Summary and recommendation
SEMrush user management can be run manually, but complexity usually increases with role models, licensing gates, and offboarding dependencies. This guide gives the exact mechanics and where automation has the biggest impact.
SEMrush user management is handled entirely through the web UI - there is no native SCIM and no API surface for provisioning or deprovisioning users.
Admins navigate to Profile icon → Subscription Info → Users to invite, assign roles, and remove team members.
Every app in your stack that lacks SCIM demands this kind of manual upkeep, and SEMrush is no exception.
Quick facts
| Admin console path | Profile icon → Subscription Info → Users |
| Admin console URL | Official docs |
| SCIM available | No |
| SCIM tier required | Enterprise |
| SSO prerequisite | No |
User types and roles
| Role | Permissions | Cannot do | Plan required | Seat cost | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | Full access to all tools, projects, and subscription settings; can invite and remove users; can manage billing and plan details; can assign roles to other users. | All paid plans (Pro, Guru, Business, Enterprise) | Included as the primary account seat; additional Admin seats billed as additional user seats. | Only one account owner exists; the owner role cannot be transferred via the UI - requires contacting Semrush support. | |
| User | Access to all tools and projects the Admin grants; can create and edit projects; cannot manage subscription, billing, or other users. | Cannot invite or remove other users; cannot access billing or subscription settings. | All paid plans; additional user seats are purchasable add-ons. | Additional user seats are sold as paid add-ons; pricing varies by plan. As of 2024, extra seats are approximately $45–$100/mo per seat depending on plan tier. | Each plan includes only 1 user seat by default (Pro and Guru). Business includes 3 seats. Additional seats must be purchased separately. |
| Viewer (Read-only) | Can view reports and projects shared with them; cannot create, edit, or delete projects or reports. | Cannot create or modify any data; cannot access subscription settings. | Available on all paid plans. | Viewer seats may count against the purchased user seat total depending on plan; verify current seat counting in subscription settings. | Viewer access is limited to content explicitly shared with them; they do not have global read access to all account data by default. |
Permission model
- Model type: role-based
- Description: Semrush uses a fixed set of predefined roles (Admin, User, Viewer). Admins assign one of these roles when inviting a user. There are no custom role definitions or granular per-tool permission toggles available in the standard UI.
- Custom roles: No
- Custom roles plan: Not documented
- Granularity: Role-level only; permissions are bundled per role. No per-project or per-tool permission overrides are available outside of sharing individual projects.
How to add users
- Log in as Admin and navigate to the profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select 'Subscription Info' from the dropdown menu.
- Click the 'Users' tab.
- Click 'Add User' or 'Invite User'.
- Enter the invitee's email address.
- Select the role to assign: Admin, User, or Viewer.
- Click 'Send Invite'. The invitee receives an email to accept and set up their access.
Required fields: Email address, Role selection (Admin, User, or Viewer)
Watch out for:
- You must have an available user seat before sending an invite; if all seats are occupied, you must purchase an additional seat first.
- The invited user must accept the email invitation before they can access the account.
- Invitations sent to email addresses already associated with another Semrush account may require the invitee to use a different email or contact support.
- Pro plan includes 1 seat by default; Guru includes 1 seat; Business includes 3 seats. Additional seats are paid add-ons.
| Bulk option | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CSV import | No | Not documented |
| Domain whitelisting | No | Automatic domain-based user add |
| IdP provisioning | No | Not documented |
How to remove or deactivate users
- Can delete users: Yes
- Delete/deactivate behavior: Admins can remove a user from the account via the Users tab in Subscription Info. Removing a user revokes their access immediately. Semrush's official documentation describes this as removing the user from the account rather than a soft deactivation; the removed user's Semrush account itself is not deleted, only their access to the shared subscription is revoked.
- Log in as Admin and navigate to the profile icon → Subscription Info → Users.
- Locate the user to be removed in the user list.
- Click the options menu (three dots or 'Remove') next to the user's name.
- Confirm the removal when prompted.
| Data impact | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Owned records | Projects and reports created by the removed user remain in the account and are accessible to the Admin. The data is not deleted when a user is removed. |
| Shared content | Content shared with the removed user is no longer accessible to them after removal. Shared projects remain intact for remaining users. |
| Integrations | Not documented |
| License freed | Removing a user frees up the purchased seat, making it available to invite a new user without purchasing an additional seat. |
Watch out for:
- Removing a user does not delete their individual Semrush account; it only removes their access to the shared subscription.
- The freed seat remains on the subscription and can be reassigned; it is not automatically refunded or removed from billing.
- If the removed user was the only Admin other than the owner, ensure another Admin is designated before removal to avoid loss of administrative access.
License and seat management
| Seat type | Includes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Included seat | 1 seat included with Pro and Guru plans; 3 seats included with Business plan. Covers Admin or User role. | Included in base plan price. |
| Additional user seat (paid add-on) | One additional named user seat with Admin, User, or Viewer role assignment. | Approximately $45–$100/mo per seat depending on plan tier; exact current pricing available at semrush.com/pricing or via account subscription settings. |
- Where to check usage: Profile icon → Subscription Info → Users tab shows all active users and total seats used vs. purchased.
- How to identify unused seats: Review the Users tab in Subscription Info; users who have not accepted their invitation will show a 'Pending' status and can be identified as unused seats. Last-login data is not prominently surfaced in the standard UI.
- Billing notes: Additional user seats are billed as recurring add-ons on the same billing cycle as the base plan. Removing a user frees the seat but does not automatically cancel the add-on seat charge; Admins must manually remove the seat add-on from the subscription to stop being billed for it. Annual plan discounts (approximately 17%) apply to base plans; add-on seat pricing discount applicability should be confirmed at purchase.
The cost of manual management
Each plan ships with a tight default seat count: Pro and Guru include 1 seat, Business includes 3. Additional seats are paid recurring add-ons, and removing a user does not automatically cancel the associated seat charge - Admins must manually remove the add-on from the subscription or billing continues.
Account ownership transfers are not self-serve and require contacting SEMrush support directly.
What IT admins are saying
Community evidence is not specific enough to quote or summarize yet for this app.
The decision
SEMrush fits teams that can absorb manual provisioning overhead and don't need automated lifecycle management. The fixed role model - Admin, User, Viewer - covers most agency and in-house SEO team structures, but offers no per-tool or per-project permission overrides.
SAML SSO is available but requires contacting support to enable and does not include automated provisioning.
Bottom line
SEMrush requires fully manual user lifecycle management: invitations, role changes, and removals all happen in the UI, and seat add-ons must be cancelled separately to stop billing.
Every app without SCIM or a user management API places this operational burden on admins, and SEMrush sits firmly in that category.
Teams with frequent onboarding and offboarding cycles should build explicit checklist steps around seat add-on cancellation and account ownership continuity to avoid billing surprises and access gaps.
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