Project seats: what requires a seat and what is free
Summary: A Project seat is needed to run projects, run artworks and make decisions on artworks. It is also needed to be assigned as approver, project manager or orderer. All other work in a project is free.
When Project seats apply
Project seats are enforced on Project Starter and Project Pro. In the following cases, every member can act as if they hold a Project seat:
- Project Enterprise: seats are unlimited.
- Trials: seats are unlimited during the trial.
- Subscriptions from before the 2026 pricing: no seat limits apply.
Organisations without an active subscription are asked to subscribe; seats are not relevant until then.
Actions that require a Project seat
| Area | Actions |
|---|---|
| Projects | Create a project (including from Brand Studio 360 media) · change project details and dates · change the orderer · set the project manager · mute project emails · change project status · launch, deliver, close, reopen and delete projects · link or unlink a project to Blikk |
| Artworks | Create artworks (blank, from files, from Brand Studio 360 or from other projects) · create a brief from a file · rename · change category · set dates · add, change or remove artwork rules · cancel or delete artworks · set the invoice number |
| Decisions | Approve or reject artworks (one or many) · validate or invalidate corrections · remove a sub-approval · revoke an approval or a rejection · revoke deliveries · reject and change delivered artworks |
Roles that require a Project seat
Adding people to a project or artwork is free. The following roles can only be given to a member who holds a Project seat:
- Approver on an artwork, assigned directly or through a team made approver
- Project manager
- Orderer, including the orderer chosen when a project is created
Rules for assigning these roles:
- If the selected person has no seat, the assignment is not saved, and Cway names the people who lack a seat so you can ask for seats for them.
- When a team is made approver, every team member must hold a seat.
- When members are added to an existing approver team, only the new members are checked.
- If a member loses their seat later, this does not block unrelated edits to the project or artwork.
Actions that are always free
No seat is needed to:
- view and browse anything the member has access to
- upload files and new revisions, check in and check out
- work with files
- bundle and deliver artworks
- comment and add corrections, notes, reminders and tags
- use project files, collaborations and collaboration links
- download files
- be added as receiver, supplier or follower
- remove people or items
- use Brand Studio 360, Sharing, Insights and PIM (these are governed by modules)
When a member without a seat tries a seat action
The action is not hidden. When the member tries it, Cway shows Project seat required and offers Ask for a seat. See Asking for a Project seat.
Integrations and API keys
An integration using an organisation API key acts as the member who created the key. In an organisation where seats are enforced, that member needs a Project seat for the integration to create projects, approve artworks or perform other seat actions.