What is a Sinch subproject and how to manage subprojects?

A Subproject is an additional organizational layer that sits inside a parent project within the Sinch Account Model (which consists of Accounts, Projects, and Subprojects):

Technically, a subproject functions exactly like a standard project when it comes to hosting resources. The key difference is its position in the hierarchy: while a Project’s parent is your overarching Account, a Subproject’s parent is a specific Project. 

Key Characteristics of Subprojects 

• Hosting Resources: Just like parent projects, resources (such as phone numbers, apps, and specific API configurations) can sit directly on the subproject level. 

• Strict Hierarchy: There can only be one level of subprojects. A subproject cannot act as a parent to another subproject, and a subproject can only be tied to one specific parent project. 

• Inherited Portal Access: Subprojects do not have their own separate user management within the Sinch Build portal. They automatically inherit the UI access permissions configured on their parent project. 
   
• Access Keys: A unique API Access key can be generated for each subproject in the build dashboard, isolated from sibling subprojects and other accounts. Because access is inherited downwards, it is also possible to use the access key of the parent project to access subproject resources.
   
• Isolated API Access: While portal access is inherited, API credentials and access controls configured at the subproject level are isolated from other subprojects and accounts. 

When should I use a Subproject? 

While standard Projects are excellent general containers for separating internal resources (such as creating different projects for "Development" vs. "Production" environments), Subprojects have specific, highly recommended use cases: 

• For Resellers (Highly Recommended): Subprojects are designed to perfectly represent a reseller's end-customers. By dedicating one subproject per end-customer, resellers can easily isolate costs, secure resources, and compartmentalize API access for each client. Furthermore, subprojects support certain API automation capabilities, allowing resellers to programmatically scale and manage their customer base. 

• For Direct Customers: If your organization has complex structural needs, subprojects can simply provide an additional tier of grouping beneath your parent projects. 

Managing Subprojects 

Accessing Subprojects

Click here to learn how to access your Subprojects in the Sinch Build Dashboard 

Creation and Portal Management 

Currently, the ability to manually create and manage subprojects from within the Sinch Build portal is primarily enabled for large-scale enterprise implementations operating alongside a dedicated Sinch Account Manager. 

Note: We are aiming to enable the option for all accounts to create a limited number of projects and subprojects via self-service in the future.

API Automation 

For use cases that require programmatic control (like the reseller model), subprojects offer automation capabilities through our APIs that are not available for parent projects. This includes the ability to automate the creation, configuration, and even the deletion of subprojects. 

Deleting a Subproject 

Currently, there is no self-service option to delete a subproject directly from within the Build portal. However, if you are utilizing the subproject automation APIs, programmatic deletion is supported. We plan to introduce self-service UI deletion in a future Build portal update. 

Related Articles:

• Accessing your Subprojects in the Sinch Build Dashboard
• What is a project and how to manage projects?
• Sinch Account Model
• What is a project ID?.