Workspaces and Access
Read-only access
Understand what you can view and which actions are unavailable when access is read-only.
Read-only limits changes to content you can access. Check whether the limit comes from the workspace, the folder role, or the particular item's state.
Identify the limit
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| Read-only beside a workspace | That workspace's authoring capabilities. You can still select it when active. |
| (read-only) in the Library-source menu | The source's authoring state; also check the individual folder. |
| Access: Read only in Folder Details | Your effective folder role. A visible parent can supply inherited access. |
| Read-only folder in a destination picker | The folder cannot receive that move or copy. |
| Guide is read-only or no edit action | The workspace capability, folder permission, and item's current state. |
A workspace License, folder role, and storage allowance are separate checks. Changing a folder role does not create an authoring License or free storage. See Storage and AI allowances.
View and use content
You can browse accessible content and use the actions offered for that item, such as opening details, viewing, playing, downloading, or exporting. These are item-specific; read-only does not promise every action for every type. Running a Guide is different from editing its definition.
With the folder role Read only, you cannot create, edit, upload, rename, move, delete, or manage members in that folder. Read/write and Owner can support changes only when the other requirements are met.
A workspace authoring restriction is not identical to the folder role Read only. Some cleanup actions can remain available to existing Owners or Read/write members, including deleting supported content. Use the displayed actions and confirmation text; do not assume a missing edit action also means that nothing can be removed.
Recover expected access
- Confirm the signed-in account and active workspace.
- In Library, open More Library actions > Folder Details and review Access and the direct/inherited grant label.
- If the role is insufficient, ask the folder Owner to review the direct grant and its parents. A weaker grant on a child cannot override a stronger parent.
- If the role is sufficient but authoring remains unavailable, review the owning workspace's License and storage, plus any archived-item restrictions.
- Refresh after an access change and try the supported action again.
An organization manager reviews membership and workspace access; a folder Owner reviews sharing. A direct link does not bypass either check.