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Access Control

NetPad provides granular access control at multiple levels with a comprehensive three-tier permission system.

Three-Tier Permission System​

NetPad uses a hierarchical permission system with three levels:

Organization Level
└── Application Level
    └── Form Level
LevelDescriptionRoles
OrganizationAccess to organization and its resourcesOwner, Admin, Member, Viewer
ApplicationFine-grained permissions within specific applicationsOwner, Editor, Analyst, Viewer
FormPermissions on individual formsOwner, Editor, Analyst, Viewer

Access Control Levels​

Organization Level​

Control organization access:

  • Members: Who can access organization
  • Roles: Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer
  • Permissions: What each role can do
  • Inheritance: Organization owners/admins have full access to all applications

Application Level​

Control application access separate from organization roles:

  • Access Modes: org_members (all org members) or explicit (permission-based)
  • Roles: Owner, Editor, Analyst, Viewer
  • Contract Integration: Active contracts restrict editing to owners and explicit permission holders
  • Permission Grants: Explicit grants to specific organization members

Form Level​

Control form access:

  • Public: Anyone with URL
  • Authenticated: Must sign in
  • Restricted: Domain/user whitelist
  • Roles: Owner, Editor, Analyst, Viewer

Connection Level​

Control connection access:

  • Organization: Shared with organization
  • Roles: Owner, Admin, User, Viewer
  • Permissions: View, use, edit, delete

Organization Roles​

Owner​

Full control:

  • Delete organization
  • Manage billing
  • All admin permissions
  • Manage members

Admin​

Management permissions:

  • Manage members
  • Configure settings
  • Create/edit resources
  • Cannot delete organization

Member​

Standard permissions:

  • Create forms/workflows
  • Edit own resources
  • View organization data
  • Limited settings access

Viewer​

Read-only access:

  • View resources
  • View data
  • Cannot make changes
  • No creation permissions

Form Access Control​

Public Forms​

  • Anyone: Can submit with URL
  • No Authentication: No sign-in required
  • Best For: Surveys, contact forms

Authenticated Forms​

  • Must Sign In: Users must authenticate
  • Tracked: Submissions linked to user
  • Best For: Internal forms, member content

Restricted Forms​

  • Domain Whitelist: Only specific domains
  • User Whitelist: Only specific users
  • Best For: Private forms, exclusive access

Form Roles​

Owner​

  • Full control
  • Delete form
  • Manage access
  • All permissions

Editor​

  • Edit form
  • View responses
  • Cannot delete
  • Manage settings

Analyst​

  • View responses
  • View analytics
  • Export data
  • Cannot edit form

Viewer​

  • View form only
  • Cannot see responses
  • Read-only access

Application Roles​

Application-level roles provide fine-grained access control separate from organization roles.

Owner​

Full application control:

  • Edit application and all resources
  • Manage permissions (grant, update, revoke)
  • Create releases
  • Delete application
  • Manage contracts and protection

Editor​

Edit permissions:

  • Edit application and resources
  • Create releases
  • Cannot manage permissions
  • Cannot delete application

Analyst​

Analysis permissions:

  • View application
  • Analyze data
  • Export data
  • Read-only access
  • Cannot edit or create releases

Viewer​

Read-only access:

  • View application
  • View resources
  • Cannot edit or analyze
  • Cannot create releases

Managing Application Permissions​

  1. Open Application: Navigate to application detail view
  2. Permissions Tab: Click "Permissions" tab
  3. Grant Permissions:
    • Click "Add Permission"
    • Select user from organization members
    • Choose role (Owner, Editor, Analyst, Viewer)
    • Click "Grant"
  4. Update Permissions: Edit existing permissions to change roles
  5. Revoke Permissions: Delete permission to remove access

Access Modes​

Applications support two access modes:

ModeDescriptionUse Case
org_membersAll organization members have access (based on org role)Team-shared applications
explicitOnly users with explicit permission grants have accessSensitive or restricted applications

Contract Integration​

When an application has an active contract:

  • Owners: Always have full access
  • Explicit Permission Holders: Users with explicit permissions can edit
  • Others: Read-only access to protected components

Best Practices​

  1. Principle of Least Privilege: Grant minimum needed access
  2. Regular Reviews: Review permissions regularly
  3. Use Roles: Assign appropriate roles
  4. Document Access: Keep access documented
  5. Use Contracts: Protect critical applications with contracts
  6. Explicit Access for Sensitive Apps: Use explicit access mode for sensitive applications
  7. Audit Permissions: Regularly audit application permissions