Permissions and Governance

ECM access is controlled by tenant access, user roles, folder permissions, document classification, policy rules, and audit records. The goal is to let teams use documents in daily work while keeping sensitive content, downloads, public links, and compliance evidence under control.

Ask the tenant administrator or project administrator to grant access before starting a document workspace.

Access model

Common access levels

Access level	Typical actions
Viewer	Browse folders, search documents, open allowed records, and view approved metadata.
Consumer	Viewer actions plus preview or download when granted by policy.
Contributor	Upload, update metadata, check in new versions, and add tags in assigned areas.
Steward	Manage folder quality, review tags, route documents, restore records, and prepare evidence packages.
Governance administrator	Manage policies, connector access, audit export, retention, and high-risk access changes.

Use the narrowest role that supports the user's work. Download, public sharing, audit export, and permanent deletion should be granted carefully.

Folder and document access

Folder access controls who can work inside a folder tree. Document-level access can be used for exceptions where a file needs stricter handling than the folder around it.

Recommended approach:

Situation	Suggested control
Most documents in a team area share the same audience	Use folder access.
One document is more sensitive than nearby documents	Add document-level access or a higher classification.
A contractor needs temporary review access	Use a specific role, folder scope, and expiration process.
A user can manage metadata but should not download source files	Grant edit or steward work without download.
A public link is needed for handover	Require explicit share permission, expiration, and audit review.

Classification

Classification describes the sensitivity of a document. It should be assigned according to the customer's information handling policy.

Classification	Typical content
Public	Published manuals, public product information, released training material.
Internal	Routine operating documents, internal SOPs, maintenance records.
Confidential	Vendor data, sensitive site layouts, process details, customer-specific reports.
Restricted	Highly sensitive engineering, security, regulatory, or contractual material.

Classification should be reviewed when documents are imported, approved, shared, or moved to a broader audience.

Policy center

Policies help administrators define rules that apply across folders and document types.

Examples:

Policy area	Example control
Download control	Only approved roles can download confidential documents.
Share control	Public links require explicit permission, expiration, and audit.
Retention	Compliance records must be retained according to the customer policy.
Review	Draft SOPs must be approved before use in operations.
Connector imports	Imported files must be reviewed before becoming official evidence.
AI usage	AI workflows can use only authorized and traceable document versions.

Policies should be tested with representative users before a production rollout.

Audit

Audit records help teams answer who accessed or changed documents and when.

Typical audit questions:

Question	Evidence to check
Who uploaded this document?	Upload event, owner, timestamp.
Who changed the metadata or tags?	Update event and before-after details.
Which version was used?	Version history and linked workflow record.
Who downloaded or shared a document?	Download or share-link event.
What was included in a compliance pack?	Pack generation record and source document versions.

Audit exports may include sensitive information. Limit export permission to administrators or approved compliance owners.

Share links

Share links can expose a document outside the normal application path. Use them only when the project has a clear handover or review purpose.

Before creating a share link, confirm:

• the document owner approves sharing;
• the recipient and purpose are known;
• the link has an expiration date;
• the document version is the intended one;
• the link activity will be audited;
• the link can be revoked when the review is complete.

Governance validation checklist

• Users can see only the folders needed for their role.
• Download access is granted only where it is required.
• Public sharing is limited and audited.
• Sensitive documents have the correct classification.
• Folder access has been tested with at least one viewer and one contributor.
• Policy rules have been tested with representative documents.
• Audit exports are limited to approved users.
• AI Agent workflows inherit the same document access expectations as human users.

Access troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
ECM is hidden	Tenant module access and navigation permission.
Folder is visible but document is missing	Folder access, document-level access, classification, and deleted or archived state.
Preview works but download is blocked	Download permission or policy rule.
Upload is blocked	Contributor or write access for the target folder.
Restore or permanent delete is blocked	Recycle or delete permission.
Share link creation is blocked	Share permission, document access, and policy rules.
Audit export is blocked	Audit export permission.
AI Agent cannot use a document	User access, document classification, source version, and indexing status.