What is the Best Way to Give Someone Access to Only a Small Area or Number of Files?

Occasionally it is necessary to restrict a user or group's access to only a few containers.

There are several ways to do this, depending on the files' location, but this topic details two of the quickest and most common. In both cases, it is best to create a new security group with a standard Viewer-type template.

Method 1

Use this method if the containers you want to allow access to are top-level containers (the first level under the project) and all subcontainers below them (for example, allowing access an RFI parent container and access to Owner/Sub RFI subcontainers as well).

  1. Right-click on the project, select ConfigurePermissions > Configure, and select the new group.
    Note: Don't deny any permissions-- just uncheck Allowfor everything except View Content.
  2. Right -click on the containers you need to allow access to, configure permissions, and add View Item permissions.

At this point users, in the security group will see only the parent containers you allowed access to, as well as all of their subcontainers.

Method 2

Use this method if the files you need your new group to access are located in subcontainers or scattered throughout the enterprise.

  1. Right-click on the project, select ConfigurePermissions > Configure, and select the new group.
    Note: Don't deny any permissions-- just uncheck Allowfor everything except View Content.
  2. Create a new dynamic virtual container (DVC, attaching all files you need the group to view via the search function
  3. Enable the Direct Access feature.
    Note: This ensures any users that can access the virtual container can see the files even if they can't see the original container.
  4. Right-click to configure permissions on it and add View Item permissions for the new group.

The new group will now see only the DVC and no other containers.

Method 3

This method is best for keeping areas organized (for example, multiple vendors you want to expose separate sets of documents to).

  1. Create a sub-project for each group of documents you're restricting access to by right-clicking on the top-level project and selecting New > Project.
  2. Create your security groups within that specific project.

Users in these groups will only have access to containers and documents in the sub-project. Anything else in the top-level project will be hidden from them.