Inviting a Partner
How buyer organizations invite partners, manage permissions, and control partner access.
Overview
Buyer organizations invite partners to manage their solution sourcing workflow. Only organization admins can invite partners. The invitation flow creates a delegation — a permissioned relationship between the partner and the buyer org.
Who Can Invite Partners
Any active admin of a buyer organization can invite partners. Admin status is determined by membership in your organization with an active status.
How to Invite a Partner
Step 1: Open the Invite Partner Modal
Navigate to your organization settings and open the partner invitation interface. The Invite Partner Modal provides the form for sending invitations.
Step 2: Enter Partner Details
Partner Email (required)
Enter the email address of the person you want to invite. This is how the system identifies the partner:
- If the email matches an existing HC user, the invitation is linked to their account
- If no account exists, a stub user is created and the invitation is ready for when they sign up
Permissions (optional, defaults to all)
Select which capabilities the partner should have:
| Permission | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Shortlists | Create, edit, delete, and publish shortlists. Add/remove/reorder solutions. |
| Briefs | Create, send, and close briefs/RFIs. View solution responses and quotes. |
| Notes | Add personal and shared notes to solutions, shortlists, and briefs. |
Permissions are additive. Unchecked permissions mean the partner won't see the corresponding features at all.
Step 3: Send the Invitation
Click submit to send the invitation. The system will:
- Create a delegation with pending status linking the partner to your organization
- Send a notification to the partner in their HC notification center
- Send an invitation email to the partner's email address
- Show a confirmation that the invitation was sent successfully
Validation Rules
The system enforces these rules when inviting:
- Email is required — must be a valid email address
- No self-invitations — you cannot invite yourself as a partner
- One delegation per partner per org — if a partner already has a delegation for your org, a new invitation cannot be created
- Admin only — the inviting user must be an active admin of the organization
What Happens After Inviting
Partner's Experience
The partner receives:
- Email notification — includes your org name, the permissions granted, and an "Accept Invitation" button
- In-app notification — visible when they next log in to Human Cloud
When the partner clicks "Accept Invitation":
- They're taken to Human Cloud (prompted to log in or sign up if needed)
- The delegation status changes from pending to active
- They can immediately start working in your organization's workspace
Buyer's Experience
When the partner accepts:
- You receive a notification: "[Partner Name] has accepted your invitation"
- The partner now appears as Active in your partners list
- You can see resources the partner creates (after they publish)
Managing Partner Access
Viewing Current Partners
Your organization's partner list shows all delegations:
- Active — Partner has accepted and can act on your behalf
- Pending — Invitation sent but not yet accepted
- Revoked — Access has been removed
Revoking Access
Any org admin can revoke a partner's access at any time:
- Find the partner in your partners list
- Click Revoke
- The partner immediately loses access
What happens to their work:
- All resources the partner created (shortlists, briefs, notes) remain in your organization. They are not deleted.
- Shared notes remain visible to your team.
- The partner can no longer access your workspace or create new resources.
- The partner is notified of the revocation.
Revocation is permanent. To restore access, you would need to send a new invitation.
Multiple Partners
Your organization can have multiple partners, each with their own delegation and permissions. Partners operate independently:
- Each partner only sees resources scoped to their own delegation (unless data visibility is set to full)
- Partners can see each other's published work but not each other's drafts
- Each partner can have different permission levels
Invitation Email Details
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Subject | "You've been invited to manage [Org Name]'s account on Human Cloud" |
| From | Human Cloud (system email) |
| Body | Org name, who invited them, list of granted permissions |
| CTA | "Accept Invitation" button linking to HC |
The email uses standard Human Cloud branding and email templates.
