# Page and Content Protection

On Villanova's Web Content Management System (WCMS), you can protect pages, content, and other digital assets by assigning groups that have the authority to view those assets. If users without the correct authorization attempt to view them, the platform will return an error. You can manage these errors for your application with dedicated error pages or by adding logic to your widgets or FreeMarker templates.

For content with no restrictions, the default setting is Free Access for group ownership.

# Create a Group

Pages, content, and digital assets (images and files) are protected with group assignments. You can add new groups in the Villanova App Builder as follows:

  1. Go to Users → Groups from the left navigation
  2. Select Add
  3. Enter a Name and a Code for your group`
  4. Go to Users→Management in the left navigation menu to create Users and assign them to the new group.

An Owner Group is assigned when pages, content, and assets are created. The Owner Group indicates the team who owns the item and can make modifications. Additional groups can be given viewing access to the item via the Join Group field.

Note: The Owner Group can not be changed after an item is created.

# Protect a Page

  1. Select Pages → Management from the left navigation.
  2. Create a new page. Assign values as needed.
  3. Assign an Owner Group.
  4. (Optional) Add groups via Join Group to allow viewing access.
  5. Complete configuring the page and select Save.

Now only users assigned to the Owner Group or Join Group will have the ability to view the page. They can manage and edit the Page if they have the appropriate role within the App Builder and are part of the Owner Group.

To test this, navigate to the new page URL from a private or incognito browser window, and you will be redirected to the default Sign in to Proceed Further page of your application. The Sign in to Proceed Further page can be changed by going to Pages → Settings and picking the page to render for users who need to sign in.

# Protect Content

  1. Select Content → Management

  2. Click the Add button and choose the type to create from the drop-down list

  3. Assign an Owner Group.

  4. (Optional) Add groups via Join Group to allow viewing access.

  5. Finish configuring the page and select Save

Only users within the Owner Group can view and edit the content. Users assigned to groups listed under the Join Group field can view it. See the FreeMarker tags section below for information on creating custom widgets that utilize protected content.

Access to Images and Attachments

An item with the Free Access assignment offers viewing access to everyone. Items with Free Access can be added to protected pages.

# Protect Images and Attachments

Images and attachments uploaded to the CMS can be protected by assigning groups.

  1. Select Content → Assets from the left navigation
  2. Click Add to select and upload your file(s)
  3. For the Group field, select the owner group to grant viewing and editing privileges
  4. Only users within the assigned Group will have the ability to view and edit the asset you've created
    • The asset is available to content such as pages with the same Group assignment unless it has been assigned Free Access.

# FreeMarker Tags and Consuming Protected Resources

Villanova supports a set of FreeMarker tags to assist in accessing and using protected assets in widgets and pages. The if-authorized and tag-nav tags can help in rendering page lists and fetching assets.

The content and content-list tags also provide the ability to fetch and render protected content and lists of content.

Additionally, REST APIs allow clients to fetch protected pages and assets by group via query parameters. The content REST APIs also include the ability to filter by group and access level.

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