Skip to main content

Set Up Confidential Document Access with Access Control Groups

Role: Project Admin
Time: 20–30 minutes
Prerequisites: Confidential documents exist (or will be uploaded); team members are added to the project; you are Project Admin

Access Control Groups (ACGs) restrict which project members can see specific documents. Use them for:

  • Contractor pricing and cost estimates
  • Confidential contract documents
  • Commercially sensitive specifications
  • Documents restricted to senior project staff only

This tutorial walks through setting up an ACG for "Commercial & Contract" documents that only a small group of project leads can access.

Step 1: Identify the access requirement​

Before creating the ACG, define exactly who needs access and why.

Example scenario:

  • Document category: Commercial & Contract drawings, BOQ, cost plans
  • Who should see them: Project Director, Commercial Manager, Senior Contract Administrator
  • Who should NOT see them: All contractors, most subcontractors, general team members

Write down the names and Kazinex accounts of the people who need access.

Step 2: Create the Access Control Group​

  1. Go to Project Settings → Access → Access Control Groups.
  2. Click New Group.
  3. Configure the group:
FieldValue
Group NameCommercial & Contract — Restricted Access
DescriptionConfidential commercial documents: cost plans, BOQ, contract schedules

  1. Under Members, add the users who should have access:

    • Search for each member by name or email
    • Add: Project Director, Commercial Manager, Senior Contract Administrator
    • Do not add the general reviewer or contractor contacts

  2. Click Save Group.

Step 3: Apply the ACG to existing confidential documents​

For each confidential document already in the register:

  1. Open the document record.
  2. Click Edit (or click the document settings icon).
  3. Find the Confidentiality or Access Control field.
  4. Set Restricted = Yes.
  5. Under Access Control Group, select Commercial & Contract — Restricted Access.
  6. Click Save.

Repeat for each confidential document. For large volumes, use the bulk edit feature: select multiple documents in the register → Bulk Edit → set Confidentiality = Restricted + set the ACG.

Step 4: Set the confidentiality flag on future uploads​

When uploading a new confidential document, set the flag at creation time:

  1. Click New Document or Upload New Revision.
  2. In the Access Control section of the form:
    • Confidentiality: Restricted
    • Access Control Group: Commercial & Contract — Restricted Access
  3. Complete the rest of the form and save.

The document is created with access restrictions in place from the start — it never appears in the unrestricted register view.

Step 5: Verify access is restricted​

Test the restriction using a team member account that should NOT have access:

  1. Ask a team member without ACG access to open the Documents tab.
  2. They should NOT see the confidential documents in the list.
  3. If they search for the document by title or number, the search should return no results.
  4. If you share the document URL directly with them, they should see an "Access Denied" or "Not Found" page.

Alternatively (if you have multiple accounts):

  1. Log out of your admin account.
  2. Log in as a non-ACG team member.
  3. Check the Documents list — the restricted documents should not appear.

Step 6: Verify ACG members can access​

  1. Log in as (or ask) one of the ACG members.
  2. Navigate to Documents.
  3. The confidential documents should appear in the list, visible alongside unrestricted documents.
  4. The ACG member can open, download, and work with the documents normally.

Step 7: Manage group membership over time​

As the project progresses, you may need to add or remove members from the ACG:

To add a new member:

  1. Project Settings → Access → Access Control Groups → open the group.
  2. Click Add Member → search and add the new user.
  3. Their access is immediate — no re-approval needed.

To remove a member (e.g. when they leave the project or no longer need access):

  1. Open the ACG.
  2. Find the member → click Remove.
  3. Their access is revoked immediately.

Verification​

Confirm your setup is correct:

  • Restricted documents do NOT appear in the Documents list for general team members
  • ACG members CAN see and open restricted documents
  • The Audit Log on a restricted document shows access events only for ACG members and admins
  • Reports show confidential document counts (e.g. "5 Restricted documents — Approved") but do not expose content to non-ACG members

What's next​