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Permissions

Learn how to manage permissions for the Entityqueue Form Widget and entity queues on your Drupal site.

Understanding Entityqueue Permissions

The Entityqueue Form Widget respects the permission system defined by the Entityqueue module. Understanding and properly configuring these permissions is crucial for site security and workflow efficiency.

Available Permissions

Entityqueue creates dynamic permissions based on configured queues. Each queue generates three permissions:

Per-Queue Permissions

For each entity queue created, the following permissions are available:

  1. Create [Queue Name] subqueues
  2. Allows user to add content to the queue
  3. Required for editors to assign content in the form widget

  4. Example: "Create Featured Articles subqueues"

  5. Edit [Queue Name] subqueues

  6. Allows user to modify existing queue assignments
  7. Required to change queue membership after content creation

  8. Example: "Edit Featured Articles subqueues"

  9. Delete [Queue Name] subqueues

  10. Allows user to remove content from the queue
  11. Required to uncheck items in the form widget
  12. Example: "Delete Featured Articles subqueues"

Global Entityqueue Permissions

Some Entityqueue versions may also provide:

  • Administer entity queues - Full queue management access (admins only)
  • Access entity queue administration - View queue administration pages

Accessing Permission Settings

  1. Go to Administration > People > Permissions (/admin/people/permissions)
  2. Search for "entityqueue" or specific queue names
  3. Locate the queue permissions section

Permission Grid

The permissions page displays: - Permission name (left column) - Role checkboxes (columns for each role)

Setting Permissions

  1. Find the permission row for your queue
  2. Check the box under the desired role
  3. Uncheck to remove permission
  4. Scroll to bottom and click Save permissions

Role-Based Permission Recommendations

Admin Role

Full access to all queue operations

✓ Create [all queues] subqueues
✓ Edit [all queues] subqueues
✓ Delete [all queues] subqueues
✓ Administer entity queues

Rationale: Administrators need complete control for troubleshooting and configuration.

Editor / Content Manager Role

Selective access to curated queues

✓ Create [Feature Queue] subqueues
✓ Edit [Feature Queue] subqueues
✓ Delete [Feature Queue] subqueues
✓ Create [Category] subqueues
✓ Edit [Category] subqueues
✓ Delete [Category] subqueues
✗ Administer entity queues

Rationale: Editors manage queue assignments but don't create/configure queues.

Content Creator Role

Limited access to specific queues

✓ Create [Homepage Featured] subqueues
✓ Edit [Homepage Featured] subqueues
✗ Delete [Homepage Featured] subqueues (optional)
✓ Create [Recent Posts] subqueues
✓ Edit [Recent Posts] subqueues
✗ Delete [Recent Posts] subqueues
✗ Administer entity queues

Rationale: Creators add content to queues but can't remove or administer.

Content Reviewer Role

Read-only access for review purposes

✗ Create [all queues] subqueues
✗ Edit [all queues] subqueues
✗ Delete [all queues] subqueues
✗ Administer entity queues

Rationale: Reviewers see queues but don't modify them (use Views/custom access).

Anonymous / Authenticated User

No queue permissions

✗ All entityqueue permissions

Rationale: End users don't interact with queue management.

Setting Up User Roles with Queue Permissions

Step-by-Step Setup Example

Scenario: Set up roles for a news website

Step 1: Identify Needed Roles

  1. Admin - Site administrators (full access)
  2. Editor - News editors (manage featured content)
  3. Writer - Content writers (create content, limited queue access)
  4. Moderator - Content review (read-only queue view)

Step 2: Create Roles (if needed)

  1. Go to Administration > People > Roles (/admin/people/roles)
  2. Create role "News Editor"
  3. Create role "News Writer"
  4. Create role "Content Moderator"

Step 3: Configure Queue Permissions

For "News Editor" role:

  1. Go to Administration > People > Permissions
  2. Find "Featured News subqueues" section
  3. Check:
  4. [ ] Create Featured News subqueues
  5. [ ] Edit Featured News subqueues
  6. [ ] Delete Featured News subqueues
  7. Find "Trending Stories subqueues" section
  8. Check same three permissions
  9. Save permissions

For "News Writer" role:

  1. Check only:
  2. [ ] Create Featured News subqueues
  3. [ ] Create Trending Stories subqueues
  4. Leave Edit/Delete unchecked
  5. Save permissions

For "Content Moderator" role:

  1. Leave all boxes unchecked (read-only)
  2. Grant other permissions if using Views for queue review
  3. Save permissions

Step 4: Assign Roles to Users

  1. Go to Administration > People (/admin/people)
  2. Click user to edit
  3. Scroll to "Roles"
  4. Check appropriate roles
  5. Save user

Permission Scenarios

Multi-Team Environment

Scenario: Multiple editorial teams with different responsibilities

Team 1 (Tech Blog):
  - Can use: "Tech Posts Featured"
  - Cannot use: "Lifestyle Featured"

Team 2 (Lifestyle):
  - Can use: "Lifestyle Featured"
  - Cannot use: "Tech Posts Featured"

Configuration:

  1. Create roles: "Tech Team", "Lifestyle Team"
  2. Grant each team permissions for their queues only
  3. Assign team members to appropriate roles

Progressive Permission Levels

Scenario: Staff progression from writer to manager

Junior Writer:
  ✓ Create [all] subqueues
  ✗ Edit/Delete

Senior Writer:
  ✓ Create [all] subqueues
  ✓ Edit [all] subqueues
  ✗ Delete

Manager:
  ✓ Create/Edit/Delete [all] subqueues
  ✓ Administer queues

Configuration:

  1. Create three roles with increasing permissions
  2. Move users to higher roles as they progress
  3. Maintains clear responsibility hierarchy

Client vs Internal Staff

Scenario: Client can only manage their own queue

External Client:
  ✓ Create [Client Content] subqueues
  ✓ Edit [Client Content] subqueues
  ✗ Delete [Client Content] subqueues
  ✗ All other queues

Internal Staff:
  ✓ All permissions

Configuration:

  1. Create client-specific queue: "Client X Content"
  2. Create client role with limited permissions
  3. Assign client user to role
  4. Only their queue appears in widget with full permissions

Permission Inheritance and Site Roles

Default Drupal Roles

Entityqueue permissions interact with default roles:

Anonymous User

  • No queue access by default
  • Cannot edit content forms
  • Cannot assign queues

Authenticated User

  • May have limited queue access
  • Depends on additional roles
  • Should be minimal (use other roles)

Administrator

  • Full queue access
  • Can manage all permissions
  • Can create/delete queues

Custom Roles Best Practices

✓ Do: - Create specific roles for queue management - Use descriptive role names: "Content Editor", "Queue Manager" - Grant minimal necessary permissions - Document role purposes

✗ Don't: - Grant excessive permissions - Use overly generic roles - Leave roles unused - Mix responsibilities in roles

Troubleshooting Permission Issues

Issue: User Can't See Queues in Widget

Diagnosis: - Check user's roles: People > Edit user > Roles - Check role permissions: People > Permissions - Search for the queue name

Solutions: 1. Assign user to appropriate role 2. Grant "Create [Queue] subqueues" permission 3. Verify queue targets user's content type 4. Clear cache: drush cr

Issue: User Can't Save Queue Assignments

Diagnosis: - User sees widget but can't check/uncheck - Checkboxes may be disabled or non-responsive

Solutions: 1. Verify "Edit [Queue] subqueues" permission 2. Check "Create [Queue] subqueues" permission 3. Ensure node edit permission (separate from queue permission) 4. Check browser console for JavaScript errors

Issue: User Can't Remove Items from Queue

Diagnosis: - Can check boxes but unchecking doesn't work - Items stuck in queue

Solutions: 1. Grant "Delete [Queue] subqueues" permission 2. Verify user can edit the node 3. Clear browser cache 4. Try different browser

Issue: Widget Shows Too Many/Too Few Queues

Diagnosis: - Widget shows queues user shouldn't see - Widget shows no queues despite permissions

Solutions: 1. Check target bundle configuration 2. Verify queue is enabled (not archived) 3. Clear Drupal cache: drush cr 4. Check permission list for misspelled queue names

Advanced Permission Scenarios

Time-Based Permissions

Some sites use external systems to grant/revoke queue permissions:

Scenario: Contractor access for limited period

  1. Create "Contractor" role with limited permissions
  2. Set cron job to remove role after 30 days
  3. Contractor sees queues during work period
  4. Access automatically revoked after contract end

Conditional Permissions via Modules

Advanced sites might use:

  • Field Permissions: Control queue access by content field
  • Node Access: Control queues by content ownership
  • Custom Permissions: Implement custom queue permission logic

Security Considerations

Permission Scope

Entityqueue Form Widget permissions control:

✓ Can assign to queue ✓ Can edit assignment ✓ Can see queue in widget ✓ Can remove from queue

They do NOT control:

✗ Ability to edit node itself ✗ Access to queue administration ✗ View of other node's queue assignments ✗ Queue configuration

Separation of Concerns

Recommend separating:

  • Content editing permissions - Who can edit node content
  • Queue permissions - Who can assign to queues
  • Queue admin permissions - Who can configure queues

Users with content edit permission still need queue permissions to use widget.

Permission Auditing

Regular Permission Reviews

Monthly: - Review new users' roles - Check for unintended permission grants - Monitor admin role changes

Quarterly: - Audit all role permissions - Remove unused roles - Document permission changes

Annually: - Complete permission audit - Review against business requirements - Update documentation

Next Steps