From 6692e56c3943d6ac90c5f94fda0cc4ae9a396da1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Marko Saric <marko@plausible.io>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:18:12 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] recovery access

---
 docs/account-settings.md           |  2 +-
 docs/introduction.md               |  1 +
 docs/team-settings.md              |  2 ++
 docs/transfer-account-ownership.md | 36 ++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 docs/transfer-ownership.md         |  4 ++--
 docs/users-roles.md                | 16 ++++++++++---
 6 files changed, 48 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/account-settings.md b/docs/account-settings.md
index 70897349..17479a66 100644
--- a/docs/account-settings.md
+++ b/docs/account-settings.md
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ If you are not part of a team, your subscription and API keys are managed here.
 
 **Danger zone**
 - [Delete account](delete-account.md): permanently remove your account and all associated data
-- [Transfer account ownership](transfer-account-ownership.md): hand over account control when someone leaves your organization
+- [Recover access when an owner is unavailable](transfer-account-ownership.md): regain control when your owner is on leave, cannot be reached or has left your organization
diff --git a/docs/introduction.md b/docs/introduction.md
index 58800c74..d55d24fd 100644
--- a/docs/introduction.md
+++ b/docs/introduction.md
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ import CtaBox from '@site/src/components/CtaBox';
 <ul>
 <li><a href="/docs/team-settings">Team settings</a>: subscription, API keys, SSO and team configuration</li>
 <li><a href="/docs/users-roles">Users and roles</a>: invite team members and set permissions</li>
+<li><a href="/docs/transfer-account-ownership">Recover access</a>: what to do when your owner is unavailable</li>
 <li><a href="/docs/agencies-and-freelancers">Agencies and freelancers</a>: manage multiple client sites</li>
 <li><a href="/docs/shared-links">Shared links</a>: share your dashboard publicly or with specific people</li>
 <li><a href="/docs/email-reports">Email reports</a>: scheduled reports delivered to your inbox</li>
diff --git a/docs/team-settings.md b/docs/team-settings.md
index ce834575..37afbdd3 100644
--- a/docs/team-settings.md
+++ b/docs/team-settings.md
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ To open team settings, click your account name in the top-right menu, select you
 
 See [users and roles](users-roles.md) for full details on inviting people and managing access.
 
+We recommend keeping at least two team owners, each using their own Plausible account, so someone can manage your sites and subscription if one owner is unavailable. If your only owner is on leave, cannot be reached or has left your organization, see [how to recover access](transfer-account-ownership.md).
+
 **Subscription**
 - View and manage the team subscription
 - Upgrade, downgrade or cancel the plan
diff --git a/docs/transfer-account-ownership.md b/docs/transfer-account-ownership.md
index 48ca85a7..5647758e 100644
--- a/docs/transfer-account-ownership.md
+++ b/docs/transfer-account-ownership.md
@@ -1,15 +1,27 @@
 ---
-title: Transfer account ownership
-description: "How to transfer ownership of a Plausible account when someone leaves your organization. Covers both scenarios: with and without access to the original email."
+title: Recover access when an owner is unavailable
+description: "What to do when your Plausible owner is on leave, unavailable or has left your organization, and how multiple team owners help prevent losing access."
 ---
 
-Plausible accounts are tied to the email address used to register. If the person who created the account has left your organization, there are two paths to regain control depending on whether you can still reach that email address.
+If the person who manages your Plausible sites is on leave, unavailable or has left your organization, your next step depends on whether another team owner can sign in.
 
-## Before someone leaves
+## If another team owner is available
 
-The safest approach is to prepare in advance. Use [teams](users-roles.md) to add at least one other person as an owner. That way the account is never tied to a single person, and you can remove the departing member without losing access to your sites or subscription.
+Ask another owner to sign in with their own Plausible account. They can continue managing the existing team, sites and subscription without using the unavailable owner's login or transferring the sites.
 
-## If you still have access to the account email
+In **Team Settings → General**, they can [add another owner](users-roles.md#managing-team-member-roles). If someone has left your organization, they can also remove that person's membership. Keep at least two owners who can access the team.
+
+## If the only owner is temporarily unavailable
+
+Other team members can continue using Plausible within the permissions of their existing roles. However, access to a dashboard or its settings does not give someone ownership. Admins cannot promote themselves or another member to **Owner**.
+
+If the owner can help, ask them to add another owner in **Team Settings → General**. If they cannot help and an ownership change cannot wait, [contact our support team](https://plausible.io/contact) to discuss recovery. We'll need to verify ownership before making any changes.
+
+## If the owner has left your organization
+
+If no other team owner is available, there are two recovery paths depending on whether your organization still has access to the account email address.
+
+### If you still have access to the account email
 
 1. [Reset the password](reset-password.md) using the account email address
 2. Log in to the account
@@ -17,6 +29,16 @@ The safest approach is to prepare in advance. Use [teams](users-roles.md) to add
    - [Change the account email address](change-email.md) to one you control
    - [Transfer individual sites](transfer-ownership.md) out to another Plausible account
 
-## If you no longer have access to the account email
+Resetting the password does not disable [two-factor authentication (2FA)](2fa.md). If 2FA is enabled, you also need a code from the authenticator or a saved recovery code to sign in. If you cannot complete sign-in, contact our support team.
+
+### If you no longer have access to the account email
 
 [Contact our support team](https://plausible.io/contact). We'll ask you to verify ownership before making any changes. Once confirmed, we can transfer the site(s) to your account. You will need to start a new subscription there, and we can cancel the old one.
+
+## Prevent losing access in future
+
+We recommend keeping at least two people in your organization as team owners, each using their own Plausible account. This lets another owner continue managing the team, sites and subscription when one person is unavailable.
+
+If your sites are under **My personal sites**, [create a team](users-roles.md#creating-a-new-team) and add another owner. For an existing team, an owner can invite someone or change an existing member's role in **Team Settings → General**. Make sure any new owner accepts their invitation before you rely on their access.
+
+An Admin, Editor or Guest is not a backup owner. Set up another **Owner** before planned leave or a departure, or after recovering access.
diff --git a/docs/transfer-ownership.md b/docs/transfer-ownership.md
index 8f7a92fb..ab11a4cb 100644
--- a/docs/transfer-ownership.md
+++ b/docs/transfer-ownership.md
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ This is useful for consultants and agencies working with clients. You set up the
 
 Note that subscriptions are not transferred with the site. The new owner is responsible for having an active [Plausible subscription](subscription-plans.md). Once transferred, the site counts toward the limits of whichever account or team becomes the new owner.
 
-:::tip Leaving the company or need to recover a whole account?
-See [Transfer account ownership](transfer-account-ownership.md).
+:::tip Is the current owner unavailable or leaving the organization?
+See [Recover access when an owner is unavailable](transfer-account-ownership.md) for guidance on team access and account recovery.
 :::
 
 ## Before you transfer
diff --git a/docs/users-roles.md b/docs/users-roles.md
index 175948e7..672c63de 100644
--- a/docs/users-roles.md
+++ b/docs/users-roles.md
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ Teams also work well for agency and freelance workflows. You can create one team
 
 ### Creating a new team
 
+:::tip Keep at least two team owners
+We recommend giving at least two people in your organization the **Owner** role, each using their own Plausible account. If one owner is on leave, unavailable or leaves the organization, another can continue managing the team, sites and subscription.
+
+An existing owner can add another owner in **Team Settings → General**. If you invite someone new, make sure they accept the invitation.
+
+Giving someone access as an Admin, Editor or Guest does not make them an owner. Admins cannot promote themselves or other members to Owner.
+
+If your only owner is already unavailable, see [how to recover access](transfer-account-ownership.md).
+:::
+
 Log in to your Plausible Analytics account and in the top right menu, click on your account name and choose **Create a team**. Note that the "Create a team" button appears when you are viewing "My personal sites" and have sites there that you own.
 
 * Give the name to your team.
@@ -66,7 +76,7 @@ You can change the role of a team member at any time:
 
 That's it. The team member now has a different role.
 
-Note that you need to be an owner or an admin of a team to change team member roles.
+You need to be an owner or an admin of a team to change team member roles. Only owners can grant the **Owner** role or change another owner's role. Admins cannot promote themselves or other members to Owner.
 
 ### API key access by role
 
@@ -108,8 +118,8 @@ Note that you need to be an owner or an admin of a team to remove team members.
 * To remove yourself from a team, go to the **General** option of the **Team Settings**
 * Click on the **Leave Team** button. Note that after leaving a team, you won't have access to the dashboards and collected stats of the sites that the team owns
 
-:::tip Someone already left and took the account with them?
-See [Transfer account ownership](transfer-account-ownership.md) for how to recover access.
+:::tip Is your only owner unavailable?
+See [Recover access when an owner is unavailable](transfer-account-ownership.md) for what to do if they are on leave, cannot be reached or have left your organization.
 :::
 
 ### Deleting a team