The time to set up access is after your Channels and Pages are in place, and your content strategy is set up. Knowing where the content that members need to see lives, and who owns those areas are the cornerstones of any access model. Today we'll look at best practices when setting up access in your digital workplace, and making it ready for your members. 

Access in Igloo is absolute. If a member doesn't have access to an item, it won't appear anywhere in navigation, it won't load in widgets, and it won't be returned in their searches. It is simply not there. The same is true of the options and buttons enabled by elevating people's access, granting them the ability to write, edit, or delete content. The platform never offers your members a button they can't click. With this in mind, a strong access model can do more than keep your sensitive items private, it can shape the flow of content and the structure of your digital workplace for various groups of members, offering people entirely different experiences from the exact same locations. 

Designing an access model

There are three parts to an access model: groups, rules, and roles. First, create any necessary Groups, and give them descriptive names. Members can be part of as many Groups as they need to be to get the access they should have, and your digital workplace can have as many Groups as it needs. 

Second, determine what access rules those Groups require in various areas. Do you have a global team of content owners, or smaller teams for individual areas? Are your Space Administrators the key owners, or are there separate Groups that need additional access? These are the kinds of questions your access model will answer, serving as a guide to how your digital workplace is run. Finally, add the appropriate Roles to any Groups that require additional administrative functions. 

Applying the model

Groups make access in Igloo easy. Members can be moved fluidly in and out of Groups, letting you set up strong access rules early, and manage people's access individually by moving them between Groups, rather than adjusting individual rules on content items. Use inheritance to your advantages by creating rules that are meant to pass further down into the structure of your digital workplace. Provide read access to large Groups at the top of your architecture, and add rules to elevate the access of specific Groups. This can help keep the rules required to a minimum, while ensuring that everyone has the access that they need. 

Making exceptions

Sometimes inheritance isn't the answer, however. Sometimes an item is in the write spot, but the larger access rules don't fit for it. Areas with sensitive HR information or medical patient data, for example, may require additional restrictions. In cases like this, you can disable the inheritance and make new rules for that item, starting a new chain of inheritance. With these exceptions, it's important to still use Groups to provide the rules, even if that means having Groups of one or two people. That way if they transition to new roles, their access can be managed from the same area as everyone else's, and they don't retain their access to those sensitive spaces. 

Having a clear access model ensures that everyone can reach what they need to, but more importantly it makes your digital workplace easier to run. When access rules and groups have a clear purpose, it's easier to make plans to adapt as your organization changes and grows. 

If you have questions about the Igloo platform, workflows, or best practices, you can leave a comment here, or ask a question in the Community area.