---
title: Team Structure in OpenMetadata | Official Documentation
description: Understand team structure setup to align users, roles, and permissions in a way that supports secure and scalable collaboration.
slug: /how-to-guides/admin-guide/teams-and-users/team-structure-openmetadata
---

# Team Structure in OpenMetadata

OpenMetadata supports a hierarchical team structure with **teamType** that can be `Organization`, `Business Unit`, `Division`, `Department`, and `Group` (default team type). **Organization** serves as the foundation of the team hierarchy representing the entire company. The other **team types** under Organization are Business Units, Divisions, Departments, and Groups.

- **`Organization`** is the **root team** in the hierarchy. _It cannot have a parent_. It can have children of the type `Business Unit`, `Division`, `Department`, `Group` along with `Users` directly as children (who are without teams).

- **`BusinessUnit`** is the next level of the team in the hierarchy. It can have `Business Unit`, `Division`, `Department`, and `Group` as children. It can only have **one parent** either of the type `Organization`, or `Business Unit`.

- **`Division`** is the next level of the team in the hierarchy below `Business Unit`. It can have `Division`, `Department`, and `Group` as children. It can only have **one parent** of the type `Organization`, `Business Unit`, or `Division`.

- **`Department`** is the next level of the team in the hierarchy below `Division`. It can have `Department` and `Group` as children. It can have `Organization`, `Business Unit`, `Division`, or `Department` as parents. It can have **multiple parents**.

- **`Group`** is the last level of the team in the hierarchy. It can only have `Users` as children and not any other teams. It can have all the team types as parents. It can have **multiple parents**. 

{% note noteType="Warning" %}
- Once created, the teamType for `Group` **cannot be changed later**. 
- Only the Teams of the type `Group` can **own data assets**.
{% /note noteType="Warning" %}
{% /note %}

{% note %}

OpenMetadata supports flexible nested team hierarchies under organizational structures such as Business Unit, Division, and Department. While there is no hardcoded limit to the depth of hierarchy, leaf nodes such as "Group" cannot have child teams. Additionally, certain team types like "Department" cannot be nested within "Group." To extend the hierarchy, consider using other team types where appropriate.

{% /note %}

{% image
src="/images/v1.7/how-to-guides/teams-and-users/teams.png"
alt="team-structure"
caption="Team Hierarchy in OpenMetadata"
/%}
{% image
src="/images/v1.7/how-to-guides/teams-and-users/teams1.1.png"
alt="team-structure"
caption="Team Hierarchy in OpenMetadata"
/%}
{% image
src="/images/v1.7/how-to-guides/teams-and-users/teams1.2.png"
alt="team-structure"
caption="Team Hierarchy in OpenMetadata"
/%}

{%inlineCallout
  color="violet-70"
  bold="How to Add a Team"
  icon="MdArrowForward"
  href="/how-to-guides/admin-guide/teams-and-users/add-team"%}
  Creating a Team in OpenMetadata is easy for different team types.
{%/inlineCallout%}