---
title: Your FreeSewing Account
sidebar_position: 20
---
Your FreeSewing account is where we store your data.
Your account itself can hold the following fields:
- About you:
- [Username](#username)
- [Email Address](#email)
- [Bio](#bio)
- [Profile Image](#img)
- [Social media platforms](#social)
- [GitHub identity](#github)
- Preferences:
- [Units](#units)
- [Measurements Sets Comparison](#compare)
- [User Experience](#control)
- [Newsletter](#newsletter)
- [Password](#password)
- Internal:
- [User ID](#uid)
- [Role](#role)
:::note
In addition, any
[bookmarks](/docs/about/site/bookmarks/),
[measurements sets](/docs/about/site/sets/),
[patterns](/docs/about/site/patterns/), and
[API keys](/docs/about/site/apikeys/) are strictly speaking also part
of your _account data_ but they are stored as individual records, rather than
as fields in your account.
:::
## About you
These fields tell a little bit about yourself and -- with the exception of your
email address -- are visible to other FreeSewing users when they visit your
profile.
### Username
Your username is special name that uniquely identifies you.
You can choose your own username, so anything goes.
To avoid confusion, usernames must be unique when lowercased. In other words,
the username `Joost` will not be available if a user `joost` exists.
### Email Address {#email}
Your email address ensures we can reach you when it's needed.
For example when you have forgotten your password.
### Bio
Your account **bio** is the place where you can tell a little bit about
yourself.
Other FreeSewing users can see your bio, so this is a way to find like-minded
people or promote your own content.
This field supports Markdown, so you can add links and even images.
### Profile Image {#img}
You can choose a **profile image** to further personalize your account.
It can be a picture of you, your cat, your favourite cartoon character. You do
you.
### Social media platforms {#social}
You can set your username/identity on other social media platforms in your
FreeSewing account.
We do not use this data in any way. This is only here so FreeSewing users can
connect the dots across platforms.
### GitHub identity {#github}
If you add your **GitHub username** and **GitHub email address** to your
account, we will use them when interacting with GitHub on your behalf.
Note that both your GitHub username and email is public info. This merely
allows us to make a link between your FreeSewing account and GitHub account.
For example, when you report a problem on this website, we can mention you so
you will receive notifications when there is an update. For this, your username
is sufficient.
When you submit a showcase post or make changed to our content, we can credit
those commits to you if we have both your username and the email address you
use on GitHub.
:::note
If all of this in confusing, you don't have to provide this info. It's an
advanced feature.
:::
## Preferences
These fields register your preferences for using the site.
### Units
FreeSewing support both **metric units** (cm) and **imperial units** (inch).
Here you can choose which type of units you prefer.
Note that you can override these default units in various places, such as on a
specific pattern or measurements set.
### Measurements Sets Comparison {#compare}
We can occasionally show how your sets of measurements compare to other
measurements sets. This allows us to detect potential problems in your
measurements or patterns.
Comparing yourself to others is the fastest way to be unhappy, so if you'd
rather not see any comparisons, you can disable this feature altogether.
### User Experience {#control}
This setting allows you to control what sort of a user experience you want.
One that is more simple, with advanced features hidden. Or one that has all
bells and whistles.
FreeSewing is a rather advanced platform, and that can be intimidating for new
users. This setting was created to allow people to start simple, and then
unlock more features later.
#### Levels and Features
Each User Experience level adds additional features and settings
to the ones provided by the levels below it.
<details>
<summary>Show details of what features are available at the various levels</summary>
| Level | Pattern Drafting UI | Account Settings |
| :---------: | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1** | **Settings:** Units<br />**Views:** Pattern Editor, Pattern Measurements, Print Layout, Save Pattern As, Export Pattern, Documentation | <br />**Data:** Patterns, Measurement Sets <br />**Settings:** User Experience<br /> **Patterns:** Name, Image<br /> **Measurement Sets:** Name, Image, Units |
| **2** | **Settings:** Seam Allowance, Paperless<br />**UI:** Kiosk Mode<br />**Views:** Pattern Logs | <br />**Data:** Bookmarks<br />**Info:** Username, Bio, Img<br />**Settings:** Language, Units, Newsletter Subscription, Consent & Privacy<br />**Security:** Password<br />**Patterns:** Notes, Created, Updated<br />**Measurement Sets:** Notes, Created, Updated |
| **3** | **Settings:** Language<br />**Views:** Test Design, Time Design | <br />**Info:** Email Address<br />**Settings:** Metricset Comparison<br />**Security:** Two-Factor Authentication<br />**Social:** GitHub, Instagram, Mastodon, Reddit, Twitch, TikTok, Website<br />**Patterns:** Public<br />**Measurement Sets:** Public |
| <br />**4** | <br />**Settings:** Details, Expand, Included Parts, Scale, Margin<br />**UI:** Render Engine<br />**Views:** Edit Settings by Hand, Pattern Inspector | **Data:** API Keys<br />**Security:** API Keys<br />**Patterns:** ID<br />**Measurement Sets:** ID |
| <br />**5** | <br />("_Are you sure?_" confirmation guardrails removed.) | <br />("_Are you sure?_" confirmation guardrails removed.) |
</details>
### Newsletter
This allows you to subscribe to the FreeSewing newsletter. Or not.
### Password
Your password guards your account so that only you can access it.
We do not enforce a password policy, but recommend you
enable [Two-Factor Authentication](https://freesewing.org/account/mfa/).
## Internal
These fields are required for the site to function. You cannot change them.
### User ID {#uid}
Every FreeSewing user has a user ID, sometimes referred to as `UID` or just
`ID`. It is a number that uniquely identifies one particular user.
You can find it on [your account page](https://freesewing.org/account) under
**info**. Or navigate to [/id](https://freesewing.org/id) and -- if you are
logged in -- you will see your ID there.
:::tip
Make sure to always mention your ID when [contacting
support]https://freesewing.org(/support).
:::
### Role
Every FreeSewing user has a role that determines their privileges on the site.
You can see your role on [your account page](https://freesewing.org/account)
under **info**. Or navigate to [/id]https://freesewing.org(/id) and -- if you
are logged in -- you will see your role there.
The following roles exist:
- **user**
- **bughunter**
- **support**
- **admin**
### User
More that 99.99% of FreeSewing users have the **user** role. It is the default
role, and it is exceedingly rare to have a user that has a different role.
### Bughunter
The **bughunter** role grants you permission to read measurments and patterns
data from other users.
It is a role that is reserved for people in the community who want to help
other users troubleshoot their patterns.
### Support
The **support** role grants you permission to read all account data from other
users.
It is a role reserved for contributors who hunt down bugs reported by users.
### Admin
The **admin** role grants you all permissions, including changing the roles of
other users.
Only [joost]https://freesewing.org(/users/user?id=1) holds the admin role.
