Page Sharing & Permissions

This guide explains how to share pages and manage access permissions in Ascend.

Overview

Pages in Ascend have flexible permission controls that let you:

• Keep pages private to yourself
• Share with specific team members
• Share with access groups
• Make pages visible to the entire team
• Inherit permissions from parent pages

Access Levels

View

• Can see page content
• Cannot make any changes
• Cannot add comments

Comment

• Can see page content
• Can add comments (when enabled)
• Cannot edit page content

Edit

• Full access to the page
• Can edit content
• Can add comments
• Can share with others
• Can change page settings

Page Privacy

Private Pages (Default)

• Only the creator and team admins can access
• Must explicitly share to give others access
• Indicated by a lock icon

Team Visible Pages

• All team members can view
• Individual permissions can grant comment/edit access
• Useful for documentation or announcements

Permission Inheritance

Child pages can automatically inherit permissions from their parent page.

How Inheritance Works

1. Enabled by default: New child pages inherit parent permissions
2. Cascading: Permissions flow down through multiple levels
3. Non-destructive: Inherited permissions don't modify the parent

Inherited vs Explicit Permissions

In the Share dialog:

• Inherited permissions are shown grayed out with "(inherited)" label
• Explicit permissions can be edited or revoked
• Explicit permissions take precedence over inherited

Disabling Inheritance

1. Open the Share dialog on a child page
2. Toggle off "Inheriting permissions"
3. Choose to preserve current access as explicit permissions
4. Now only explicit permissions apply to this page

Re-enabling Inheritance

1. Toggle on "Inheriting permissions"
2. Parent permissions immediately apply again
3. Explicit permissions remain and take precedence

Sharing a Page

Prerequisites

• You must have edit access to share a page

Steps

1. Open the page you want to share
2. Click the Share button in the top-right corner
3. Use the search box to find people or groups
4. Select an access level (View, Comment, or Edit)
5. Click to add them

Sharing with an Individual

1. In the Share dialog, search for the person's name or email
2. Select the access level
3. They'll appear in the "People with access" list

Sharing with a Group

1. Search for the group name
2. Select the access level
3. All current and future members of the group will have access

Sharing with a Group

1. Search for the group name
2. Select the access level
3. All current and future members of the group will have access

Public Link Sharing

You can share pages publicly with anyone, even if they don't have an Ascend account.

1. Open the Share dialog.
2. In the "Share via link" section, click Create Link.
3. Select access level:
   • View only: Visitors can read content but cannot edit or comment.
   • Can comment: Visitors can add comments (if enabled).
4. Click the Copy icon to share the standard document link.

Presentation Sharing

You can share a page directly in Presentation Mode, perfect for slide decks.

1. Create a public link as described above.
2. Click the Play icon next to the Copy button.
3. This copies a special link that opens the page as a full-screen presentation.
   • Viewers can navigate slides with arrow keys.
   • They can exit presentation mode to view the standard document.

Managing Permissions

Changing Access Level

1. Open the Share dialog
2. Find the person or group in the list
3. Use the dropdown to change their access level

Revoking Access

1. Open the Share dialog
2. Find the person or group
3. Click the X button to remove their access

Making a Page Team Visible

1. Open the Share dialog
2. Toggle the switch from "Private" to "Team visible"
3. All team members can now view the page

Note: Team visibility gives view access only. To grant comment or edit access, you still need to share explicitly.

Understanding Permissions

Who Has Access?

The Share dialog shows everyone with explicit access to the page. Keep in mind:

• Team admins always have edit access (not shown in list)
• Page creator always has edit access (not shown in list)
• Group members have the group's access level

Permission Priority

If someone has access through multiple sources (e.g., direct + group), they get the highest level:

• Edit beats Comment beats View
• Direct permission shown in the dialog

Access Denied

If you try to access a page you don't have permission for:

1. You'll see an "Access Denied" message
2. Contact the page owner or a team admin
3. They can share the page with you

Best Practices

Start Private, Then Share

1. Create pages as private by default
2. Only share when content is ready
3. Use the minimum access level needed

Use Groups for Teams

Instead of sharing individually:

1. Create an access group for your team
2. Share pages with the group
3. New team members automatically get access

Regular Access Reviews

Periodically review who has access:

1. Open the Share dialog
2. Check if all permissions are still needed
3. Remove access for people who no longer need it

Document Access for Sensitive Pages

For important pages, consider:

• Who should have view access?
• Who should have edit access?
• Should it be team-visible?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see who viewed my page?

Currently, page view history is not tracked. Page edit history shows who made changes.

What happens when I delete a page?

All permissions for that page are automatically deleted along with the page.

Can I make a page public (outside my team)?

Yes! You can create a public link in the Share dialog. Anyone with the link can view the page without an account.

Why can't I share a page?

You need edit access to share. If you don't see the Share button, you may only have view or comment access.

How do I request access to a page?

Contact the page owner or a team admin directly. They can share the page with you through the Share dialog.