# Understanding Content + Connection Permissions

**URL:** <https://community.omni.co/t/understanding-content-connection-permissions/431>\
**Category:** Administration\
**Tags:** permissions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.omni.co/t/understanding-content-connection-permissions/431 "2025-12-08T23:16:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![James](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@James](https://community.omni.co/u/James)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.omni.co/t/understanding-content-connection-permissions/431/1 "2025-12-08T23:16:10Z")

</div>

A simple guide to how Omni handles **who can see/work with content** (dashboards, workbooks, folders) and **who can query data** (connections).

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## Two Permission Systems Working Together

Omni uses two layers of permissions:

1. **Content permissions** — control access to _Omni content_  
(dashboards, workbooks, folders)

2. **Connection permissions** — control access to the _underlying data sources_  
(warehouse connections + their schemas/tables)

A user must pass **both layers** to fully interact with content.

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## Content Permissions: “Can I open this dashboard?”

Content permissions decide:

- Who can _view_ content
- Who can _edit_ or _publish_
- Who can _share_ with others

Docs:

- Content permissions: [https://docs.omni.co/docs/content-sharing](https://docs.omni.co/docs/content-sharing)

Generally, if a user lacks content access → they won’t even see the item in Omni.

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## Connection Permissions: “Can I query the data behind it?”

Connection permissions decide:

- Whether a user can run queries
- The scope in which a user can run queries
  - Example: Users with connection roles Viewer or Restricted Querier can only run topic-based queries

Docs for reference:

- Connections & permissions: [https://docs.omni.co/docs/admin/connection-permissions](https://docs.omni.co/docs/admin/connection-permissions)

If a user lacks required data access → the content appears, but queries may fail or data may be partially hidden.

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## How They Interact

To _fully_ use a piece of content, a user needs:

1. **Permission to the content** , _and_
2. **Permission to the connection(s)** it uses

## Practical Guide

- When _someone can’t see data_, check **connection permissions**
- When _someone can’t see or open the object_, check **content permissions**
- When _numbers look different between users_, check **row-level security**
- When _queries error even though content is visible_, check **connection-level table access**

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## Simple Summary

- **Content permissions = access to Omni objects**
- **Connection permissions = access to data**
- Users need _both_ to explore, query, and view dashboards successfully.