Access Control

Control who can view and edit your documents with granular permissions.

The Documents app provides granular control over who can view and edit documents, with support for permission inheritance through folders.

Visibility Modes

Mode	Description
Private	Only the owner can access
Custom	Shared with specific people, teams, or organizations
Inherit	Uses the same permissions as the parent folder

Permission Levels

When sharing with Custom visibility:

Level	Capabilities
Owner	Full control including sharing, deletion, and version management
Editor	Can view, edit content, and save versions
Viewer	Read-only access to view content and versions

Changing Document Visibility

1. Open the document in the editor
2. Click the access control button in the right panel (Properties tab)
3. Choose the desired visibility mode
4. For Custom visibility, select who should have access
5. Save your changes

Sharing Documents

To share a document with specific users:

1. Open the document
2. Click the Share button or access control icon
3. Click Add People, Teams, or Organizations
4. Search and select recipients
5. Set the appropriate access level for each
6. Click Save

Subject Types

You can grant access to:

Subject	Description
Member	Individual workspace member
Team	All members of a specific team
Organization	All members of an organization

Folder Permission Inheritance

Documents inside folders can inherit permissions from their parent:

How Inheritance Works

1. Set visibility on a folder to control all contents
2. Child documents with "Inherit" visibility automatically follow parent permissions
3. Override inheritance by setting explicit visibility on individual documents

Setting Up Inherited Access

1. Create or select a folder
2. Set the folder's visibility to Custom
3. Add the desired members, teams, or organizations
4. Create documents inside with "Inherit" visibility

New documents created inside the folder will use Inherit mode by default.

Permission Actions

Different actions require different permission levels:

Action	Required Level
View document	Viewer or higher
Edit content	Editor or higher
Save versions	Editor or higher
Share with others	Owner only
Change visibility	Owner only
Delete document	Owner only
Move document	Editor or higher
Rename document	Editor or higher

Best Practices

• Use folder-level permissions for consistent access control across related documents
• Set sensitive documents to Private by default
• Use teams and organizations for group sharing instead of individual members
• Review access periodically to maintain security
• Use Inherit mode for documents that should follow folder permissions
• Grant minimal access - give users only the permissions they need

Checking Effective Permissions

To see who has access to a document:

1. Open the document
2. Go to the Properties tab
3. View the Access Control section
4. See all members, teams, and organizations with access
5. Check effective permissions if using inheritance

Next Steps

• Working with Documents - Organize documents in folders
• Tips for Success - Permission best practices