Users & Permissions

Overview

Revel Digital's user management system provides flexible control over who can access your digital signage network and what actions they can perform. The platform uses a role-based permission system that allows you to grant specific capabilities to different users based on their responsibilities.

Understanding the Permission System

Revel Digital uses a sophisticated role-based permission system with granular controls. The system provides three levels of access for each feature area: View, Edit, and Delete. Users can be assigned predefined roles or have custom permission combinations.

Permission Structure

The permission system is organized into several main categories:

Account Management

• Account Info: Basic account information and settings
• Manage Users: User creation, modification, and role assignment
• Permissions: Access to modify user permissions and roles
• Organizations: Multi-location and organizational management
• Billing: Subscription and payment management
• Integrations: Third-party service connections
• Developer API: Programmatic access configuration
• Alert Rules: Network monitoring and notification setup
• Deployment: Bulk device deployment and configuration
• Update Window: Designate periods of time for player updates
• Security: Login details and audit trail of previous logins

Tools & Utilities

• Automated Alerts: Management of CAP/IPAWS automated alerting
• Manual Alerts: Trigger alerts on demand
• Configure Display: Configure RS-232 command strings for remote display control
• Device Settings: Configure player settings
• Configure SMS: Send commands to players via SMS or text messaging
• Schedule Tasks: Automated task management

Content Management

• Devices: Hardware registration and management
• Media: Content upload and library management
  • Approval: Content approval workflow controls
• Playlists: Content sequence and playlist creation
• Templates: Layout design and template management
  • Designer: Visual template creation tools
  • Text Field Editor: Template text editing capabilities
• Schedules: Content scheduling and timing controls

Analytics & Reporting

• Alerts: Alert history and management
• Reports: System and performance reporting
• AdHawk: Advanced analytics and audience measurement

Available User Roles

Owner

• Complete access to all features with View, Edit, and Delete permissions
• Can manage billing, user accounts, and system configuration
• Full access to all account and organizational settings
• Can create and manage organizations and assign users

User

• Basic viewing access to most platform features
• Limited edit capabilities on content-related functions
• Cannot access sensitive account management or billing features
• Serves as the foundation role that can be combined with others

Advertiser

• View and Edit access to media management
• Can upload, organize, and manage content libraries
• Access to content performance analytics
• Limited access to scheduling and device management

Scheduler

• Full access to schedule creation and management
• Can assign content to devices and manage playlists
• View access to devices and media for scheduling purposes
• Cannot upload media without additional permissions

Approver

• Special access to media approval workflows
• Can review and approve/reject content before publication
• View access to content and scheduling features
• Essential for organizations requiring content review processes

OrgUser

• Restricts user access to assigned organization(s) only
• Works in combination with other roles to limit scope
• Ensures content and device isolation between organizations
• Must be configured with proper organization assignments

API

• Enables programmatic access to account data and functions
• Permission level depends on other assigned roles
• Allows integration with third-party systems
• Should be assigned only when automated access is required

User Management Structure

Account Level

Your Revel Digital account serves as the top-level container for all users and permissions. Each account has:

• Primary Contact: The main administrator with full account access
• Secondary Contact: A backup administrator with similar permissions
• Account Settings: Global preferences that affect all users

Organization Level

Organizations provide an additional layer of user management for businesses with multiple locations or departments. This powerful feature allows you to create hierarchical structures within your account for better content and user management.

Key Organization Features:

• Users can be assigned to specific organizations
• Permissions can be limited to organization-level resources
• Content can be isolated between different organizations
• Ideal for franchise operations, multi-department companies, or service providers managing multiple clients
• Allows for decentralized content management while maintaining centralized oversight
• Each organization can have its own contact information, location details, and time zone settings

Organization Structure Benefits:

• Franchise Management: Perfect for businesses with multiple franchise locations where each location needs to manage their own content while maintaining brand consistency
• Multi-Department Companies: Large organizations can separate departments (HR, Marketing, Operations) with distinct content needs
• Service Provider Model: Digital signage providers can manage multiple client accounts within a single Revel Digital account
• Geographic Separation: Organizations can be configured by region, state, or country for location-based management

For detailed information on setting up and managing Organizations, including step-by-step configuration instructions and advanced organizational hierarchies, please refer to the comprehensive Organizations guide: Organizations Support Documentation

Working with Organizations

Organizations are a powerful feature in Revel Digital that enables sophisticated multi-location, multi-client, or multi-department management. When properly configured, organizations provide complete content and user isolation while maintaining centralized account management.

When to Use Organizations:

• Managing multiple franchise locations with independent content needs
• Service providers handling multiple client accounts
• Large companies with distinct departmental content requirements
• Regional or geographic content management needs
• Any scenario requiring content isolation between different groups

Organization Setup Process: Organizations must be created and configured before users can be assigned to them. The organization structure affects how users interact with devices, media, schedules, and other account resources.

For complete instructions on creating organizations, configuring organizational hierarchies, assigning devices to organizations, and managing organization-level permissions, please see: Organizations Support Documentation

Important Organization Notes:

• Users assigned to organizations with the OrgUser role can only access content within their assigned organization(s)
• Devices, media, and schedules can be assigned to specific organizations for access control
• Organization assignments work in conjunction with user roles to define what actions are permitted
• Users without the OrgUser role can access all account content regardless of organization assignments

Managing Users

Adding New Users

1. Navigate to the Users section in your account dashboard
2. Click Add User or Create New User
3. Enter the user's basic information:
   • Username
   • First and last name
   • Email address (used for login and account activation)
   • Contact information
4. Assign appropriate roles based on the user's responsibilities
5. Save the user configuration

Account Activation Process After creating a new user, the system automatically sends an email to the user's provided email address. This email contains:

• Account acknowledgment request
• Secure link to set their initial password
• Basic instructions for accessing their new account

Important Notes:

• Users cannot access their account until they complete the email activation process
• The activation email may take a few minutes to arrive
• Check spam/junk folders if the user doesn't receive the activation email
• Users must set their own password for security reasons - administrators cannot assign passwords
• The activation link expires after a set period for security purposes

For New Users: Inform new users to:

1. Check their email (including spam folder) for the activation message
2. Click the activation link in the email
3. Follow the prompts to set a secure password
4. Log in to their account using their email address and new password
5. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for enhanced account security
6. Contact support if they encounter issues during activation

Security Recommendation: Two-factor authentication is available to all users and is strongly recommended for enhanced account security. Encourage users to enable 2FA during their initial account setup or as soon as possible after activation.

User Profile Information

Each user profile contains:

• Personal Information: Name, contact details, location
• Account Details: Email, username, creation date, last activity
• Role Assignments: Current permission levels
• Organization Access: Which organizations the user can access

Modifying User Permissions

Revel Digital provides two approaches for managing user permissions:

Role-Based Permissions (Recommended)

1. Navigate to the Permissions tab in your account settings
2. Select the user role from the dropdown menu
3. Review the predefined permission matrix showing View, Edit, and Delete access
4. Assign users to appropriate roles based on their responsibilities
5. Combine multiple roles for users requiring broader access

Custom Permission Configuration (Advanced) For specific use cases, you can modify individual permissions:

1. Select the target role or create a custom role configuration
2. Toggle individual permissions for each feature area:
   • View (eye icon): Allow users to see and access the feature
   • Edit (pencil icon): Allow users to modify and create content
   • Delete (trash icon): Allow users to remove content and configurations
3. Save changes to apply the new permission set
4. Assign the configured role to appropriate users

Permission Matrix Overview The permissions interface shows a comprehensive matrix of all platform features organized by category. Each feature can have different permission levels assigned, allowing for precise control over user capabilities. For example, a user might have View access to devices but Edit access to media, depending on their role requirements.

Understanding the Permission Interface

The Revel Digital permission system uses an intuitive visual interface to manage user access:

Permission Columns

• View (👁️): Users can see and access the feature but cannot make changes
• Edit (✏️): Users can modify existing content and create new items
• Delete (🗑️): Users can remove content and configurations

Permission Indicators

• Yellow checkmark: Permission is granted for this role
• Empty checkbox: Permission is not granted for this role
• Grayed out: Permission is not applicable for this feature

Hierarchical Organization The permission system is organized hierarchically with main categories and subcategories:

• Main sections (like "Media") control broad access areas
• Subsections (like "Approval" under Media) provide granular control over specific features
• Some permissions are interdependent - Edit access may automatically include View access

Role Selection Use the role dropdown at the top of the permissions interface to:

• View permissions for existing roles (User, Owner, Advertiser, etc.)
• Create custom permission combinations
• Understand what access level each role provides

Role Assignment Guidelines

Start with Minimal Permissions

• Begin with the basic "User" role
• Add additional roles only as needed
• Review permissions regularly

Use Multiple Roles Strategically

• Combine roles to create custom permission sets
• Example: "User" + "Scheduler" for content managers
• Example: "Advertiser" + "Approver" for client managers

Organization-Based Access

• Use organization assignments for location-based permissions
• Combine with OrgUser role for organizational restrictions
• Helpful for maintaining content separation

Security Considerations

Two-Factor Authentication (Recommended)

• Two-factor authentication (2FA) is available to all users at no additional cost
• Strongly recommended for all accounts, especially those with Owner or administrative roles
• Provides an additional layer of security beyond username and password
• Users can enable 2FA in their account security settings after initial login
• Consider making 2FA mandatory for users with sensitive permissions

Regular Permission Audits

• Review user access quarterly
• Remove unused accounts promptly
• Update roles when job responsibilities change

Contact Information

• Keep user contact information current
• Ensure primary and secondary contacts are active
• Use business email addresses when possible

API Access

• Only assign API role when programmatic access is needed
• Monitor API usage and access logs
• Implement proper authentication for API users

Common Permission Scenarios

Content Manager Setup

Roles: User + Scheduler + Advertiser Key Permissions: View/Edit Media, View/Edit Schedules, View Devices

• Can upload and manage media content libraries
• Can create and manage content schedules
• Can assign content to devices for playback
• Cannot manage other users or modify account settings
• Has access to basic reporting and analytics

Client/Advertiser Setup

Roles: User + Advertiser Key Permissions: View/Edit Media, View Schedules, View Reports

• Can upload and manage their own advertising content
• Can view performance analytics for their content
• Cannot modify schedules or access other clients' content
• Cannot access account management or billing features
• Ideal for external clients managing their own content

Location Manager Setup

Roles: User + OrgUser + Scheduler Organization Assignment: Assigned to specific organization(s) Key Permissions: Organization-limited View/Edit Schedules, View Devices, View Media

• Can manage scheduling for their specific location/organization only
• Can create schedules for devices within their assigned organization
• Cannot access other organizations' content or devices
• Cannot upload media without Advertiser role
• Perfect for franchise operators or location managers

Technical Administrator Setup

Roles: User + API (+ additional roles as needed) Key Permissions: Developer API access, Device Settings, Integrations

• Can configure system integrations and API connections
• Has access to device configuration and technical settings
• Can manage deployment settings and update windows
• Cannot access billing or user management without additional roles
• Essential for IT teams managing technical aspects

Approval Manager Setup

Roles: User + Approver + Scheduler
Key Permissions: Media Approval, View/Edit Schedules, View Media

• Can review and approve content before publication
• Can manage content scheduling after approval
• Has oversight of content workflows and approval processes
• Cannot upload media but can control what gets published
• Critical for organizations requiring content review

Troubleshooting Common Issues

User Cannot Access Features

Check Role Assignments

• Verify the user has the appropriate roles
• Confirm roles are saved properly
• Check organization assignments if applicable
• Logout of the account, then log back in to ensure the roles are active in the session

User Cannot See Devices/Content

Check Organization Access

• Ensure user is assigned to the correct organization(s) in their user profile
• Verify OrgUser role is assigned if organizational restrictions are needed
• Confirm devices and content are properly assigned to the same organization
• Check if content or devices are mistakenly assigned to a different organization
• Logout of the account, then log back in to ensure the organizations are assigned to the session

Organization Content Isolation Issues

Verify Organization Assignment

• Confirm user's organization assignment matches the content/device organization
• Check that OrgUser role is properly assigned for organizational boundaries
• Ensure content wasn't uploaded to the wrong organization
• Verify device registration included proper organization assignment

User Sees Content from Wrong Organization

Check Role and Organization Configuration

• Remove OrgUser role if user should have account-wide access
• Verify organization assignments are correct in user profile
• Check if user was accidentally assigned to multiple organizations
• Review content organization assignments for proper isolation
• If user is assigned to multiple orgs, ensure they have switched to the proper organization

API Access Issues

Verify API Role

• Confirm API role is assigned
• Check API authentication credentials
• Review API access logs for errors

Approval Workflow Not Working

Check Approver Setup

• Verify Approver role is assigned correctly
• Confirm approval workflow is configured
• Check approval notification settings

Managing User Activity

Monitoring User Access

• Review last activity dates regularly
• Monitor login patterns for security
• Track content creation and modification activities

User Activity Reports

• Generate reports on user engagement
• Track content approval workflows
• Monitor API usage and access patterns

Account Hierarchy Summary

Account Level
├── Primary Contact (Owner role recommended)
├── Secondary Contact (Owner role recommended)
└── Users
    ├── Role Assignments (Owner, Advertiser, User, Approver, Scheduler, OrgUser, API)
    └── Organization Assignments
        └── Organization-Level Access Control

Next Steps

After setting up your users and permissions:

1. Test Access Levels: Have users log in and verify they can access appropriate features
2. Configure Approval Workflows: Set up content approval processes if needed
3. Set Up Organizations: Create organizational structure for multi-location businesses
4. Monitor Activity: Regularly review user activity and permissions
5. Update Documentation: Keep internal documentation of role assignments current

Additional Resources

• Organizations Support Documentation: Comprehensive guide for setting up and managing organizational structures
• API Documentation: For developers implementing programmatic access
• Content Workflows: Understanding how permissions impact content creation and approval

For technical support with user management or permission issues, contact Revel Digital support with specific details about the user roles and access problems you're experiencing.