Site and folder permissions
Ashmita Taneja avatar
Written by Ashmita Taneja
Updated over a week ago

Site and folder permissions allow users to set permissions on both folders and sites to restrict access to only the users who need access to those folders and sites. It replaces the team permissions feature that currently only supports adding authors and editors to sites they don’t already have access to. This feature can be activated for your account by contacting customer support.

The main purpose of this feature is to protect confidential information in your account. This is generally done by “locking” a folder or a site. When a site or folder is locked it can only be seen by users who have been given access to the folder or site. No-one else will be able to see or edit it. The feature also supports the functionality of the old team permissions feature, allowing you to add authors and editors to unlocked sites they don’t already have access to.

Setting permissions on folders and sites work slightly differently.

When locking a site that site will be hidden from all users that have not been explicitly granted access to it. Users can then be added one by one, until only the users who need access to the site can see it. For unlocked sites only authors and editors are unable to see the site unless they have been given access.

When locking or adding users to a folder, all folders in that folder and all sites in any of the affected folders are also affected. Other than that it works just like sites.

That explains the basic functionality of the feature, but there are some gotchas and advanced use-cases that will be explained in the FAQ below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can see unlocked sites?

All sites are unlocked by default and this means that they can be seen by anyone with an account or content administrator role. Authors and editors can only see sites they have been added to.

What happens if you set permission on a folder containing a site that already has permissions set?

The folder permissions won't override permissions set directly on the site. It will set permissions that did not already exist on the site. For example if user A has access to the site, and user B is given access to the folder the site is in, then user A and B will be given access to the site. Giving user A permission to see the folder won’t affect the site, since user A was already given permission previously. This means that even if user A is removed from the folder later, they will still have access to the site, and need to be removed manually from the site to lose access.

Can I give access to a site without also giving access to the folder?

You can give access to one site in a folder, but the user will then be able to see the folder and any folders the folder is in. No sites in those folders will be visible except for the one site that was added. If the user loses access to the site, they will also automatically lose access to the folders since they don’t need that access any longer.

Can I give access to a folder without also giving access to all folders and sites in it?

Yes, but you will have to manually remove access for each folder or site you want users to not be able to see. If you first give access to the folder, that user will then be able to see all sites and folders in that folder. Then go into each folder and site manually and remove the users permission where necessary.

Can I modify permissions for individual sites within a folder that already have set permissions?

Yes, you can modify site permissions within a folder to be different from the folder permissions. Just modify the site directly.

Can I hide a folder while still giving access to a site that is inside that folder?

No. If a user can access a site within a folder, they will be able to see that folder. They won’t be able to see any other sites or folders within that folder however.

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