Documents and Media Permissions Reference

Liferay 7.4 U76+/GA76+

Manage access to Documents and Media assets using application and resource permissions. With role-based access control, you can ensure only the intended users can create, view, download, and manage documents.

You can grant these permissions in the Roles application under Content & Data in the permissions side panel.

Alternatively, you can assign individual resource permissions in the Documents and Media application.

See Defining Role Permissions for more information.

General Permissions

General permissions grant access to the Documents and Media application itself and do not grant resource-related permissions.

Permission	Description
Access in Site and Asset Library Administration	Access the Documents and Media application in the Site Menu () or Asset Library.
Configuration	View and modify configuration options for Documents and Media.
Permissions	View and modify application permissions for Documents and Media.
Preferences	N/A
View	View the Documents and Media application page.

Liferay DXP 2024.Q3+/Portal GA125+ When a document has restricted visibility, the Not Visible to Guest Users icon () appears next to the document’s name. This happens in contexts such as List, Table, or Cards view modes, when editing the document, or when selecting a document to display it on a page.

Tip

If the Not Visible to Guest Users icon does not appear after managing the view permission for documents in the Documents and Media application, try refreshing your page.

Resource Permissions

Resource permissions grant access to view and act on resources in the Documents and Media application. Some of these permissions are for creating entities, while others are for acting on existing entities (e.g., folders, and documents).

Documents

Permission	Description
Add Document	Add documents in Documents and Media.
Add Document Type	Add document types in Documents and Media.
Add Folder	Add folders in Documents and Media.
Add Repository	Add repositories in Documents and Media.
Add Shortcut	Add shortcuts (links) to files and external videos in Documents and Media.
Add Metadata Set	Add metadata sets in Documents and Media.
Permissions	View and modify permissions related to creating and managing resources (e.g., folders, files).
Subscribe	Subscribe to receive email notifications for resource events.
Update	Edit resources in Documents and Media.
View	View resources in Documents and Media.

Documents Folder

Permission	Description
Access	Access folder contents.
Add Document	Add documents to folders.
Add Shortcut	Add shortcuts (links) to any file in folders that the role is authorized to view.
Add Subfolder	Add sub-folders to folders.
Delete	Move folders to the recycle bin.
Permissions	View and modify folder permissions.
Subscribe	Subscribe to receive email notifications when files are added to or modified in folders.
Liferay DXP 2025.Q2+/Portal GA135+ Update	Modify folder properties, such as name and description.
Liferay DXP 2025.Q2+/Portal GA135+ Advanced Update	Modify the workflow settings associated with the folder.
View	View folders.

Note

Before Liferay DXP 2025.Q2/Portal GA135, the Update permission included both folder property changes and workflow modifications. After upgrading to Liferay DXP 2025.Q2/Portal GA135, users who previously had the Update permission are granted both the Update and Advanced Update permissions to maintain their existing capabilities.

Document

Permission	Description
Add Discussion	Add comments to documents.
Delete	Move documents to the recycle bin.
Delete Discussion	Delete comments from documents.
Download	Download and view the actual contents of documents locally. Users with this permission can view the document without needing the “View” permission.
Override Checkout	Make changes to documents even when checked out by another user.
Permissions	View and modify document permissions.
Update	Edit or move documents.
Update Discussion	Edit document comments.
View	View documents. Users with this permission can view all document metadata (e.g., title, description, adaptive media images, previews, thumbnails) and anything defined in attached document types and metadata sets.

The View and Download Permissions

On Liferay 7.4 U75/GA75 and earlier, users could download assets with only the View permission. Starting with 7.4 U76/GA76, a separate Download permission manages view and download access. This changes some behavior:

1. Upgrade Behavior

   During an upgrade, Liferay automatically assigns the Download permission to roles with the View permission. By default, all users, including guests, can download files. To restrict downloads, administrators must remove the Download permission from specific roles after the upgrade.

   Tip

   After upgrading, review and adjust permissions to ensure they align with your organization’s security and content-sharing policies.

2. Permission Overview

   • View Permission: Grants visibility of a document’s metadata and file entry in Liferay but not its actual content.

   • Download Permission: Grants downloading the document’s content.

     Download permissions can exist independently of View permissions, enabling scenarios where users can download content without accessing its metadata.

     Warning

     The Download permission is required for retrieving the full document and viewing it locally. Images also require the Download permission so the browser can retrieve the image for display.

3. Liferay DXP 2025.Q1+/Portal GA132+ Sharing Behavior

   Users receiving access to a shared document gain the Download permission based on the selected sharing option (update, comment, or view).

4. Liferay DXP 2025.Q1+/Portal GA132+ Document Creation Settings and Behavior

   When creating documents, you can configure which roles (e.g., Guests, Site Members, or Owners) can view or download them:

   • Viewable and Downloadable By → Anyone (Guests): Anyone can view and download the document. Guest and Site Member roles have View and Download permissions by default.

   • Viewable and Downloadable By → Site Members: Site Members have View and Download permissions by default. Guests have the Download permission available (active) but disabled (unchecked) by default.

   • Viewable and Downloadable By → Owner: Only the Owner has View and Download permissions by default. Guests and Site Members have the Download permission available (active) but disabled (unchecked) by default.

   Tip

   Manage View and Download permissions later through the document’s Actions Menu () → Permissions. Adjust permissions to meet access requirements as roles or content-sharing needs change.

Shortcut

Permission	Description
Delete	Move shortcuts to the recycle bin.
Permissions	View and modify shortcut permissions.
Update	Edit or move shortcuts.
View	View shortcuts.

Document Type

Permission	Description
Delete	Permanently remove document types.
Permissions	View and modify permissions for document types.
Update	Edit document types.
View	View document types.

Document Metadata

Permission	Description
Delete	Permanently remove metadata sets.
Permissions	View and modify permissions for metadata sets.
Update	Edit metadata sets.
View	View metadata sets.

Feature Availability by Version

Feature	Liferay DXP Version	Portal Version	Notes
Separate Download and View Permissions	7.4 U76+	GA76+	View and Download permissions are now distinct. Prior versions allowed downloads with only the View permission.
Not Visible to Guest Users Icon	2024.Q3+	GA125+	Icon appears next to documents with restricted guest visibility in views like List, Table, and Cards.
Sharing Permissions and Behavior Improvements	2025.Q1+	GA 132+	Sharing behavior includes new permission handling for Download when documents are shared.
Download Permissions Settings When Creating Assets	2025.Q1+	GA132+	Download and View permissions can be preset by role (Guest, Site Member, Owner) during document creation.
Separate Folder Update and Advanced Update Permissions	2025.Q2+	GA135+	Split of Update permission into Update and Advanced Update (workflow settings). Previously a single Update permission covered both.

Related Topics

• Managing Document Access
• Defining Role Permissions