# Designing Your Permission Hierarchy

A well-structured workspace is essential for efficient post-production collaboration. This guide will help you make informed decisions about permissions and access levels when inviting your team.

## Planning Your Workspace Structure

Before sending invitations, consider your team's workflow requirements and security needs. A thoughtful permissions structure will streamline collaboration and maintain content security.

### Key Considerations

Consider your team's workflow patterns, security requirements, and folder organization. Take time to establish your workspace structure before adding team members to ensure smooth collaboration from day one.

## Understanding Access Levels

### Workspace Members

Ideal for team members who need broad access across multiple projects. Workspace membership is appropriate for:

* Senior editors requiring access to multiple projects
* Post-production supervisors coordinating across teams
* Producers managing multiple workflows

These users can mount drives and navigate freely between projects based on their permission levels.

### Drive-Level Access

Perfect for project-specific teams. Consider drive-level access for:

* Colorists working on final cuts
* Sound designers focusing on specific assets
* Client review teams needing access to completed work

### File and Folder Access

Best for targeted collaboration with:

* Freelancers working on specific shots
* Clients reviewing individual sequences
* Temporary team members with limited scope

## Best Practices

### Permission Management

Start with restricted access and scale up permissions as needed. This approach is more secure than retroactively restricting access. Use **default inheritance** settings on drives strategically—set base-level permissions that apply to most users and explicitly upgrade access for specific team members who need it.

### Admin Selection

Choose workspace administrators carefully. Admin privileges grant complete control over workspace content and settings, including the ability to manage other users' access. Reserve admin status for trusted team members who understand your security requirements.

### Client Collaboration

When working with clients:

* Use guest access instead of workspace membership
* Remember that drive names are visible to anyone with file access
* Structure drive names professionally to maintain client-facing professionalism

## Security Considerations

Protecting sensitive content requires careful attention to permission levels:

* Limit workspace admin privileges to essential team members
* Utilize guest access for external collaborators
* Consider drive-level sharing for sensitive content management

## Important Notes

### Permission Inheritance

* Explicit drive invitations are required for custom permission levels
* Workspace admins automatically receive drive manager status
* Drive visibility extends to all users with file access
* Permission upgrades can be implemented progressively

## Additional Resources

For detailed information about fine-tuning permissions after your initial setup, consult our comprehensive permissions guide:

{% content-ref url="workspace-and-drive-permissions" %}
[workspace-and-drive-permissions](https://academy.shade.inc/sharing-and-collaboration/workspace-and-drive-permissions)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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