displays/create-video-wall). |
| The **Enforce company sign-in** switch is disabled | A fresh test sign-in is missing. | **Start test sign-in**: [Sign-in, password, and access](/docs/help/sign-in-troubleshooting). |

## What you do

1. **Read the tooltip.** It gives the reason: a missing permission, package, or agreement.
2. **Clarify the role.** Ask an Owner for the matching role or a direct permission on exactly the resource in question.
3. **Check the package.** If there is a lock, **View packages** helps, not support.
4. **Write to us** if **Switched off** or **Not in your agreement** is shown. Only we can resolve either of them.

One special case: some apps bring **permissions of their own**. These appear in the permission catalog only **after** their installation. Anyone who should use the new function then needs an adjusted role or a direct permission.

## Related

- [Who can do what in the portal?](/docs/organization/about-roles-and-permissions) — roles, direct permissions, and why a Deny always wins.
- [Permissions by role and by area](/docs/organization/permissions-by-role) — the complete overview for reference.
- [Packages, trial, and booked seats](/docs/getting-started/packages-and-trial) — what each package brings.