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Default user spaces (also called personal user spaces or personal spaces) give each eligible user a personal space inside a project, so they have a dedicated place to create and manage their own charts, dashboards, and nested spaces without needing an admin to set one up for them. Default user spaces and personal user spaces refer to the same feature and are used interchangeably throughout the docs. When the feature is enabled, Lightdash provisions a personal space for each eligible user. The space is created under a parent space called Default User Spaces, and is named after the user:
If the user has no first or last name on their profile, the space is named User followed by the first 8 characters of their user ID instead, such as User 13fe2c58. To see who owns a space like this, open its Share settings, where the owner is listed by email. The name is set when the space is created and doesn’t change if the user adds a name to their profile later, so rename the space to update it. The user is set as an admin of their own default space, so they can self-manage it - creating charts and dashboards, nesting child spaces inside it, and managing access for other users.

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Enabling the feature

Default user spaces are configured per project and are off by default.
  1. Go to Project Settings → Default user spaces
  2. Toggle on Default user spaces
When you turn the setting on, Lightdash creates a space for every eligible active member of the organization in the background, so users don’t need to log in first. Members who join or become eligible later get their space when they next log in, or when they’re provisioned through SCIM. Turning the setting back off stops new spaces from being provisioned, but does not delete any personal spaces that have already been created.

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Who gets a default user space

A user is eligible for a default user space if they have either:
  • A project or organization role of Interactive Viewer or higher (Interactive Viewer, Editor, Developer, or Admin), or
  • A custom role that includes at least the Manage Saved Chart and Manage Explore permissions.
Viewers and Members are not eligible, since they can’t create charts and dashboards in the first place. See the roles and permissions reference for the full list of project and organization roles.

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What users can do in their space

Because each user is an admin of their own default space, they can:
  • Create charts, dashboards, and nested spaces inside it
  • Move existing content they own into it
  • Manage access - invite other users or groups, or switch the space between Inherited Access and Restricted Access
  • Submit their work for review, so it can be promoted to a shared space (and optionally verified) once approved - see Review requests
An admin can also move content into a user’s personal space on their behalf - for example to restore content uploaded through the CLI - using the Move dialog’s Admin Content View. See Moving items between Spaces. For more on how space permissions work, see Spaces.

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Moving work out of a personal space

Personal spaces are where work starts, not where it has to end. When something a user built is worth sharing, they can request a review from the chart or dashboard’s … menu. A reviewer checks it and, on approval, the content moves into the chosen shared space - picking up a verified badge on the way if the reviewer chooses. See Review requests for the full flow.