Managing Content Permissions
In Terasu, you can set fine-grained, per-content permissions so that internal members (your sales team) and external members (your customers) can collaborate safely within the same Room.
The Basic Difference Between Internal and External Members
Members in Terasu fall into two categories: "internal members" and "external members," and each has a different level of access.
| Item | Internal Members | External Members (Customers) |
|---|---|---|
| Belongs to | The workspace | Only the Rooms they were invited to |
| Editing/deleting files | All files | Only files they uploaded themselves |
| Viewing private pages | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Editing pages | Allowed (editor or above) | Depends on each page's settings |
| Viewing the org chart | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Analytics reports | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Member management | Allowed (owner) | Not allowed |
| Room settings | Allowed (owner) | Not allowed |
This permission model prevents customers from accidentally editing or deleting materials your sales team has created.
File Permissions
Who Can Act on Files
Permission to edit (rename) or delete a file is determined by the type of person performing the action and the type of person who uploaded the file.
| Person acting | Files uploaded by internal members | Files uploaded by external members |
|---|---|---|
| Internal member (owner) | Can edit and delete | Can edit and delete |
| Internal member (editor) | Can edit and delete | Can edit and delete |
| External member (editor) | View only | Can edit and delete only their own files |
| External member (viewer) | View only | View only |
Internal members can manage every file in the Room. Organizing and renaming files submitted by customers can also be handled by internal members.
File Download Settings
Only internal members can control whether a file can be downloaded.
- Click the "..." menu on the target file in the file list
- Select "Download settings"
- Toggle downloads on or off
Only internal members can change a file's download settings. This menu does not appear for external members.
Page Permissions
Pages have two types of permissions: "visibility settings" and "edit permissions."
Page Visibility Settings
A page's visibility settings control whether external members can see the page.
| Setting | Internal Members | External Members |
|---|---|---|
| Visible to the entire Room | Can view | Can view |
| Internal only | Can view | Page is not shown |
- Click the "..." menu to the right of the page title
- Select "Visibility settings"
- Choose "Visible to the entire Room" or "Internal only"
A page set to "Internal only" does not appear in the sidebar or page list for external members. Its very existence becomes invisible to them.
Automatic Application to Child Pages
When you set a parent page to "Internal only," all of its child pages automatically become "Internal only" as well.
Even if you previously set a child page to "Visible to the entire Room," changing the parent page to "Internal only" overrides the child page's setting.
Examples of Using Internal-Only Pages
- Internal notes and meeting minutes: Record internal recaps of sales meetings
- Org charts and stakeholder maps: Analyze the decision-makers on the customer side
- Proposal strategy: Sales strategy and competitive analysis
- Price negotiation notes: Discount ranges and negotiation approaches
Page Edit Permissions
For each page, you can set whether external members are allowed to edit it.
| Setting | Internal members (editor or above) | External members (editor) | External members (viewer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal members only | Can edit | Cannot edit | Cannot edit |
| All members can edit | Can edit | Can edit | Cannot edit |
- Click the "..." menu to the right of the page title
- Select "Edit permissions"
- Choose "Internal members only" or "All members can edit"
For pages where you want customers to contribute too—such as Q&A pages or collaborative meeting minutes—setting "All members can edit" is convenient.
You cannot apply the "Internal only" visibility setting and the "All members can edit" permission at the same time. There is no point in making a page editable when external members cannot even see it.
Examples of Using Edit Permissions
| Page purpose | Recommended setting |
|---|---|
| Proposals and quotes | Internal members only |
| Q&A / FAQ | All members can edit |
| Shared meeting minutes | All members can edit |
| Project plans | Internal members only |
| Customer feedback | All members can edit |
| Contract terms | Internal members only |
Internal-Member-Only Features
The following features are available only to internal members. They do not appear on screen for external members.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Org chart / stakeholder map | Visualize the key people on the customer side |
| Analytics and reports | File view activity and engagement analysis |
| Member management | Inviting members, changing permissions, and removal |
| Room settings | Room name, description, and other settings |
| Changing page visibility and edit permissions | Changing a page's visibility settings and edit permissions |
| File download settings | Changing whether a file can be downloaded |
Because the menus for these management features are not displayed to external members at all, they never encounter errors such as "You don't have permission."
Frequently Asked Questions
Can external members delete files?
External members can only delete files they uploaded themselves. Files uploaded by internal members are view-only and cannot be edited or deleted.
Can external members access internal-only pages by entering the URL directly?
No. Access is controlled at the API level, so entering the URL directly will not grant access. The message "Page not found" will be displayed.
Can I grant Room owner permissions to an external member?
No. The only permissions you can grant to external members are "editor" or "viewer." Room owners are limited to internal members.
What happens to an external member who is editing a page when I change its edit permissions?
Permission changes take effect immediately. The next time they try to save, an error appears and they will no longer be able to save their edits.
How can I check the range of information an external member can view?
You can review the list of external members on the Room's "Members" screen. The visibility setting for each page can be checked from the page's "..." menu.