Feature Request: Native Guest User Access for External Collaboration

To the base44 Team,

I'm writing to propose a new feature that I believe would be a powerful addition to the platform: a native "Guest User" role designed for seamless and secure external collaboration.

1. Problem Statement:

Currently, collaborating with external stakeholders (such as clients, contractors, or temporary reviewers) presents a significant challenge. To grant access for tasks like reviewing documents or approving change requests, we have two primary options:

• Purchase a full user license, which is not cost-effective for users who only need temporary or highly restricted access.

• Build custom workarounds using public pages and secure tokens, which, while functional, lack the robust security, auditability, and seamless user experience of a true account.

This limitation creates friction in key business processes and adds administrative overhead.

2. Proposed Solution: The "Guest User" Role

I propose the introduction of a new "Guest" user role with the following characteristics:

• No License Consumption: This role would not count towards the licensed user limit, making it ideal for external partners.

• Invitation-Based Access: Admins could invite a guest via their email address. The guest would receive an email to set a password or use a magic link to log in, creating a secure, authenticated session.

• Highly Restricted by Default: By default, a guest user would have no access to any part of the application. Their view would be an empty shell.

• Granular, Object-Level Permissions: Admins or Project Managers could then grant guests specific, granular permissions on an object-by-object basis. For example:

  • Grant "View & Comment" access to a specific Project (Project-ID-123).

  • Grant "Approve/Reject" access to a specific Change Request (CR-ID-456).

  • Grant "View" access to a specific Document (Doc-ID-789).

• Simplified User Interface: The UI for guest users would be dramatically simplified, only showing the specific items they have been given access to, ensuring they are not overwhelmed by the full application interface.

3. Key Benefits:

• Enhanced Security: Moves away from public links to a fully authenticated and auditable system. Every action is tied to a specific guest account.

• Drastically Reduced Cost: Eliminates the need to purchase full licenses for external collaborators, making the platform more scalable and affordable for projects of all sizes.

• Streamlined Collaboration: Radically simplifies workflows for client approvals, vendor reviews, and stakeholder feedback. It brings external partners directly into the platform in a controlled manner.

• Improved Professionalism & User Experience: Provides a professional, branded portal for clients and partners to interact with, enhancing the perception of our business.

• Clear Audit Trails: Creates an unambiguous record of who viewed, commented on, or approved specific items and when.

This feature would be a true game-changer, transforming hublle from an internal project management tool into a comprehensive, collaborative ecosystem. Thank you for considering this request. I am confident it would provide immense value to your entire user base.