# Server, site and TSM administrator boundaries

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/administration/server-site-and-tsm-administrator-boundaries*

Separate what the TSM administrator, Tableau Server administrator, site administrator, Customer Portal administrator and project leader can each do, from creating sites and managing users across sites to schedules, storage, alerts and subscriptions.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Server Administrator
- Exam section: Administration
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> 3.3 Contrast end-user with System-administrator capabilities

## What the exam expects

- Route a task to the right administrator: TSM administrator, Tableau Server administrator, site administrator, Customer Portal administrator or project leader.
- Explain why site roles and site-administrator authority are scoped per site, while the Server Administrator role spans every site and all content.
- Decide who can add sites, add users, set site membership and change passwords for users on one or several sites.
- Identify settings and controls only Server administrators hold: shared schedules, Storage, server-wide thresholds, and server-wide administrative views.
- End-user site-role capabilities are taught in Site-role capabilities for end users; license counting is in User-based license types and site roles.

Key terms:
- **TSM administrator:** an account with administrative rights on the Tableau Server computer that signs in to Tableau Services Manager.
- **Server Administrator:** the Tableau Server site role with unrestricted access to all sites, users and content.
- **Site Administrator Creator / Explorer:** site roles that administer one site's users and content framework.
- **Portal administrator:** the person who manages licenses and product keys in the Tableau Customer Portal.
- **Project leader:** a user or group with administrator-like access to one project hierarchy.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| TSM sign-in | Needs administrative rights on the Server computer, not a Tableau Server account | [Sign in to TSM Web UI](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sign_in_tsm.htm) |
| TSM administrator duties | Install, configure, backup, restore, log archives, multi-node changes | [Server Administrator Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/admin.htm) |
| Product keys | Managed by the Customer Portal administrator | [Server Administrator Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/admin.htm) |
| Adding sites | Only server administrators | [Navigate the Admin Areas](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/navigate_admin_settings.htm) |
| Site roles | Set per site; one user can hold different roles on different sites | [Set Users’ Site Roles](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_site_roles.htm) |
| Server Administrator role | Unrestricted access to all sites, users and content | [Set Users’ Site Roles](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_site_roles.htm) |
| Cross-site membership | Manage All Sites > Users > Actions > Site Membership | [Manage Users](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_view.htm) |
| Multi-site password change | Server administrator only | [Manage Users](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_view.htm) |
| Project leader limit | No access to site or server settings | [Use Projects to Manage Content Access](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/permissions_projects.htm) |
| Storage setting | Tableau Server Administrators only | [Site Settings Reference](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sites_add.htm) |
| Subscription suspension threshold | Server-wide TSM setting for Server administrators | [Set Up a Site for Subscriptions](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe.htm) |

## Check yourself

- Which three administrator-level site roles does Tableau Server include?
- Why does Tableau advise projects rather than separate sites for functional areas?
- When can a project leader not refresh extracts in a project they lead?
- How does a view URL on the Default site differ from one on an added site?

## Sources

- [Server Administrator Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/admin.htm)
- [Sign in to Tableau Services Manager Web UI](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sign_in_tsm.htm)
- [Sites Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sites_intro.htm)
- [Set Users’ Site Roles](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_site_roles.htm)
- [Navigate the Admin Areas of the Tableau Web Environment](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/navigate_admin_settings.htm)
- [Administrative Views](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview.htm)
- [Manage Users](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/users_view.htm)
- [Use Projects to Manage Content Access](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/permissions_projects.htm)
- [Site Settings Reference](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sites_add.htm)
- [Create or Modify a Schedule](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/schedule_manage_create.htm)
- [Set Up a Site for Subscriptions](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe.htm)
- [Set Up for Data-Driven Alerts](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/data_alerts_admin.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams