diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e09dbf5..ead006b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ That runtime-config flow is intentional. The dashboard is designed to be reconfi
 - enable or disable login methods such as passkeys, magic links, OTP, and OAuth
 - configure OAuth providers without entering provider client secrets in the browser
 
+Role management supports scoped role names such as `admin:read` and `admin:write`. Dashboard access
+accepts the legacy `admin` role, `admin:read`, or `admin:write`; mutating API requests still depend
+on the Seamless Auth API enforcing write scopes.
+
 #### OAuth Provider Configuration
 
 The dashboard edits the Seamless Auth API `oauth_providers` system config. OAuth is enabled by
diff --git a/src/components/RequireAuth.test.tsx b/src/components/RequireAuth.test.tsx
index 372821b..42ff118 100644
--- a/src/components/RequireAuth.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/RequireAuth.test.tsx
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe("RequireAuth", () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     authState.value = {
       isAuthenticated: true,
-      user: { id: "1" },
+      user: { id: "1", roles: ["admin:read"] },
       hasRole: (role: string) => role === "admin",
       loading: false,
     };
@@ -140,4 +140,30 @@ describe("RequireAuth", () => {
 
     expect(container.querySelector(".opacity-100")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it("allows admin write users into the dashboard", () => {
+    authState.value = {
+      isAuthenticated: true,
+      user: { id: "1", roles: ["admin:write"] },
+      hasRole: () => false,
+      loading: false,
+    };
+
+    render(
+      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/events"]}>
+        <Routes>
+          <Route
+            path="/events"
+            element={
+              <RequireAuth>
+                <div>Secret</div>
+              </RequireAuth>
+            }
+          />
+        </Routes>
+      </MemoryRouter>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("Secret")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/RequireAuth.tsx b/src/components/RequireAuth.tsx
index e4613aa..4fd2129 100644
--- a/src/components/RequireAuth.tsx
+++ b/src/components/RequireAuth.tsx
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@ import { Navigate, useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
 import AuthLoading from "./AuthLoading";
 import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import { saveLastProtectedRoute } from "../lib/lastRoute";
+import { hasScopedRole } from "../lib/scopedRoles";
 
 export default function RequireAuth({
   children,
 }: {
   children: React.ReactNode;
 }) {
-  const { isAuthenticated, user, hasRole, loading } = useAuth();
+  const { isAuthenticated, user, loading } = useAuth();
   const [ready, setReady] = useState(false);
   const location = useLocation();
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ export default function RequireAuth({
     return <AuthLoading />;
   }
 
-  if (!isAuthenticated || !hasRole("admin")) {
+  if (!isAuthenticated || !hasScopedRole(user?.roles, "admin:read")) {
     return (
       <Navigate to="/unauthenticated" replace state={{ from: currentPath }} />
     );
diff --git a/src/lib/scopedRoles.test.ts b/src/lib/scopedRoles.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4dc83c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/scopedRoles.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2026 Fells Code, LLC
+ * Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
+ * See LICENSE file in the project root for full license information
+ */
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { hasScopedRole, roleGrantsAccess } from "./scopedRoles";
+
+describe("scoped roles", () => {
+  it("matches exact roles", () => {
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin", "admin")).toBe(true);
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin:read", "admin:read")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("lets broad and write roles satisfy scoped read checks", () => {
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin", "admin:read")).toBe(true);
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin:write", "admin:read")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not let read satisfy write or broad checks", () => {
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin:read", "admin:write")).toBe(false);
+    expect(roleGrantsAccess("admin:read", "admin")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("checks any granted role against any required role", () => {
+    expect(
+      hasScopedRole(["user", "admin:read"], ["admin:write", "admin:read"]),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(hasScopedRole(["user"], ["admin:write", "admin:read"])).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/scopedRoles.ts b/src/lib/scopedRoles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fd858b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/scopedRoles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2026 Fells Code, LLC
+ * Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
+ * See LICENSE file in the project root for full license information
+ */
+
+export function roleGrantsAccess(
+  grantedRole: string,
+  requiredRole: string,
+): boolean {
+  const granted = grantedRole.trim();
+  const required = requiredRole.trim();
+
+  if (!granted || !required) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (granted === required) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  if (granted.endsWith(":*")) {
+    const prefix = granted.slice(0, -2);
+    return required === prefix || required.startsWith(`${prefix}:`);
+  }
+
+  if (!required.includes(":")) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (!granted.includes(":")) {
+    return required.startsWith(`${granted}:`);
+  }
+
+  const grantedParts = granted.split(":");
+  const requiredParts = required.split(":");
+  const grantedAction = grantedParts.at(-1);
+  const requiredAction = requiredParts.at(-1);
+  const grantedPrefix = grantedParts.slice(0, -1);
+  const requiredPrefix = requiredParts.slice(0, -1);
+
+  return (
+    grantedAction === "write" &&
+    requiredAction === "read" &&
+    grantedPrefix.length === requiredPrefix.length &&
+    grantedPrefix.every((part, index) => part === requiredPrefix[index])
+  );
+}
+
+export function hasScopedRole(
+  grantedRoles: unknown,
+  requiredRoles: string | string[],
+): boolean {
+  if (!Array.isArray(grantedRoles)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const granted = grantedRoles.filter(
+    (role): role is string => typeof role === "string",
+  );
+  const required = Array.isArray(requiredRoles)
+    ? requiredRoles
+    : [requiredRoles];
+
+  return required.some((requiredRole) =>
+    granted.some((grantedRole) => roleGrantsAccess(grantedRole, requiredRole)),
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/SystemConfig.test.tsx b/src/pages/SystemConfig.test.tsx
index 81e6748..4ef780f 100644
--- a/src/pages/SystemConfig.test.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/SystemConfig.test.tsx
@@ -67,6 +67,24 @@ describe("SystemConfigPage", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("adds scoped roles to the available role set", () => {
+    render(<SystemConfigPage />);
+
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/admin:read/i), {
+      target: { value: "admin:write" },
+    });
+    const [addRoleButton] = screen.getAllByRole("button", { name: /^add$/i });
+    expect(addRoleButton).toBeDefined();
+    fireEvent.click(addRoleButton!);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /save changes/i }));
+
+    expect(mocks.mutate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        available_roles: ["user", "admin", "admin:write"],
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("adds OAuth provider configuration without a secret value", () => {
     render(<SystemConfigPage />);
 
diff --git a/src/pages/SystemConfig.tsx b/src/pages/SystemConfig.tsx
index b4dd717..3e963ed 100644
--- a/src/pages/SystemConfig.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/SystemConfig.tsx
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ function AddRoleInput({
       <input
         value={value}
         onChange={(e) => setValue(e.target.value)}
-        placeholder="Add role (e.g. admin)"
+        placeholder="Add role (e.g. admin:read)"
         className="flex-1 rounded-md border border-subtle bg-surface-alt px-3 py-2 text-sm outline-none transition focus:border-[var(--primary)] focus:ring-1 focus:ring-[var(--primary)]"
         onKeyDown={(e) => {
           if (e.key === "Enter") {
diff --git a/src/pages/Unauthenticated.tsx b/src/pages/Unauthenticated.tsx
index 8130333..d3e909f 100644
--- a/src/pages/Unauthenticated.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Unauthenticated.tsx
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ import { useAuth } from "@seamless-auth/react";
 import { Navigate, useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
 import LayoutSkeleton from "../components/LayoutSkeleton";
 import { getLastProtectedRoute } from "../lib/lastRoute";
+import { hasScopedRole } from "../lib/scopedRoles";
 
 export default function Unauthenticated() {
-  const { isAuthenticated, hasRole, user, loading } = useAuth();
+  const { isAuthenticated, user, loading } = useAuth();
   const location = useLocation();
 
   const redirectTo =
@@ -21,7 +22,9 @@ export default function Unauthenticated() {
     return <LayoutSkeleton />;
   }
 
-  if (isAuthenticated && hasRole("admin")) {
+  const hasAdminReadAccess = hasScopedRole(user?.roles, "admin:read");
+
+  if (isAuthenticated && hasAdminReadAccess) {
     return <Navigate to={redirectTo} replace />;
   }
 
@@ -41,7 +44,7 @@ export default function Unauthenticated() {
           <p className="text-muted text-sm">Seamless Auth Dashboard</p>
         </div>
 
-        {isAuthenticated && !hasRole("admin") ? (
+        {isAuthenticated && !hasAdminReadAccess ? (
           <div className="text-sm text-[var(--highlight)]">
             Your account does not have admin access.
           </div>
diff --git a/src/pages/Users.tsx b/src/pages/Users.tsx
index d13350b..e77c34d 100644
--- a/src/pages/Users.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Users.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import SearchInput from "../components/SearchInput";
 import CreateUserModal from "../components/CreateUserModal";
 import StatCard from "../components/StatCard";
 import { Section } from "../components/Section";
+import { hasScopedRole } from "../lib/scopedRoles";
 
 function formatTimeAgo(date?: string | null, now?: number) {
   if (!date) return "No recent activity";
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ export default function Users() {
   const total = data?.total ?? 0;
   const verifiedCount = users.filter((user) => user.verified).length;
   const adminCount = users.filter((user) =>
-    user.roles.includes("admin"),
+    hasScopedRole(user.roles, "admin:read"),
   ).length;
   const recentlyActiveCount = users.filter((user) => {
     if (!user.lastLogin) return false;