Folder Permissions

Folder permissions control who can access folders and what they can do with documents inside them. SignNXT uses a simple, two-level permission system that's easy to understand and manage.

Understanding Access Levels

SignNXT uses two access levels for folder permissions:

View Access

Members with View Access can:

✅ See the folder in their sidebar
✅ Open and view documents in the folder
✅ Download documents
✅ Sign documents (if they're a signer)
✅ View document details and history

❌ Cannot add documents to the folder
❌ Cannot remove documents from the folder
❌ Cannot move documents between folders

Best for: Stakeholders, reviewers, managers, or anyone who needs visibility but shouldn't modify the folder contents.

Edit Access

Members with Edit Access can:

✅ Everything View Access can do, plus:
✅ Add new documents to the folder
✅ Remove documents from the folder
✅ Create documents directly in the folder
✅ Use templates and assign them to the folder

❌ Cannot manage folder members (Admin/Owner only)
❌ Cannot rename or delete the folder (Admin/Owner only)

Best for: Active team members who create and manage documents in the folder.

Permission Hierarchy

SignNXT has three levels of folder permissions:

1. Workspace Owner

The workspace owner has full access to everything:

• ✅ Can see all folders (system and shared)
• ✅ Can create, rename, and delete shared folders
• ✅ Can manage folder members
• ✅ Can add/remove documents from any folder
• ✅ Can change any member's access level

2. Workspace Admin

Admins have the same folder permissions as the owner:

• ✅ Can see all folders (system and shared)
• ✅ Can create, rename, and delete shared folders
• ✅ Can manage folder members
• ✅ Can add/remove documents from any folder
• ✅ Can change any member's access level

3. Regular Members

Regular members only see folders they've been added to:

• ✅ Can see their own system folders (always)
• ✅ Can see shared folders they're members of
• ✅ Access level (View or Edit) determines what they can do
• ❌ Cannot create or manage shared folders
• ❌ Cannot see shared folders they're not members of

How Permissions Affect Documents

Creating Documents

When you create a new document, you can assign it to a folder:

• No folder selected → Document goes to your "Drafts" folder
• Shared folder selected → You must have Edit Access to that folder
• System folder → Only you can create documents in your system folders

Viewing Documents

Your ability to view documents depends on folder access:

• System folders → You can always view your own documents
• Shared folders with View access → You can view all documents in the folder
• Shared folders with Edit access → You can view all documents in the folder
• No folder access → You cannot see documents in that folder

Moving Documents

Document movement is automatic based on status:

• Draft → Automatically in your "Drafts" folder
• Sent → Automatically moves to "Sent Items" folder
• Completed → Automatically moves to "Completed" folder
• Declined → Automatically moves to "Declined" folder
• Voided → Automatically moves to "Voided" folder

For shared folders:

• Documents stay in the shared folder regardless of status
• Only users with Edit access can manually assign documents to shared folders

Setting Folder Permissions

Permission Best Practices

Start with View Access

When adding members to a folder, start with View access by default:

✅ Advantages:

• Prevents accidental document movement
• Reduces clutter in folder dropdowns
• Easier to manage permissions
• More secure by default

Then grant Edit access only to members who actively create and manage documents.

Use the Principle of Least Privilege

Only grant the minimum access level needed:

Role	Recommended Access
Document Creators	Edit Access
Team Managers	View Access
Stakeholders	View Access
External Reviewers	View Access
Department Heads	Edit Access

Review Permissions Regularly

Set a schedule to review folder permissions:

• Monthly - Review active project folders
• Quarterly - Review department folders
• When team changes - Update permissions immediately

Questions to ask:

• Does this person still need access?
• Should their access level change?
• Are there new team members who need access?

Document Your Permission Strategy

Create a simple guide for your team:

Sales Folder:
- Sales Reps: Edit Access (create contracts)
- Sales Managers: View Access (monitor activity)
- Finance Team: View Access (review contracts)

HR Folder:
- HR Team: Edit Access (manage employee docs)
- Department Managers: View Access (review as needed)
- Employees: No access (receive docs via email)

Common Permission Scenarios

Scenario 1: Project Team Collaboration

Setup:

• Create "Project Alpha" shared folder
• Add all project team members with Edit access
• Add stakeholders with View access
• Project manager has Admin role for full control

Result: Team can collaborate freely while stakeholders stay informed.

Scenario 2: Department Document Management

Setup:

• Create "Legal Department" shared folder
• Legal team members: Edit access
• Other departments: View access (if needed)
• Sensitive documents: No access for non-legal staff

Result: Legal team manages documents, others can view when necessary.

Scenario 3: Client-Specific Folders

Setup:

• Create "Client XYZ" shared folder
• Account manager: Edit access
• Support team: View access
• Client-facing team: Edit access

Result: Client documents organized in one place with appropriate access.

Scenario 4: Executive Review

Setup:

• Create "Executive Review" shared folder
• Executives: View access
• Executive assistants: Edit access
• Department heads: Edit access (submit documents)

Result: Executives can review without clutter, assistants manage the folder.

Troubleshooting Permissions

"I can't see a folder I should have access to"

Possible causes:

1. You haven't been added as a folder member
2. The folder was deleted
3. You're looking at the wrong workspace

Solution:

• Contact your workspace Admin or Owner
• Ask them to check folder members
• Verify you're in the correct workspace

"I can't add documents to a folder"

Possible causes:

1. You only have View access (need Edit access)
2. You're not a member of the folder
3. The folder is a system folder (can't manually add documents)

Solution:

• Check your access level in the folder
• Ask Admin to grant you Edit access
• System folders auto-populate based on document status

"A team member can't see documents in a shared folder"

Possible causes:

1. They're not a folder member
2. The documents are in a different folder
3. They're looking at the wrong workspace

Solution:

• Add them to the folder via Manage Members
• Verify documents are actually in that folder
• Confirm they're in the correct workspace

"I accidentally gave someone the wrong access level"

Solution:

1. Open Manage Members for the folder
2. Find the member in the list
3. Change their access level dropdown
4. Click Save

Changes take effect immediately.

"Can I give different permissions for different documents?"

No, permissions are set at the folder level, not the document level. All documents in a folder inherit the folder's permissions.

Workaround:

• Create separate folders for different permission needs
• Example: "Sales - Public" (View access) and "Sales - Internal" (Edit access)

Security Considerations

Sensitive Documents

For highly sensitive documents:

1. Create dedicated folders - Don't mix with general documents
2. Limit members - Only add people who absolutely need access
3. Use View access - Even for team members, unless Edit is required
4. Review regularly - Check members monthly
5. Remove access promptly - When team members leave or change roles

Compliance and Auditing

SignNXT tracks all folder access and document activity:

• Audit logs show who accessed what and when
• Document history tracks all changes
• Folder member changes are logged
• Access level changes are recorded

External Signers

External signers (people outside your workspace) don't need folder access:

• They receive signing emails directly
• They access documents via secure links
• They cannot see your folder structure
• They cannot access other documents

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