How to manage area permissions using Simplified Permissions – Oak Digital Workplace

Simplified Permissions make it easier to manage who can do what in each area of your site. Instead of adding a user group to lots of separate roles (area management, content, Timeline and more), you give the group one permission level and it covers everything in that area.

New sites have Simplified Permissions switched on by default. Established sites can keep using Advanced Permissions, which are still available if you need to give people different responsibilities.

This guide will walk you through assigning Simplified Permissions to user groups in an area.

Before you start:

You need the System Administrator or Area Security Manager role.
Simplified Permissions must be switched on for your site. If your page options show Manage security rather than Manage permissions, your site uses Advanced Permissions. See How to manage area permissions using Advanced Permissions. To discuss moving to Simplified Permissions, contact your account manager or Oak Support.

Assigning Simplified Permissions

Go to the area's homepage, select the page options (three vertical dots) in the top right and select Manage permissions. To see all areas, select Manage areas instead, or go to Actions button > Configure > Site Structure > Manage Areas.
To switch to another area, select the back arrow and choose an area from the list.
Select the Permissions tab.

To add a group, select the + icon, choose the group in the user picker and select Confirm.
Select the drop-down arrow next to the group and choose a level: Manager, Reviewer, Contributor or Viewer. To remove a group, select the red X.
Select OK in the bottom left to save your changes.

Note: If a group shows Custom instead of a level, it has Advanced Permissions applied. Choosing a Simplified level replaces them, and you'll no longer see those settings in the Advanced panel.

Viewing a group's permission breakdown

Select a user group's name to open its breakdown. This shows everything the group can do in the area, including content, Process and Timeline.

Please note: the breakdown doesn't update until you select OK. After saving, select the group again to see its updated permissions.

Timeline permissions

Groups with the Viewer level can post in the area's Timeline. To check, open the group's breakdown.

To stop a group posting in a Timeline, remove the group here and give it Content Viewer access in Advanced Permissions instead. Bear in mind that people who can't post in a Timeline can't react or reply either.

Considerations, tips & guidance

Use user groups: assign permissions to user groups rather than individuals, so they're easier to keep track of. See How to create and manage User Groups.
Everyone in your organisation: use the Active Intranet Users group. The All Users group also includes extranet users.
Main business area: we strongly recommend using Advanced Permissions at your main business level, as it has extra site permissions that Simplified Permissions don't cover. Select Advanced in the top right to switch.
New areas: when creating a department, project, team or folder, copy the security permissions from the parent area.
Plan ahead: when setting up your site, plan your permissions alongside your area structure.