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In the Data Project Page, you can configure Entity Access settings to control who can view or modify your project. This feature allows you to assign roles, set data restrictions, and define expiration dates for access. The Entity Access column is located in the eighth column on the Data Project page.
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Steps to Enable or Edit Entity Access:

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1. Locate the Entity Access Column

  • Navigate to the Data Project page in your application.
  • Look for the Entity Access column, which is the eighth column from the left.

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2. Open the Editing Menu

  • Click on the arrow icon next to the relevant entry in the Entity Access column.
  • A menu will appear, allowing you to adjust access settings. Here you can add new users and give them access, delete previouse users or permanently pause all the access.
Note: The Pause All Access setting allows a data owner to temporarily suspend all private access permissions to a dataset without deleting or modifying existing access rules. When enabled, all non-owner access grants, including individual users, groups, and domain-based access, are placed in a paused state.

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3. Add New Access Permissions

  • In the editing menu, locate and click the blue Add button in the bottom-left corner of the menu.
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4. Configure Access Details

  • Select Users: Select individual users or groups to grant access to your data.
  • Select Email Domains: Grant access based on verified email domains. Authorized domains and subdomains apply access automatically to all matching users. You control whether access applies to the parent domain, specific subdomains, or both.
  • Assign Roles: Assign a role to the selected users (e.g., Viewer, Editor, Admin) based on their level of required access.
  • Set Data Restrictions: Optionally, limit user access to specific datasets or functions within the project.
  • Define Expiration Date: If necessary, set an expiration date for access permissions to ensure temporary access.
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4.1. Email Domains Explanation

When a user verifies a business or institutional email address in their profile (for example, name@umd.edu), VoxDash extracts and validates the email domain (umd.edu). Once verified:
  • The domain is marked as trusted and eligible for access control.
  • The domain becomes selectable and enforceable in the Email domains field during access configuration.
Note: Personal email domains (for example, gmail.com, yahoo.com) do not unlock domain-level access controls. In the Give Access modal: Enter a verified domain (for example, umd.edu) in the Email domains field. VoxDash grants access to all existing and future users whose verified email ends exactly with that domain. Example: Domain entered: umd.edu Note: This mechanism removes the need to manage access user-by-user for large institutions. This step is mandatory. Unverified domains are ignored by the access engine.

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4.2. Optional Inclusion of Subdomains

The Access to sub-domains option extends domain matching beyond the root domain. When enabled:
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5. Save Changes

Click the Invite button to send an invitation or notification to the selected user(s).
Finally, click the Submit button to save your changes and update the access list.

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Ownership Access Levels

Ownership access lets you control who can interact with your data. It can be assigned to a user, user group, or domain user group, with an optional start and end date. Here are the levels explained in plain terms:

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Owner Level

What they can do: Full control over the data, including deleting and replacing files. Special role: The person who first uploads the data is called the “Data Provider.” They are the only ones who can:
  • Permanently delete (hard delete) the data.
  • Add other owners.

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Organizer Level

What they can do: Almost everything the owner can, including accessing data through the Data Provider Panel and Public Panel. What they cannot do:
  • Delete, replace, or cut files.
  • Assign another organizer for the data.

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Download Level

What they can do:
  • Access specific data or survey questions.
  • Download it from Public Panel.
What they cannot do: No access to the data-provider panel.

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Viewer Level

What they can do: View specific files or survey questions (if VoxDash allows it). What they cannot do:
  • Download the files.
  • Access the data-provider panel.
Where they access it: Public website only.

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Catalog Level

What they can do: View basic information about the Data Project added to VoxDash by the data provider. What they cannot do:
  • Access the data itself.
  • Use the data-provider panel.
Where they access it: Public website only. Important Notes:
  • Pay attention to the data hierarchy (Data Project → Files and Survey Questions). If you grant catalog access at the Data Project level, you must specify whether the user can view only basic project information or also view its files and survey questions. A modal will prompt you to choose what additional information users can access.
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  • You can also grant catalog access directly from the Data Project Files tab or from Wizard 4 of Survey Data Entry, where you can specify catalog access for selected questions.

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Allow Crosstab Analysis

This access allows the file to be used in crosstab analysis. Enable this when the dataset includes variables suitable for grouping or comparison across categories. Grant this access if you want users to run crosstab breakdowns and view subgroup comparisons based on the file’s variables. Note: This access is available only for Data Projects with survey questions. It will not appear for projects that do not include Survey data or survey questions.

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Tips:

  • Notifications: The invited users will receive an email notification with a link to access the project, if applicable.
  • If you haven’t added the user from user management, but you gave access to a user by using its email, the user will be automatically added to your users list, and you can edit their information in the User Management table.
Learn more about User Management and User Groups Management.