Role-Based Access Control

Overview

Role-based access control (RBAC) lets you define different permission sets for different types of portal users. Instead of one set of permissions for everyone, you create roles (like "Admin", "Editor", "Viewer") and assign each role its own table and field permissions.

How Roles Work

Each role has its own complete set of permissions:

• Table permissions (view, create, edit, delete per table)
• Field permissions (hidden, view-only, editable, required per field)

When a portal user logs in, CollabPortals checks their role and applies the matching permission set.

Setting Up Roles

1. 1

   Define roles in your portal settings

   Go to your portal configuration and navigate to the roles section. Create the roles you need, for example "Admin", "Editor", and "Viewer".

2. 2

   Map roles to your user table

   Roles are determined by a field in your Airtable user table. Add a single select or text field (e.g., "Role") to your user table, and map it in your portal settings.

3. 3

   Configure permissions per role

   For each role, set table and field permissions independently. An "Admin" role might have full access, while a "Viewer" role only has view permissions.

4. 4

   Set a default role

   Choose a default role for users who don't have a role value in the user table. This ensures every user has a defined permission set.

Default Role

The default role is applied to any portal user whose role field is empty or contains a value that doesn't match any defined role. This is a safety net, ensuring no user falls through without permissions.

Example Configuration

Here's a common three-role setup:

Viewer

• Can view all tables
• Cannot create, edit, or delete
• All fields are view-only or hidden

Editor

• Can view and edit all tables
• Can create records
• Cannot delete records
• Key fields are editable, sensitive fields are view-only or hidden

Admin

• Full access to all tables (view, create, edit, delete)
• All fields visible and editable
• Can see internal fields that other roles can't

Use Cases

Client Portal with Different Client Tiers

• Standard clients can view their projects and create requests
• Premium clients can also edit project details and see additional fields

Team Collaboration

• Team members can view and edit tasks assigned to them
• Managers can create and delete tasks, and see reporting fields
• Stakeholders have view-only access to project summaries

Data Collection

• Submitters can create new records and view their own submissions
• Reviewers can edit records and update status fields
• Admins can delete records and see all fields

Without Roles

If you don't set up roles, all portal users share a single set of permissions. This is perfectly fine for simple portals where all users need the same access level.

You can always add roles later without disrupting existing portal users.

Next Steps

• Table Permissions - Configure per-role table access
• Field Permissions - Configure per-role field access
• Portal User Authentication - How users are identified