A feature is greyed out
Two entirely different causes sit behind this and they are constantly confused: either your role does not carry the capability, or this property's plan does not include the feature. One simple test separates them, and each has to be asked of a different person.
First, identify what you are actually seeing#
"Greyed out" takes four different forms in AdPix and each means something else. Before anything else, work out which one you have:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| The item is there with a dimmed star, tooltip "Premium — not included in this property's plan" | Plan |
| You click the item and get an upgrade card instead of the screen | Plan |
| The item is not in the sidebar at all | Role (or a feature that is not advertised to properties without it) |
| The screen opens but its fields and buttons are disabled | Role |
| The item sits under the "Coming soon" group with a "Soon" badge | Neither — it is not built yet |
Rule the "Coming soon" group out early: those items are dimmed on purpose and neither a plan upgrade nor a role change opens them.
Signs of a plan limit#
A plan is attached to the property, not to the user. The same account of yours can have the feature on one property and not on another.
The premium star next to premium items is shown to everyone; what changes is its colour. When the current property has the feature, the star is solid and its tooltip reads "Premium feature". When it does not, the star dims and the tooltip becomes "Premium — not included in this property's plan".
If you reach that screen by direct link, you get a card that names the feature itself: "… is a premium feature", with the text "This property is on the Free plan. Upgrade to unlock … and other premium features." and an Upgrade plan button. Seeing that card is the definitive signal — no role limit ever produces it.
Each premium feature also carries a separate decision: when the property lacks it, should it appear in the menu locked, or not appear at all? So a missing item does not always mean a missing capability. If you are confident your role is sufficient and the item still is not there, run the test in the next section.
Signs of a role limit#
A role is attached to you and behaves the same across every property at the same level. It has two tells:
- The item is not in the sidebar. Reports and Explore stay open to every role; what a role hides is the management and platform surfaces. Audiences and Alerts need Marketer or above, Cookie consent needs Editor or above, Library needs Analyst or above, and Identified users and Raw events are AdPix platform administrators only, because they expose raw data and personal information.
- The screen opens but nothing can be changed. In Admin, a lower role can still view each settings pane; the form simply carries the line "Read-only — your role can view but not edit these settings." above it and every field is disabled.
The groups in the Admin rail follow the same rule: Account appears for Account admin and above, Property for Property admin and above, and Global only for an AdPix platform administrator. If one of those groups is missing entirely, your role does not reach that level.
There is a third state that has nothing to do with your role: if you see a "Viewing as …" bar at the top with a "Read-only" marker, you are viewing on behalf of another user and everything is deliberately read-only. Exit that mode and try again.
The test that settles it#
If you only have one property, the alternative test is this: ask a colleague with a higher role on that same property to open the screen. If they see it and you do not, it is a role limit.
An AdPix platform administrator is entitled to every feature regardless of the property's plan, and the upgrade card is never rendered for them. If they say "it works fine for me", that proves nothing about your property's plan. The control has to be an ordinary user on the same property.
Who to ask for each#
| Problem | Ask | Where it is done |
|---|---|---|
| Role, on one property | a Property admin or any higher role in the same organization | Admin → Property access management |
| Role, across the account | an Account admin or the Org owner | Admin → Account access management |
| The property's plan | your Org owner, and from there AdPix | the Upgrade plan button on the card itself |
When you request a role, write down the thing you want to do rather than the name of a feature — "I need to define a key event", or "I need to publish the consent banner". Roles are defined around work, not around screens, and that one sentence usually saves a round trip. The full list of roles and what each one opens is in Roles and capabilities.
For a plan, say which property and which feature — using the name printed on the upgrade card. Which feature belongs to which plan is set out in Plans and entitlements.
Two cases that are neither#
- The feature is not built yet. That is the "Coming soon" group in the sidebar. Neither a plan upgrade nor a role change opens it.
- The platform has switched the feature off globally. In that case nobody sees it, not even an AdPix platform administrator. If something that worked yesterday has vanished for everyone, this is the case; skip role and plan and contact support.
Frequently asked questions#
How do I tell role from plan in three seconds?
Look for the premium star next to the item's name. If it is there and dimmed, it is a plan limit and its tooltip reads "Premium — not included in this property's plan". If the item is missing from the menu entirely, or it opens but its fields are disabled, it is a role limit.
Why does my colleague see it and I don't?
Either their role on that property is higher than yours, or you are on a different property whose plan lacks the feature. Check the Properties picker first so you are both on the same property; if you were, it is a role limit.
I'm an AdPix platform administrator and I can't reproduce the customer's problem. Why?
Because a platform administrator is entitled to every feature regardless of the property's plan, and the upgrade screen is never shown to them. To reproduce it you have to look with the user's own account, on the same property.
Can I hold the capability and still not get the feature?
Yes, and it is common. They are two independent gates: your role says you are allowed to do the thing, the plan says this property has the feature. Both have to be open.
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