Mixed access knowledge base
  • 04 Mar 2023
  • 8 Minutes to read
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Mixed access knowledge base

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Article Summary

What is a Mixed access knowledge base?

A hybrid site access setting that allows parts of the knowledge base to be public and parts of the knowledge base to be private access only for reader accounts with login credentials.


Accessing the Site access setting

From the knowledge base portal, click on Settings → Site access. The project name with the three available site access settings is available.

  • Public

  • Private

  • Mixed

The knowledge base can be switched from Public or Private to Mixed from this section.

Why is the Mixed access setting locked?

The Mixed mode knowledge base is available only on Enterprise and Enterprise plus tiers.

Standard and Business tier projects require an upgrade to use the Mixed mode site access.

The current site access setting of the project can be identified using the label (Public, Private, or Mixed) available next to the site access option in the menu.
1_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_label

Site access setting for new projects

The site access setting would be available at the time of project creation. Users can choose any site access setting during project creation and change the setting later.


Switching a knowledge base site access as Mixed

2_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_overview

  1. In the knowledge base portal, click on Settings → Site access
  2. Three site access options (public, private, and mixed) are available
  3. Select the Mixed option
  4. An Update visibility confirmation prompt appears

3_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_switch_access_prompt

  1. To proceed with the change, correctly type in the subdomain of the project in the field provided. The subdomain of the project is available in the prompt message
  2. Click on the Yes option
  3. The knowledge base would be switched to Mixed site access

If the knowledge base is being switched from Private or Public to Mixed site access, then few changes in the granular level access permissions are observed.


Changing site access setting at the project level

4_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_project_level_setting

  1. From the knowledge base portal, click on Settings → Site access
  2. The site access setting should be set as Mixed to access the page
  3. The project name is visible at the top, the tree-view of the versions and languages is available below
  4. Click on the gear icon (Access control setting) next to the project name
  5. An Access control: Knowledge base site blade window appears
  6. The list of the reader(s) and reader group(s) with project-level site access is displayed with information such as profile image, name, email, content access, and reader group
  7. To search for any specific reader or reader group, use the search bar along with the two filters available (Content access and Group)

Add reader(s) or reader group(s) to project-level site access

Click on the Add button on the top-right and select Add reader account or Add reader group. A new blade window appears.

Select the reader(s) or reader group(s) and click on the Previous button to return to the previous blade window.

The newly added reader(s) or reader group(s) would be highlighted in yellow. Click on the Save button to complete the action.

Remove reader(s) or reader group(s) from project-level site access

To remove the project level site access of any reader or reader group from the list, select the reader(s) or reader group(s) and click on the Remove button at the top

This subsequently provides or revokes access at a project level to the selected reader or reader group.

Site access - Project level vs. Version or language level

When a project-level setting and version/language level access are added for the same reader(s) or reader group(s), then the version/language level content access takes precedence over any project-level site access.


Changing site access setting at version or language level

5_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_version_level_setting

  1. From the knowledge base portal, click on Settings → Site access
  2. The site access setting should be set as Mixed to access the page
  3. The project name is visible at the top and below that the tree-view of the versions and languages are available
  4. To change the access of specific versions or languages, click on the Public/Private access switch found next to the version or language

5_Screenshot-Mixed_site_access_page_version_level_access_switch

  1. The active site access is highlighted in green
  2. Click on the gear icon (Access control setting) next to the version or language
Site access setting inactive

If the version or language is set as Public then the site access setting icon appears as inactive. To provide content access for the version or language, switch the access setting on the left to Private.

  1. An Access control: Knowledge base site blade window appears
Breadcrumb

At the top of the blade, the breadcrumb of the version of language can be observed.

For example,
Project: Document360 → Version: v6 → Language: French

This can be very useful while using category/article-level access.
To know more about the Security update in the Documentaion editor, read this article.

  1. The list of the reader(s) and reader group(s) with version or language level access are displayed with information such as profile image, name, email, content access, and reader group
Inherited content access

An inherited access label can be seen next to the Content access specification (Project/version). This means the content access permissions are inherited from the project or version.

For example, If a Reader account 'John Davis' is provided with site access at a project level, then it means the reader has access to all the versions and language in the project by default.

  1. To search for any specific reader or reader group, use the search bar along with the two filters available (Content access and Group)

Add reader(s) or reader group(s) to version/language-level site access

Click on the Add button on the top-right and select Add reader account or Add reader group. A new blade window appears.
Select the reader(s) or reader group(s) and select the Previous button to return to the previous blade window.
The newly added reader or reader group is highlighted in yellow. Click on the Save button to complete the action.

Remove reader(s) or reader group(s) from version/language-level site access

To remove the version or language level site access of any reader or reader group from the list, select the reader(s) or reader group(s) and click on the Remove button at the top

This subsequently provides or revokes access at a project level to the selected reader or reader group


Denied access list

Reader(s) or Reader group(s) with an existing version or language level access can be denied access and added to the denied list.

9_Screenshot-Site_access_page_denied_list_1

  1. From the knowledge base portal, click on Settings → Site access
  2. The project name is visible at the top and below that the tree-view of the version(s) and language(s) are available
  3. Click on the gear icon (Access control setting) next to the version or language
  4. An Access control: Knowledge base site blade window appears
  5. The list of the reader(s) and reader group(s) with version or language level access are displayed
  6. To search for any specific reader or reader group, use the search bar along with the two filters available (Content access and Group)
  7. Hover the mouse pointer over the reader or reader group and the Deny icon appears on the right. Click on the icon

10_Screenshot-Site_access_page_denied_list_2

  1. The reader or reader group would be added to the denied list

What this means for the reader or reader group is that they would not have access to the version or language, they previously had access to.

Removing the reader or reader group from the denied list

  1. On the Site access page, click on the gear icon (Access control setting) next to the version or language
  2. An Access control: Knowledge base site blade window appears
  3. The list of the reader(s) and reader group(s) added to the denied list is displayed below

11_Screenshot-Site_access_page_denied_list_3

  1. Hover the mouse pointer over the reader or reader group and the Allow access icon appears on the right. Click on the icon
  2. A confirmation prompt is displayed, click on Yes
  3. The reader or reader group would be allowed access to the version or language again

Article level access in a Mixed knowledge base

  1. Navigate to the desired article in the documentation editor

  2. Click on •••(More) next to the Publish /Edit button and select Security

  3. There are two options to choose from

    • Knowledge base portal
    • Knowledge base site
  4. Choose the Knowledge base site option

  5. The Access control: Knowledge base site blade appears

  6. The breadcrumb of the article and its current visibility status are available

Setting the article visibility as Private

To set the article visibility to Private in a Mixed knowledge base,

  • Click on the Private option and click Yes in the Visibility update confirmation prompt
  • The list of reader(s) and reader group(s) who already have access to the knowledge base is displayed
  • From here reader(s) and reader group(s) can be added, removed, and denied access to the article

Setting the article visibility as Public

If switching access from private, click on the Public option and click Yes on the Visibility update confirmation prompt.


FAQ

What is mixed site access?

A hybrid site access setting allows parts of the knowledge base to be public and parts of the knowledge base to have private access only for reader accounts with login credentials.


How to make a version private in a mixed project?

  1. Go to SettingsUsers & SecuritySite access, and the Site access overview appears
  2. Select the Private option next to the desired version
  3. Click Yes in the Visibility update confirmation prompt

How to make a language private in a mixed project?

  1. Go to SettingsUsers & SecuritySite access, and the Site access overview appears
  2. Select the Private option next to the desired language
  3. Click Yes in the Visibility update confirmation prompt

How can I access a public article with its language set as private?

You must log in with valid credentials to access a public article when the language is private. Though the article can be set as public access from the portal, the reader would still be required to log in to access the content.


What happens when I switch from mixed to private site access?

When you switch from mixed to private site access, all the granular level access permissions would be reset and changed to private. Only the authorized team accounts and reader accounts can access the content.


Which subscriptions plans provide mixed site access?

Enterprise and Enterprise Plus plans provide mixed site access.


What happens when I switch from private to mixed site access?

When you switch from private to mixed site access, all the access would still be private. However, you can change the access permissions at each level (version/language/category/article).


How to switch the site access in a project?

All the granular level access permissions will be reset when you switch the site access.

  1. Go to SettingsUsers & SecuritySite access, and the Site access overview appears
  2. Select the checkbox of the desired access
  3. In the Visibility update confirmation prompt, type in the subdomain of the project and click Yes

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