# Access Reference (https://docs.fuser.studio/docs/teams/access-reference)

This page is the complete reference for how Fuser decides who can see and edit a project. Most days you don't need it — the defaults work the way you'd expect, and the [Sharing](https://docs.fuser.studio/docs/teams/sharing.md) page covers the common cases. Reach for this page when something surprises you.

## Mental Model [#mental-model]

Seven rules cover the 80% case. Internalize these and you can predict access for almost any situation.

1. Workspace **Owners** and **Admins** can edit everything in the workspace. Always. Skip the rest of these rules for them.
2. **Drafts** are private. A Draft project is yours alone until you publish it or share it — your teammates can't even see it exists.
3. **Published** projects open up to where they live. Publish at the workspace root → everyone in the workspace sees it. Publish in a folder → people who can see the folder see it. Publish in a team folder → the team sees it.
4. **Folders set the access level** for everything inside them. A folder marked **View** gives readers read-only access; **Edit** gives full read/write. Projects inherit this.
5. **Team folders are gated by team membership.** If you're not in the team, you don't see its folders or projects unless someone shares them with you.
6. **Sharing only adds access**, never removes it. Use shares to give one person Edit on a project they otherwise couldn't touch.
7. The **workspace root** has its own default (View or Edit), set by your workspace **Admin**. This is the fallback whenever a folder says **Inherit**.

## Edge Cases [#edge-cases]

The cases below are the ones that surprise people. Each has caused real confusion — read them once and you'll save yourself a debugging session later.

> [!WARNING] Re-drafting removes others' access
>
> Switching a **Published** project back to **Draft** removes everyone else's access immediately — including yours, in some cases. If you weren't the original creator, only the creator and workspace **Admins** keep Edit. Add an explicit Edit share to yourself before flipping a Published project back to Draft.

> [!WARNING] Archiving a team caps members at View
>
> When a team is **Archived**, its members keep access but at View only — even on folders set to default-Edit. Non-members lose access entirely (Open teams stop being open when archived). Explicit Edit shares survive the cap and continue to work.

> [!NOTE] Private folders override their projects
>
> A **Published** project inside a **Private** folder is still hidden from everyone except the folder creator and workspace **Admins**. The folder's privacy gate takes precedence over the project's visibility setting.

> [!WARNING] Folder creators don't automatically see team folders
>
> Creating a folder in a team grants you management rights — you can rename it, change its default access, and add projects. But it doesn't grant visibility. If you later leave the team, the folder disappears from your view. To keep seeing it, get a share.

> [!NOTE] Comment access only comes from shares
>
> The **Comment** access level can only be granted through a share. You can't set a folder or workspace root to default-Comment — those default to **View** or **Edit** only.

> [!WARNING] Removing a member revokes everything immediately
>
> When you remove someone from your workspace, they lose access to every workspace project, folder, and share immediately — including projects they created in the workspace. Their personal projects (made outside any workspace) stay with them. If you re-invite them later, you'll need to re-share anything they should still see.

> [!NOTE] Open teams aren't necessarily joinable
>
> **Open** means discoverable by everyone in the workspace. It does not mean public outside the workspace, and it doesn't always mean self-join is enabled. Use **Closed** when you want a team's work hidden from non-members.

> [!NOTE] Direct-to-team projects use the workspace root default
>
> A project assigned to a team but not placed in any folder uses the **workspace root access** level, not a folder default. This sometimes surprises **Admins** who expect team projects to follow per-folder settings.

> [!WARNING] Personal projects are separate from your workspace
>
> A project you created outside any workspace belongs only to you. Workspace **Admins** can't see or manage it. Moving it into the workspace changes its access model entirely — share it carefully if it has personal context.

> [!NOTE] Verified domains don't grant access by themselves
>
> Verified-domain auto-join lets people sign in with a matching email and join your workspace. Until they actually accept and become a workspace **Member**, they have zero implicit access — only direct shares (typically by email) reach them.

## Scenarios [#scenarios]

A few common situations and what each person sees. Assume the workspace root default is **Edit** (the out-of-the-box default) unless noted.

| You are...                             | The project is...                                    | You see...                      |
| -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| The creator                            | A **Draft**, anywhere                                | **Edit**                        |
| A workspace **Admin**                  | Anything in the workspace                            | **Edit**                        |
| A team **Member**                      | **Published**, in your team's folder set to **View** | **View**                        |
| A team **Member**                      | **Published**, in your team's folder set to **Edit** | **Edit**                        |
| A workspace **Member** not in the team | **Published**, in a **Closed** team's folder         | Nothing                         |
| A workspace **Member** not in the team | **Published**, in an **Open** team's folder          | **Edit** (workspace root level) |
| A team **Member**, team **Archived**   | **Published**, in a folder set to **Edit**           | **View** (cap)                  |
| Anyone with a public link              | The project has **Share a Link** on                  | **View** (read-only)            |

## What's Next? [#whats-next]

  - [Sharing](https://docs.fuser.studio/docs/teams/sharing.md): Grant explicit access to override defaults.

  - [Folders](https://docs.fuser.studio/docs/teams/folders.md): Set the default access for everything inside a folder.

  - [Teams](https://docs.fuser.studio/docs/teams/team-groups.md): Group members and gate access by team membership.