---
title: "Security - Article access control to authors and readers"
slug: "article-access-control-knowledge-base-site"
description: "Add or deny access to the article content for team accounts, team account groups, reader account, and reader groups on the Knowledge base portal."
tags: ["Article access", "Readers", "Team accounts"]
updated: 2026-03-25T13:20:51Z
published: 2026-03-25T13:20:51Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.document360.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Security - Article access control

Add or deny access to the article content for users, user groups, reader accounts, and reader groups on the Knowledge base portal or Knowledge base site.

---

## Accessing the Article access control

1. Navigate to the desired article in the documentation editor.
2. Click the **More** (**) icon in the article header and click **Security**.
3. There are two options to choose from

An **Assign content access** panel will appear.
  - [Knowledge base portal](/help/docs/article-access-control-knowledge-base-site#knowledge-base-portal)
  - [Knowledge base site](/help/docs/article-access-control-knowledge-base-site#knowledge-base-site)
4. You can manage access to the article for users or readers.

![Document360's WYSIWYG editor interface showing article title and access control options.](https://cdn.document360.io/860f9f88-412e-4570-8222-d5bf2f4b7dd1/Images/Documentation/access%20security.png)

### Knowledge base portal

To change the article access on the portal, select the **Knowledge base portal access control**.

> **For Users & User groups** Portal access refers to the access through which the article content and article settings are updated or deleted.

The **Assign content access: Knowledge base portal** panel appears with the list of existing users.

> [!NOTE]
> ******NOTE
> 
> The content access assignment at the article and category level is available only for Contributor and Editor roles. Reviewer accounts will not appear in the article or category level content access list. To grant a Reviewer access to content, assign their access at the user level from Users & Groups. Once assigned at the user level, the Reviewer can access and review articles as expected, even though their account is not visible in the article or category level access settings.

1. If no accounts are listed, click **Assign article access** to assign team members.
2. Select the desired users.
3. In the **Users** section, you can perform operations such as **Edit**, **Deny**, and **Remove**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/860f9f88-412e-4570-8222-d5bf2f4b7dd1/Images/Documentation/assign.png)

### Knowledge base site

To change the article access on the site, select the **Knowledge base Reader access control.**

> **For readers & reader groups** Reader access refers to the view access of the published article on the private or mixed knowledge base site.

> **Why is this option Inactive?** This option would be inactive (grayed out) if the knowledge base Reader access is set as **Public**.

The **Assign content access: Knowledge base site** panel appears with the list of existing readers.

![Assign article access by selecting user roles and content permissions in the portal.](https://cdn.document360.io/860f9f88-412e-4570-8222-d5bf2f4b7dd1/Images/Documentation/2026-02-02_16-12-10.png)

1. If no readers are listed, click **Assign article access** to assign reader accounts.
2. To change content role, click **Change content role** and select your desired option from the dropdown menu.
3. Select the desired reader account and click **Apply**.

---

### FAQ

#### Once Knowledge base portal access is denied for a user or group, how can it be restored?

If access is denied for a user, the user will not be listed. To restore access, click **Assign article access** and add the same user again.

#### Once Knowledge base Reader access is denied for a reader or group, how can it be restored?

If access is denied for a reader account, the read account will not be listed. To restore access, click **Assign article access** and add the same reader account again.

#### Can I give access to an entire category to a user and still restrict access to specific articles within that category?

Yes, in Document360, you can grant access to an entire category to a user and still restrict access to specific articles within that category.

#### How do I deny access to a specific article for a user?

To deny access to a specific article for a user, follow these steps:

1. In the knowledge base portal, navigate to the specific article and click the **More** (**) icon in the article header.
2. Navigate to **Security** > **Knowledge base portal**.

The users list will appear.
3. Hover over the desired user and click the **Deny**(**) icon.

#### How do I grant access to a category for a user?

To grant access to a category for a user,

1. Navigate to the category you want to give access to in the Knowledge base portal.
2. Click **More** (**) icon > **Security** > **Knowledge base portal** > **Assign category access**.
3. Select the desired user and click **Apply**.

#### Can I manage article-level access independently within a category?

Yes, Document360 allows you to manage article-level access independently within a category. You can grant or deny access to specific articles even if the user has access to the entire category.

#### What happens if I deny access to an article that is part of a category to which the user already has access?

If you deny access to a specific article, the user will not be able to view or interact with that article, even if they have access to the rest of the category. The restrictions applied at the article level will override the category-level permissions for that specific article.

#### Why can't I see the category and article structure on the Knowledge base site as it appears in the portal?

If you are unable to see the category and article structure on the knowledge base site, it may be due to JWT access settings. If the reader group doesn’t have access to specific categories, those categories won't be visible to them.

To resolve this, ensure the correct content access is granted to the reader group. If the issue persists, please contact our support team for assistance.

#### How can I configure one article to be public while keeping all others private in the Knowledge base site?

You can configure a single article as public while keeping all other articles private in a **Mixed project** by following these steps:

**Set the workspace Reader access to public:**

1. Navigate to **Settings** (**) in the left navigation bar in the **Knowledge base portal**.
2. In the left navigation pane, navigate to **Users & permissions** > Reader access.
3. Locate the workspace where the desired article is created.
4. Set the Reader access for that workspace to **Public**.

**Configure all other articles as private:**

1. Navigate to the **Documentation** (**) section.
2. For each article or category you want to keep private.
3. Hover over the article or category, and click the **More** (**) icon.
4. Select **Security** > **Knowledge base site**.
5. In the **Assign content access** panel, choose **Private** and click **Close**.

Ensure that the article you want to make public remains in **Public** access mode.

By doing this, only the specified article will be publicly accessible, while all others remain private.![Configuring one article as public while keeping all others private in the Knowledge base site.](https://cdn.document360.io/860f9f88-412e-4570-8222-d5bf2f4b7dd1/Images/Documentation/Screenshot-FAQ_Configuring_one_article_public_other_Articles_As_private.gif)

#### Why is the padlock icon not visible on private articles? Why are new articles created as public even though they are added under private categories?

If the padlock icon is not showing on articles that are expected to be private, it may be due to the sub-category security settings. Even if an article is placed under a private category, the specific sub-category it belongs to might be set to public. In this case, the article will be treated as public.

To resolve this issue:

1. Click the **More** (**) icon in the article header and click **Security**.
2. Click **Knowledge base Reader access control**and set the Reader access to **Private**.

New articles created under private categories may not retain the access settings if the category was cloned from another one. It might have inherited public visibility settings by default. This can cause articles under it to appear as public, even within a private category or workspace. To resolve the issue, update the sub-category or cloned category settings to private, then refresh or recheck the portal. The padlock icon appears as expected for private articles.

The platform where project members manage and create content for the knowledge base. It allows users to create categories, articles, and templates; manage files, team accounts, and readers; and configure site settings such as branding, domain, and security.

The public-facing website where end-users can access articles and find answers to their questions.

## Related

- [Health check metrics](/health-check-metrics.md)