Sharing Article Types

Administrators can set which users can view, comment, contribute, edit, and publish posts within that article type. These security settings ensure the right people have access to browse and contribute within an article type. Administrators can also set an article type to public on the web which will allow users to view specific content without signing in. This feature allows administrators to promote certain kinds of posts publicly while keeping internal company information confidential.

Requirements

To share Article Types, you must have:

• Administrator System Role permissions

Configuration Process

Accessing Article Type Sharing

1. Navigate to the Setup Home page
2. Click Create > Articles
3. Select the Article Type you want to configure sharing settings for
4. On the top right of the page, click Actions
5. Click Share

Understanding Article Type Privacy Levels

Initial Privacy Status

If the Article Type sharing has not been previously configured, it will show as "Private." This means only the article type owner has access to view and manage content.

Configuring Base Access Level

1. Click the Edit icon beside the privacy status
2. Select one of the following base access options:

All Users

• All employee and community users can access the Article Type
• Provides the broadest internal access to your portal users

All Employee Users

• Anyone at your company can find and access the Article Type
• Restricts access to internal employees only
• Excludes partner and customer users

Specific People

• Only specified users can access the Article Type
• When selected, use the lookup bar to search and add users by:
  • Individual user names
  • Security Roles
  • User Groups

3. Click Done to apply the base access level

Configuring Detailed Permissions

Adding Users, Groups, and Roles

After setting the base access level, you can configure specific permissions for different users and groups:

1. In the sharing interface, use the search field to add:

   • Individual Users: Search by name to add specific users
   • User Groups: Add entire user groups for efficient permission management
   • Security Roles: Grant access to all users with specific security roles
   • Guest Security Roles: Add guest roles to share content publicly with the web

2. The search interface provides autocomplete suggestions as you type

Permission Levels

For each user, user group, or security role added, select the appropriate permission level from the dropdown menu:

View

• Users can only view posts within the Article Type
• No editing, commenting, or publishing capabilities
• Read-only access to content

Comment

• Users can view posts and add comments
• Cannot create, edit, or publish posts
• Enables community engagement and feedback

Contribute

• Users can write and publish their own posts in the Article Type
• Cannot edit posts created by other users
• Ideal for content contributors who create original content

Publish

• Users can write, edit other users' posts, and publish content in the Article Type
• Full editorial control over all content within the article type
• Suitable for content managers and editors

Public Web Sharing

To make an Article Type publicly accessible on the web:

1. Add Guest Security Roles to the sharing configuration
2. Assign appropriate permission levels (typically "View" for public content)
3. This allows users to access content without signing in to the portal

Best Practices

Security Considerations

• Start Restrictive: Begin with minimal access and expand permissions as needed
• Regular Review: Periodically audit sharing settings to ensure they remain appropriate
• Public Content: Carefully consider what content should be publicly accessible
• Guest Role Management: Monitor guest access to prevent unauthorized content exposure

Permission Strategy

• Role-Based Access: Use Security Roles rather than individual users when possible for easier management
• User Group Utilization: Leverage User Groups for efficient permission management across similar users
• Layered Permissions: Combine base access levels with specific permissions for granular control

Content Management

• Clear Ownership: Ensure content owners understand their sharing responsibilities
• Approval Workflows: Use approval processes for publicly shared content to maintain quality
• Version Control: Consider enabling version control for content with multiple contributors

Integration with Security Systems

Relationship to Other Access Controls

Article Type sharing works within the broader Magentrix security framework:

• Security Roles: Sharing permissions work within the capabilities granted by Security Roles
• User Groups: Sharing leverages User Groups for efficient access management
• Account-Based Security: Partner and Customer users still respect Account/Contact filtering
• Field Security: Field-level restrictions apply regardless of sharing permissions

Module Integration

• AI Tools: Publicly shared Article Types can be selected for AI training when appropriate
• RSS Feeds: Sharing settings affect RSS feed accessibility
• Search: Content discovery through search respects sharing permissions

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Users Cannot Access Article Type

• Verify the Article Type is not set to "Private"
• Check that users have appropriate base access level
• Confirm users are included in sharing permissions with at least "View" access
• Ensure users have compatible Security Roles

Public Access Not Working

• Verify Guest Security Roles are added to sharing settings
• Check that Guest roles have appropriate permissions
• Confirm Article Type status is "Active"
• Review "Require Login" settings if users need authentication for full content

Permission Conflicts

• Review Security Role capabilities that may restrict access
• Check User Group memberships for conflicting permissions
• Verify Account/Contact associations for Partner and Customer users

Article Type sharing provides powerful control over content access and collaboration, enabling organizations to balance open collaboration with appropriate security and privacy protection.

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