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Private folders and folder permissions

  • Updated

In Boardeaser's document archive, you can control exactly which users have access to specific folders and files. This guide explains how to create private folders and how to grant, edit, or remove folder permissions for individual users on both public and private folders.

Important notes on permissions and private folders:

  • Public folders: Users with the Administrator or Observer role can always see all public folders in the organization. On public folders, folder permissions are therefore primarily used to grant users with the Limited role access to selected folders (for example, granting an auditor access only to board meetings).
  • Private folders: A private folder is hidden from everyone – including administrators and observers – except the person who created it and the specific users granted access.
  • Ownership of private folders: A private folder is owned by the user who created it. If that user's account is removed from the organization, access to the private folder will also be removed for all assigned users.
  • E-signing: Documents uploaded to private folders cannot be sent for e-signature.

Table of contents

1. Create a private folder

To create a folder that only you and selected users can see, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Documents > All documents in the left menu and click the Create folder button.
Go to Documents and All documents and click Create folder
  1. Enter a name for the folder, check the Make private box, and click Create folder.
Name the folder, tick Make private, and click Create folder

The folder is now created as private and is visible only to you until you invite additional users using the steps below.

2. Grant access to a folder

You assign permissions in the same way whether it is a main folder, a subfolder, or a private folder. (In the example below, a user with the Limited role is granted access to the "Analysis" subfolder inside "Documents", giving them access to all content within that specific folder, including any underlying subfolders and files.)

Example of a subfolder in Documents
  1. Click the three dots icon (···) next to the folder you want to share and select Manage access.
Click the three dots icon and select Manage access
  1. The dialog box displays everyone who currently has access to the selected folder and its contents. Click the input field under Add people to see a list of the organisation's users. 
Overview of users with access to the folder
  1. Select one or more users from the organization and click Share.
Select users and click Share
  1. When a user is added, read permission (Can read) is assigned by default.
User listed with Can read permission by default

3. Change (read/edit) or remove access

Open Manage access via the three dots icon (···) on the folder to adjust or revoke a user's access:

  • Grant edit permission: Click Can read next to the user's name and select Can edit. Edit permission allows the user to upload, edit, and delete documents inside the folder.
Change permission level from Can read to Can edit
  • Remove access: Click the permission dropdown (e.g., Can read) next to the user's name and select Remove access.
Select Remove access to revoke folder permissions

4. How inherited permissions work in subfolders

If a user has access to a parent folder, they automatically inherit the same permission level for all subfolders and files within it. This is indicated by an icon next to the user's name in the access list, showing which parent folder the permission is inherited from.

Icon showing inherited permission from a parent folder