About rights and the default site groups

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This topic explains the rights and site groups you can assign to users by using commands in Stsadm.exe and by using SharePoint Central Administration. Each user right or site group is listed by the name that appears in SharePoint Central Administration. The name used to identify a site group for the Stsadm.exe command-line tool is listed in a table. For each site group, the default rights included in that site group are listed. For each right, any rights dependent on the right are listed, as well as any default site groups that include the right.

Default site groups

Microsoft includes five site groups by default. If you are a member of the Administrator site group or a site group with the Manage Site Group right, you can customize the rights available in these site groups or add new site groups to combine different sets of rights.

Guest

The Guest site group is used to give guest users access to a specific list, without giving them access to the entire site. In addition to belonging to the Guest site group, you can use per-list permissions to grant access to a specific list. The Guest site group cannot be customized or deleted.

Command-line name

Rights included in by default

guest

None

Reader

The Reader site group allows a user to view items in lists and document libraries, view pages in the site, and create sites if the site creation feature is enabled.

Command-line name

Rights included in by default

reader

Use Self-Service Site Creation

View pages

View items

Contributor

The Contributor site group allows a user to interact with Web Parts and lists and document libraries. They can also create and manage personal views and cross-site groups, and personalize Web Part Pages.

Command-line name

Rights included in by default

contributor

All rights included in the Reader site group, plus:

Add items

Add/Remove Private Web Parts

Browse Directories

Create cross-site groups

Delete items

Edit items

Manage personal views

Update Personal Web Parts

Web Designer

The Web Designer site group allows a user to customize the Web site using the HTML tools or a Web page editor compatible with , such as .

Command-line name

Rights included in by default

web designer

All rights included in the Contributor site group, plus:

Add and customize pages

Apply themes and borders

Apply style sheets

Cancel check-out

Manage lists

Administrator

The Administrator site group allows a user to have complete control over a Web site. They can configure settings, manage users and site groups, and view usage analysis data.

Command-line name

Rights included in by default

administrator

All rights included in the Web Designer site group, plus:

Create sites and workspaces

Manage list permissions

Manage site groups

View usage data

User rights

includes 20 rights, which are used in the five default user site groups. If you are a member or a site group with the Manage Site Groups right, you can change which rights are included in a particular site group (except for the Guest and Administrator site groups) or create a site group to contain a specific list of rights.

Add and Customize Pages

Grants permission to createpages for a Web site by using ASP.NET, ASP, and HTML .

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Web Designer, Administrator

Browse Directories, View Pages

Add Items

Grants permission to add items to lists or files and folders to libraries. Adding items to lists includes participating in discussion boards and responding to surveys.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages

Add/Remove Private Web Parts

Grants permission to add and remove Web Parts to personalize Web Part Pages.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

Update Personal Web Parts, View Items, View Pages

Apply Style Sheets

Grants permission to apply a style sheet to the entire Web site.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Apply Themes and Borders

Grants permission to apply a theme or border to an entire Web site.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Browse Directories

Grants permission to browse the directory structure of a Web site.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Cancel Check-out

Grants permission to cancel the check-out action performed by another user.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Create Cross-Site Groups

Grants permission to create or delete cross-site groups, or to change the membership of a cross-site group.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Create Sites and Workspace sites

Grants permission to create a new subsite or Workspace site, such as a Document Workspace or Meeting Workspace.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Reader, Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

Delete Items

Grants permission to delete list items and files and folders from libraries. This right also grants permission to delete previous versions of files from libraries that save version information for files.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages

Edit Items

Grants permission to edit existing list items and files in libraries. This right also grants permission for the following:

  • Checking files in and out of libraries

  • Changing the order of items in a list that allows custom ordering

  • Attaching files to list items and removing attachments from list items

  • Editing properties of files in libraries

  • Merging forms in a form library

  • Removing a Meeting Workspace site from a list item

  • Restoring files to previous versions in libraries that save version information

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages

Manage Lists

Grants permission to create, edit, or delete lists and libraries and change their settings. This right grants permission for the following:

  • Allowing users with the Edit Items right to change the order of items in a list

  • Specifying whether a library tracks version information for files

  • Adding, editing, and removing columns in a list or library

  • Creating public views for lists

  • Setting the default view for a list

  • Relinking forms to form libraries

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages, Manage Personal Views

Manage List Permissions

Grants permission to change permissions for a list or library.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Administrator

Manage Lists, View Items, View Pages, Manage Personal Views

Manage Personal Views

Grants permission to create, edit, or delete personal views on lists.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages

Manage Site Groups

Grants permission to create, delete, and edit site groups, both by changing the rights assigned to the site group and by changing which users are members of the site group.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Administrator

View Pages

Manage Web Site

Grants permission to perform administration tasks for a particular site or subsite.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Administrator

View Pages

Update Personal Web Parts

Grants permission to update Web Parts to display personalized information.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Items, View Pages

Use Self-Service Site Creation

Grants permission to use the Self-Service Site Creation feature to create a top-level Web site.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Reader, Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

View Items

Grants permission to view items in lists, files in libraries, and Web discussion comments. This right also grants permission for the following:

  • Choosing display style in picture libraries

  • Downloading pictures from picture libraries

  • Adding, editing, and deleting alerts

  • Filtering and sorting items and files in lists and libraries

  • Viewing properties for files in libraries

  • Viewing files attached to list items

  • Viewing previous versions of files in libraries that track version information

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Reader, Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

View Pages

View Pages

Grants permission to browse pages in the Web site.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Reader, Contributor, Web Designer, Administrator

None

View Usage Data

Grants permission to view reports on Web site usage.

Site groups included in by default

Dependent rights

Administrator

View Pages