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User roles and permissions overview
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Updated 2 weeks ago

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   Overview
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When a user account is created in District, a role must be assigned to it. The role determines what the user can see and do on the site. A single user can have multiple roles assigned at once.

Default user roles
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The following roles are available by default in District:

User roleResponsibilities**Anonymous user**Users who are not logged in. They have limited access and can view public content but cannot perform any administrative tasks.**Authenticated user**Logged-in users with more privileges than anonymous users. This role is intended for public users with an account to access the public user portal.**Administrator**Full access to the District site, including configuration settings, modules, and user management. Can perform site-wide administrative tasks.**Content Author**Responsible for content creation and editing. Can add and modify content on the site but does not have the ability to publish it.**Site Administrator**Broader site management responsibilities, including managing users, permissions, and site-wide settings.> 💡 **Note:** Some sites may have additional roles beyond these defaults. Refer to your site-specific user guide documentation for the full list of roles available on your site.

Permissions
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Permissions are the specific actions that a user is allowed to perform. For example, creating content, deleting content, or changing the site's theme are all individual permissions.

Each user role is a collection of these permissions. You can customise the permissions for each role to fit your team's workflow. For example, you could create a new role called "Proofreader" that only has permission to read and comment on content, but not edit it.

To learn how to change permissions for each role, see our guide on **Configure roles and permissions**.

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Related articles
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- **Configure roles and permissions** — How to view and edit role permissions
- **Content workflow and statuses** — How roles determine workflow permissions

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