In DNN, Roles are the central mechanism for managing security, access, and permissions for users across the entire website. Think of a Role as a group that determines what a user is allowed to see (content and pages) and what they are allowed to do (edit, manage, administer).
- The Purpose of Roles
- Security & Access Control: This is the primary function. Roles restrict who can view certain pages, modules (the content sections on a page), or settings.
- Content Personalization: Roles allow you to show or hide specific content to specific user groups (e.g., displaying a "Member Login" module only to "Unauthenticated Users" and a "Welcome Back" message only to "Registered Users").
- Workflow & Administration: Roles define who can edit, publish, or administer the site.
- Membership & Subscription: Roles can categorize users based on paid subscriptions, membership tiers, or business functions.
2. The Core Default Roles
DNN comes with several built-in roles that are foundational to the system:
Role Name | Description | Key Characteristic |
Host / SuperUser | The highest level of access. Can manage all portals, files, and settings across the entire DNN installation. | Reserved for site builders and developers (ITS). |
Administrators | Has full access to manage a site, including adding, deleting, and editing pages and modules. | Cannot be deleted or modified. |
Registered Users | All users who have created an account and logged in. | Used to restrict content only to logged-in users. Cannot be deleted or modified. |
Subscribers | By default, all Registered Users are in this role. Often used for newsletter or content subscription management. | Typically, not used on our client websites. |
All Users | Refers to every visitor to the site, including both Registered Users and Unauthenticated Users (anonymous visitors). | Used to grant public access to content. |
Unauthenticated Users | Any visitor who is not logged in. | Useful for displaying login prompts or registration calls-to-action. |
3. Custom Roles
In addition to the default roles, most client websites have several custom roles that are created via the SSO (single sign-on) with the AMS. The most common custom/SSO roles are “Member” and “Nonmember” which are given to a user based on their membership status in the AMS. These roles are useful to display content only to non-members (for example, a call-to-action for them to join the association) or to display content only to members (for example, members only resources or benefits).
4. How Roles Control a Page
When you edit a Page's Settings or a Module's Settings in DNN, you will see a Permissions tab. In this area, you define which roles have:
- View Permissions: Can this role see the page or module? (The most common use)
- Edit Permissions: Can this role modify the content within the module?
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