Access levels for a database

To change an access level for a user, you must have Manager access to the database.

About this task

Table 1. Access levels
Access level	Allows users to	Assign to
Manager	Delete the database Encrypt the database Modify replication settings Modify the database ACL Perform all tasks allowed by lower access levels	Two people who are responsible for the database. If one person is absent, the other can manage the database.
Designer	Create a full-text search index Modify all database design elements (fields, forms, views, public agents, the database icon, Using This Database document, and About This Database document) Perform all tasks allowed by lower access levels	A database designer and/or the person responsible for future design updates.
Editor	Create documents Edit all documents, including those created by others Read all documents unless there is a Readers field in the form (you can't edit a document if you can't read it)	Any user allowed to create and edit documents in a database.
Author Note: Author access, by default, does not include the access level option "Create documents." When you assign Author access to a user or server, you must also specify the "Create documents" access level privilege.	Create documents Edit the documents where there is an Authors field in the document and the user is specified in the Authors field Read all documents unless there is a Readers field in the form	Users who need to contribute documents to a database. When possible, use Author access rather than Editor access to reduce Replication or Save Conflicts.
Reader Note: Reader access lets you read all documents unless there is a Readers field in the form. Then you can read a document only if your name is listed in the Readers field on the form.	Read documents	Users who only need to read documents in a database, but not create or edit documents.
Depositor	Create documents	Users who only need to contribute documents, but who do not need to read or edit their own or other users' documents. For example, use Depositor access for a ballot box application.
No Access	None, with the exception of options to "Read public documents" and "Write public documents"	Terminated users, who do not need access to the database, or users who have access on a special basis. Also, users who do not need access but are part of a group that does have access. Should be assigned as the default access to prevent most users from accessing a confidential database.