Roles & Permissions
In NileDesk, user access to templates is governed by Template Roles, which define what actions a user can perform within a specific template. Each template type—Process Flows, Boards, Datasets, and Forms—has its own set of predefined roles and permissions tailored to its functionality.
Roles determine whether a user can view, create, edit, delete, manage, or share template content. Permissions are grouped into three main categories:
- Item/Record-Level Permissions – Control over individual entries within a template.
- Section & Options Permissions – Access to reports, charts, views, and integrations.
- Template Management Permissions – Administrative control of the entire template.
Default vs. Custom Roles
- Default Roles
- Predefined for each template type.
- Designed to cover common business needs (e.g., process steps, task movement, record handling).
- Permissions in default roles cannot be modified.
- Custom Roles
- Allow businesses to create tailored roles with specific permissions.
- Provide full flexibility to restrict or grant access selectively.
- Enable alignment of access controls with unique organizational needs.
The key distinction: default roles = fixed, standard use; custom roles = flexible, business-specific.
Process Flow Template Permissions
Permissions in a Process Flow template define control over workflow items, performance tracking, and template-level administration.
| Category | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Item-Level |
Create new items / view own items Delete any item View any item Transfer/change assignment for any item Return/send back any item Cancel any item Print PDF/form for any item View change log of any item Change subject, due date, or priority of any item View or add user comments |
| Options & Sections |
Fix form data/maintenance for any item Re-queue or re-open process item View overview, board, step performance, and user performance sections View/create PDFs, reports, charts Create data tags Create filtered views Schedule process execution Insert data via API / integrate via Zapier |
| Template Management |
Modify, copy, or archive template Share template with others Change template folder in Home Adjust serial numbers for serial fields Create/modify custom user roles Manage custom notifications |
Board Template Permissions
Board templates focus on task and workflow management.
| Category | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Item-Level |
Create new items / view own items Edit any item Delete any item View any item Process any item Transfer/change assignment for any item Print PDF/form for any item View change log Change subject, due date, or priority View or add comments |
| Options & Sections |
Fix form data/maintenance for any item View event log View overview, board, and PDF sections View/create PDFs, reports, charts Create data tags Create filtered views Schedule this process Insert data via API / integrate via Zapier |
| Template Management |
Modify, copy, or archive template Share template with others Change template folder in Home Adjust serial numbers for serial fields Create/modify custom user roles Manage custom notifications |
Dataset & Data Form Template Permissions
Datasets and Data Forms are primarily structured data storage templates. They share the same permission set.
| Category | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Record-Level |
Add new records / edit any record Delete any record View any record Print PDF for records |
| Options & Sections |
View/create PDFs View/create reports View/create charts |
| Template Management |
Modify, copy, or delete template Share template with others Change template folder in Home Adjust serial numbers for serial fields Create/modify custom user roles |
Sub-Templates (PDFs, Reports, Charts, Data Tags, Filtered Views)
Sub-templates come with fixed roles and do not support custom role creation.
Available Roles
- Developer – Full control (create, modify, delete, share).
- General – Basic use without modification rights.
| Sub-Template | Developer Permissions | General Permissions |
|---|---|---|
| PDFs | Modify, rename, delete, share, generate, print | Generate and print PDFs |
| Reports | Modify, rename, delete, share, view, download data | View and download data |
| Charts | Modify, rename, delete, share, view full details | View charts |
| Data Tags | Modify, rename, delete, share, view statistics | View data tags and statistics |
| Filtered Views | Modify, rename, delete, share, use filters | Use filters to view data |
By default, the creator of a sub-template is assigned the Developer role.
Summary
- Default Roles simplify access control with fixed permissions.
- Custom Roles allow precise tailoring for business-specific needs.
- Each template type (Process Flow, Board, Dataset, Form) has a unique permission set.
- Sub-templates use a simpler model with just Developer and General roles.
This system ensures NileDesk remains secure, structured, and flexible, giving organizations the ability to manage access at the right granularity level.