> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.messagedesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tenant Management

> Manage your MessageDesk tenant company profile and create new workspaces for different teams, brands, or business units under a single account.

# Tenant management

A **tenant** is the parent company account that owns one or more MessageDesk **workspaces**. Tenant admins can update tenant-level company details and spin up new workspaces for different teams, brands, or business units, all from a single account.

<Note>
  **Tenant vs. Workspace:** A tenant is your company (organization-level). A workspace is an inbox under that company (per-workspace configuration lives in [Workspace Settings](/settings/workspace-settings/overview)). Most users only need one workspace, but larger organizations can run multiple workspaces under the same tenant.
</Note>

<Note>
  **Where tenant management lives:** Tenant management is **not** inside a workspace's Settings menu. It lives on the **workspace switcher / workspace selection screen**, and the **Manage tenant** option is only visible to **tenant admins**.
</Note>

***

## Do I need a separate workspace, or just user permissions?

Most teams **don't** need a second workspace. Before creating one, decide whether the goal is **separating data** (different teams and contact lists) or **separating access** (limiting which users see which lines, labels, or inboxes).

| Use a **separate workspace** when…                                                                                         | Use **User Access Control (UAC)** when…                                                   |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| You have distinct teams or locations with **separate contact lists** that should be managed independently.                 | All users belong to the same team and share one contact list.                             |
| Each team needs its own **phone lines, labels, templates, and reporting**, but you still want centralized admin oversight. | You want certain users to only see specific **phone lines, labels, or teammate inboxes**. |
| Data, conversations, and history should **not** be visible across teams.                                                   | You want everyone in one workspace, with permissions controlling visibility.              |
| You're operating multiple brands or business units under one company.                                                      | You're a single team that needs role-based access (Admin, Manager, Operator, or custom).  |

<Tip>
  Setting up access control inside your existing workspace is usually faster and cheaper than adding a workspace. See [Roles & permissions](/settings/workspace-settings/team-management#user-roles-and-permissions) for how to scope users to specific phone lines, labels, or inboxes.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  **Billing scales per user, per workspace.** A user who needs access to two workspaces is billed in each one. If your goal is "User A only sees Line A and User B only sees Line B," UAC inside a single workspace is almost always the better fit.
</Warning>

***

## Who can manage a tenant

Only users with the **tenant admin** role see the **Manage tenant** option and the ability to create new workspaces from the workspace switcher / workspace selection screen.

Tenant admins can:

* Edit the tenant company profile.
* Create new workspaces under the tenant.

Workspace-level admins (without tenant admin) can manage their own workspace from Settings but **cannot** edit tenant details or add new workspaces from the workspace switcher.

***

## Update tenant company details

1. Click your **profile icon** (top-right) and open the **workspace switcher**.
2. Select **Manage tenant** (visible to tenant admins only).
3. Click **Edit** on the **Tenant profile**.
4. Update your **company name**, **address**, **website**, or **logo**.
5. Click **Save**.

Changes apply at the tenant level and are reflected across all workspaces under the tenant.

***

## Create a new workspace under a tenant

Tenant admins can create additional workspaces directly from the workspace selection screen. No need to sign up for a separate account.

1. From the **workspace switcher** or **workspace selection screen**, click **Create workspace**.
2. Enter a **workspace name** (e.g., "Sales", "Support", "West Coast Team").
3. Click **Create**.

When the workspace is created:

* You're automatically added as the workspace **admin**.
* A new membership is created linking your user to the workspace.
* The workspace appears under your tenant in the workspace selection screen.

<Tip>
  After creating a workspace, follow the standard onboarding steps to [connect phone numbers](/get-started/phone-numbers/overview), [import contacts](/contacts/create-import), and [invite teammates](/settings/workspace-settings/team-management).
</Tip>

***

## Workspace selection screen

When you sign in, the workspace selection screen groups your memberships by **tenant**. If you belong to multiple tenants or multiple workspaces under the same tenant, you'll see them organized accordingly:

* **Tenant header:** company name and logo.
* **Workspaces list:** every workspace under that tenant where you're a member.
* **Create workspace:** visible only if you're a tenant admin for that tenant.

Click any workspace to enter it, or use the workspace switcher inside the app to move between workspaces without signing out.

***

## Frequently asked questions

**Can a single user belong to multiple tenants?**\
Yes. If you've been invited to workspaces across different companies, each tenant appears as its own group on the workspace selection screen.

**Who becomes the tenant admin?**\
The user who originally created the MessageDesk account is the default tenant admin. An existing tenant admin can assign additional tenant admins.

**Can I delete a workspace under a tenant?**\
You can't delete workspaces from the UI. [Contact support](/contact-us) to request workspace deletion. Tenant deletion follows the same process.

**Does creating a new workspace require a separate subscription?**\
Billing for additional workspaces under the same tenant depends on your plan. See [Billing and Subscriptions](/settings/workspace-settings/billing-subscriptions) or contact support for details.

**Does a user who's in two workspaces get billed twice?**\
Yes. Workspace seats are billed **per user, per workspace**. If the same teammate needs access to two workspaces under your tenant, they're billed in each. If your goal is just to limit what a user sees, use [User Access Control](/settings/workspace-settings/team-management#user-roles-and-permissions) inside a single workspace instead.

**Can I move a phone number from one workspace to another?**\
Yes. MessageDesk first removes the number from the source workspace, which also removes the conversation history tied to that number there. See [Move a phone number between workspaces](/settings/workspace-settings/phone-management#move-a-phone-number-between-workspaces).