Adding members to an OKX institutional account is done through the "Sub-account" feature. The main account can create multiple sub-accounts, each with independent permissions and fund views, all controlled by the main account.
The core management page is the "Sub-account Management" page in the "Account Center", where all permission settings are configured.
Step 1: Enter the sub-account management backend
Log in to your OKX main account and navigate to the management page using the following paths:
Web: Click your avatar in the top right corner → [Account Center] → [Sub-account Management]
App: Tap [Assets] → top right [Account Management] → [Sub-account Management]
Completion standard: You'll see the "Sub-account List" page, showing existing sub-accounts or a "Create Sub-account" button.
Note: Before creating sub-accounts, the main account must complete KYC verification (at least Lv.1), otherwise you cannot create them. Regular users can create up to 5 sub-accounts by default; VIP users can create more depending on their level.
Step 2: Create a sub-account and assign basic permissions
Click [Create Sub-account] and fill in the following information:
Sub-account name: Cannot contain Chinese characters, punctuation, or spaces (e.g., "trading01", "risk-mgmt")
Login password: Must include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols, 8-20 characters long
Account type: Regular users select "Standard Sub-account"; this is usually chosen for institutional scenarios
Permission settings (can be configured during or after creation):
| Permission Type | Options |
|---|---|
| Basic Permissions | Allow login, allow viewing assets, allow trading |
| Operational Permissions | Allow withdrawals (can set "withdrawals require main account confirmation"), allow API management, allow futures/margin trading |
| Fund Permissions | Allow deposits, allow receiving transfers from main account |
Completion standard: Sub-account created successfully, and the system generates a unique sub-account ID and initial secret key (the key is shown only once, so save it immediately).
Step 3: Transfer funds and activate the sub-account
Newly created sub-accounts have zero balance by default; the main account must transfer funds before trading is enabled.
How to do it:
In the sub-account list, find the target sub-account and click the [Transfer] button on the right
Select the source account (main account), destination account (specified sub-account), currency, and amount
After confirming, enter the verification code; funds arrive instantly with no fees
Risk reminder: Sub-account assets essentially belong to the main account, but sub-account fund transfers are one-way — the main account can transfer funds to or from a sub-account at any time, but sub-accounts cannot initiate transfer requests back to the main account. All transfer records are fully kept in the transaction history for easy audit tracing.
Step 4: Configure fine-grained permissions for sub-accounts (advanced)
After creation, the main account can adjust each sub-account's permissions and risk control parameters at any time:
Modify operational permissions: Click [Edit] on the sub-account details page, check or uncheck the corresponding permissions, and the changes take effect immediately after saving
Set trading limits: You can set daily withdrawal limits, maximum leverage, order price deviation protection, and other risk control rules
API permission management: You can generate a separate API key for the sub-account, restrict it to "read-only" or "trading only", and set an IP whitelist to limit access scope
Completion standard: You can see on the sub-account management page that the sub-account has been assigned a clear permission label (e.g., "trading only - no withdrawals").
Verification after setup
After creation, verify that the member account is active:
Try logging in with the sub-account's login name and password to confirm access
After logging in, check the assets page — the sub-account should only see its own funds and cannot view the main account's or other sub-accounts' balances
If "withdrawals prohibited" is set, confirm that the withdrawal button is greyed out or not clickable
Next step recommendation: Follow the "principle of least privilege" — each sub-account should only have access to the roles it needs (e.g., traders only get trading permissions, finance staff only get transfer permissions) to reduce internal operational risk. Permission changes take effect immediately, so communicate with the sub-account user before adjusting to avoid disrupting normal operations.
