Articles in this section

Managing User Roles and Permissions in the Learn Platform

  • Updated

 

Summary

This article describes the user roles available in the Learn platform, including their access levels, permissions, and responsibilities. It explains the distinction between front-end and back-end roles and defines the capabilities of Subscribers, Contributors, Content Administrators, and System Administrators.

You can watch this video for an overview to learn about this topic or keep reading the article below. 

Prerequisites

  • Active Learn platform account
  • Administrative access to assign or modify user roles (for Content Administrator or System Administrator actions)
  • Understanding of front-end (learner-facing) vs. back-end (admin interface) environments
  • No specific version or regional requirements; applicable to all Learn platform deployments

Problem/Intent

Organizations need to control who can view, create, publish, and manage content within the Learn platform. Assigning appropriate user roles ensures that:

  • Learners access only relevant content
  • Contributors can submit materials without administrative privileges
  • Content Administrators maintain quality and consistency
  • System Administrators manage platform-wide settings and user records

This article helps administrators understand and assign roles to enforce proper access control, content governance, and operational efficiency.

Steps

1. Understand Front-End Roles

Front-end roles apply to users who interact with the learner-facing interface. These users cannot access the back-end administrative interface. Attempting to do so will result in an access error.

1.1 Subscriber Role

  • Access: View-only access to front-end content (Pathways, Levels, Missions, Stages, Resources).
  • Permissions:
    • View published content.
    • Cannot submit or create content.
  • Use case: Learners who consume training materials without contributing.

1.2 Contributor Role (Default Front-End Role)

  • Access: View content on the front-end interface.
  • Permissions:
    • View all published content (same as Subscriber).
    • Submit content via the front-end interface if enabled by administrators.
    • Cannot publish or edit content directly.
  • Use case: Learners or field users who may submit observations, feedback, or user-generated content for review.

2. Understand Back-End Roles

Back-end roles apply to users who access the administrative interface to create, manage, and publish content or configure platform settings.

2.1 Content Administrator Role (Default Admin Role)

  • Access: Full access to the back-end content management interface.
  • Permissions:
    • Create, edit, and publish content:
      • Pathways
      • Levels
      • Missions
      • Stages
      • Resources
    • Manage notifications.
    • Cannot modify app-wide settings or user records.
  • Use case: Instructional designers, training managers, or content creators responsible for curriculum development.

2.2 System Administrator Role

  • Access: Full access to back-end 
    content management and system-wide settings.
  • Permissions:
    • All permissions of Content Administrator.
    • Edit app-wide settings:
      • App name
      • Global settings for translations
      • Global settings for comments
    • Manage user records (view, edit, assign roles).
  • Standard assignment: One user from the customer's team is designated as System Administrator by default.
  • Use case: IT administrators or senior platform managers responsible for governance, compliance, and user management.

3. Assign User Roles

Note: Only System Administrators can assign or modify user roles.

  1. Navigate to Back-End Admin Interface → User Management.
  2. Select the user record to modify.
  3. Choose the appropriate role from the Role dropdown:
    • Subscriber
    • Contributor
    • Content Administrator
    • System Administrator
  4. Click Save.
  5. Confirm the role assignment by logging in as the user (or ask the user to log in) and verifying access.

4. Verify Role Permissions

After assigning roles, verify that users have the expected access:

  • Front-End Roles (Subscriber, Contributor):
    • Log in to the front-end interface.
    • Confirm ability to view content.
    • Test content submission (Contributor only, if enabled).
    • Attempt to access the back-end interface; confirm access is denied.
  • Back-End Roles (Content Administrator, System Administrator):
    • Log in to the back-end interface.
    • Confirm ability to create, edit, and publish content.
    • For System Administrator: Verify access to app settings and user records.

Notes & Warnings

  • Front-End Access Restriction: Users with Subscriber or Contributor roles cannot access the back-end interface. Attempting to do so will return an access error.
  • Default Roles:
    • Contributor is the default role for all front-end users.
    • Content Administrator is the default role for Learn administrators.
  • System Administrator Limit: Typically, only one user per organization is assigned the System Administrator role by default. Additional System Administrators can be assigned if needed.
  • Content Submission by Contributors: Contributors can only submit content if this feature is enabled by administrators in the app settings.
  • Role Changes: Changing a user's role may take effect immediately or require the user to log out and log back in.

Examples

Example 1: Assigning a Learner as a Subscriber

  • Scenario: A learner only needs to view training materials.
  • Action: Assign the user the Subscriber role.
  • Result: User can view all published content but cannot submit or edit anything.

Example 2: Enabling Content Submission for a Field User

  • Scenario: A field user needs to submit safety observations.
  • Action:
    1. Assign the user the Contributor role.
    2. Enable content submission in App Settings → Contributor Permissions.
  • Result: User can view content and submit observations via the front-end interface.

Example 3: Granting a Training Manager Content Publishing Rights

  • Scenario: A training manager needs to create and publish training modules.
  • Action: Assign the user the Content Administrator role.
  • Result: User can create, edit, and publish Pathways, Levels, Missions, Stages, and Resources.

AI Metadata

  • Product Area: Learn Platform - User Management, Access Control, Roles and Permissions
  • User Role: System Administrator, Content Administrator, Contributor, Subscriber
  • Tags: user roles, permissions, access control, front-end, back-end, Learn, content administrator, system administrator, contributor, subscriber
  • Version/Region: All Learn platform versions, all regions
  • Important Synonyms: user permissions, role-based access control (RBAC), admin roles, learner roles, content roles

  • Suggested Embedding Keywords: assign user roles Learn, Learn platform permissions, front-end vs back-end access, Content Administrator vs System Administrator, enable content submission, Learn user management, Subscriber vs Contributor

    Affected Modules/Features:

  • Learn Platform: User Roles, User Management, Content Management, Front-End Interface, Back-End Interface

  • Assure Platform (if integrated): User role synchronization, Single Sign-On (SSO), API integration

    Workflow Spans:

  • User Management → Content Management: Role assignments determine what content users can create, edit, or view.
  • User Management → App Settings: System Administrators manage global settings that affect all users.

  • Front-End → Back-End: Users with back-end roles can publish content visible to front-end users.

    Dependencies:

  • API Integration: If using SCIM API for automated user management, role assignments must align with API-defined roles.
  • Single Sign-On (SSO): Role assignments may integrate with external identity providers (e.g., Azure Authentication).
  • Content Submission Feature: Enabling this feature depends on app settings configured by System Administrators.

 

Return to top

Related articles