Access Management: Controlling What Partners See
Access Management lets you show different rooms and content to different partners based on their relationship with you. Think of it like having different areas of your office that are accessible to different types of visitors - some areas are open to everyone, while others are restricted to specific partners or team members.
Why You'd Use Access Management
Real-World Examples
Tiered Partner Program
Software company with Bronze, Silver, Gold partners
Bronze partners see basic resources and standard support
Silver partners get additional training materials and priority support
Gold partners access advanced features and dedicated account management
Platinum partners get custom integrations and executive access
Partnership Lifecycle Management
Consulting firm with structured onboarding
New partners see onboarding materials and getting-started guides
Active partners access full partnership resources and tools
Strategic partners get additional collaboration spaces and joint planning rooms
Role-Based Content
Technology company with different partner types
Sales partners see deal pipelines and commission tracking
Technical partners access implementation guides and support tools
Marketing partners get brand assets and campaign materials
How Access Control Works
The Basic Idea
When you set up access controls for a room, you're creating rules about who can see that room. Partners only see rooms they have access to - restricted rooms simply don't appear in their navigation.
Four Ways to Control Access
1. Partner Categories
What it is: Group partners by business type or role
When to use:
Different types of partners need different resources
You want to show industry-specific content
Partners have different specialisations
Examples:
"Sales Partners" see CRM integrations and commission tracking
"Implementation Partners" access technical documentation and project tools
"Marketing Partners" get brand assets and campaign materials
2. Partner Tiers
What it is: Control access based on partner level or commitment
When to use:
You have a tiered partner program (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.)
Partners unlock more features as they grow
You want to incentivise partner advancement
Examples:
Bronze Tier: Basic training and support resources
Silver Tier: Advanced training plus marketing materials
Gold Tier: Everything above plus dedicated support room
Platinum Tier: Custom resources and executive communication room
3. Partnership Stages
What it is: Show different content based on where you are in the relationship
When to use:
Partners go through a structured onboarding process
Content should change as partnerships mature
You want to guide partners through specific steps
Examples:
"Getting Started" stage: Welcome materials and setup guides
"Training" stage: Certification materials and progress tracking
"Active Partnership" stage: Full access to all partnership tools
"Strategic Partnership" stage: Advanced collaboration and planning tools
4. Specific Contacts
What it is: Give access to individual people within partner companies
When to use:
Sensitive information should only go to certain people
Different roles within partner companies need different access
You want to limit executive communications
Examples:
Executive Dashboard: Only C-level contacts can access
Technical Documentation: Only technical team members see this
Financial Reports: Restricted to finance contacts only
Setting Up Access Controls
Step 1: Decide What to Restrict
Ask yourself:
Should everyone see this room? (If yes, don't set any restrictions)
What type of partner needs this content? (Use categories)
What level of partner should access this? (Use tiers)
Where in the partnership journey is this relevant? (Use stages)
Should this be limited to specific people? (Use contacts)
Step 2: Configure Room Access
In any room's settings:
Find the "Access Control" section
Choose your restriction type (categories, tiers, stages, or contacts)
Select who should have access from the dropdown menus
See the result immediately - green means the current partner has access, red means they don't
Step 3: Test with Real Partners
Check from different partner perspectives to ensure access works correctly
Ask partners for feedback on whether they're seeing the right content
Adjust as needed based on real usage
Common Access Patterns
New Partner Onboarding
The Goal: Guide new partners through a structured process
How to set it up:
"Welcome Room" - Open to partnerships in "New" stage only
"Getting Started Room" - Open to "New" and "Onboarding" stages
"Training Room" - Open once they reach "Training" stage
"Full Partnership Room" - Open when they reach "Active" stage
Partner Experience: Partners see new rooms unlock as they complete each phase
Tiered Benefits Program
The Goal: Give higher-tier partners more valuable content
How to set it up:
"Basic Resources Room" - All tiers can access
"Advanced Training Room" - Silver tier and above
"Premium Support Room" - Gold tier and above
"Executive Access Room" - Platinum tier only
Partner Experience: Partners see more rooms and resources as they advance tiers
Role-Based Access
The Goal: Show relevant content to different partner roles
How to set it up:
"Sales Tools Room" - Category: "Sales Partners" only
"Technical Resources Room" - Category: "Implementation Partners" only
"Marketing Assets Room" - Category: "Marketing Partners" only
"General Partnership Room" - All categories can access
Partner Experience: Partners see only the rooms relevant to their role
Executive Communications
The Goal: Share sensitive information with senior stakeholders only
How to set it up:
"Executive Updates Room" - Contacts: Only C-level executives
"Strategic Planning Room" - Contacts: Senior management only
"General Updates Room" - No contact restrictions (everyone sees it)
Partner Experience: Only specified individuals see restricted rooms
Making Access Management Work for You
Start Simple
Begin with no restrictions for most rooms
Add restrictions only when necessary for specific content
Use one type of restriction at a time until you understand how it works
Test thoroughly before rolling out to all partners
Think from Partner Perspective
What content do they actually need? Don't over-restrict useful information
How often will they use this? High-frequency content should be easily accessible
What's their role in the partnership? Match content to their responsibilities
Where are they in the journey? Show relevant content for their stage
Keep It Logical
Use clear, descriptive names for categories, tiers, and stages
Make progression obvious - partners should understand how to advance
Document your access strategy so your team understands the logic
Review regularly to ensure restrictions still make sense
Communicate Clearly
Let partners know about tier benefits and how to unlock more access
Explain the partnership journey so they understand what's coming next
Make it easy to contact you if they think they should have access to something
Celebrate when partners advance to new tiers or stages
What Partners Experience
When They Have Access
Rooms appear in their sidebar navigation normally
No indication that access controls exist - it just works seamlessly
All features work as expected within those rooms
When They Don't Have Access
Rooms don't appear in their navigation at all
No error messages - restricted content is simply invisible to them
Clean interface showing only what they can access
When Their Access Changes
New rooms appear automatically when they gain access
No need to log out/in - changes take effect immediately
Email notifications (if configured) alert them to new available content
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Partner says they can't see a room they should have access to"
Check their partnership details - verify category, tier, and stage
Review room access settings - ensure the restrictions match their profile
Look for contact-level restrictions - make sure they're individually authorised if needed
Have them refresh their browser - sometimes needed for changes to appear
"Wrong partners are seeing restricted content"
Review the access settings - you might have selected too broad a category
Check partner categorisation - they might be assigned to the wrong category/tier
Verify room is published - draft rooms should stay hidden regardless
"Access changes aren't taking effect"
Confirm you saved the settings - changes need to be explicitly saved
Wait a few minutes - sometimes takes a moment to propagate
Check if partners need to refresh - have them reload their browser
Verify the partnership is active - inactive partnerships may not see updates
Access Management helps you create personalised partner experiences that feel natural and relevant, showing each partner exactly what they need to see when they need to see it.