Per-category permissions
Categories support per-category permission overrides. The model is the same one node permissions use for forums: any permission can be set per category, and values inherit down the category tree.
Where to set them
Two entry points:
- From the category edit page. Edit a category, click Permissions.
- From the global permissions page. AdminCP > Groups & permissions > Permissions > Downloads category permissions.
Override values
Each permission can be set to one of:
| Value | Effect |
|---|---|
| Inherit | Use the value from the parent category, or the global group permission if the category is a root. |
| Allow | Explicitly grant. |
| Deny | Explicitly revoke. Beats Inherit and global Allow. |
| Never | Hard revoke. Cannot be re-allowed by a child. |
For yes/no permissions only the four values above apply. For numeric permissions (such as attachment count, bandwidth cap, and time limits) the override is a numeric value or "Inherit".
Inheritance order
For any user, the effective permission on a category is computed in this order:
- Global permission for the user's groups.
- Override at the category's nearest ancestor that has an override set.
- Override at the category itself.
A "Never" value at any ancestor wins. A "Deny" at an ancestor is also revoked unless the child explicitly overrides with "Allow".
What permissions are overridable
Every Downloads, Comments, and Reviews permission supports per-category overrides, both user and moderator groups. See the permissions page for the full list.
Common patterns
Read-only category
Goal: members can view but not upload.
| Permission | Value |
|---|---|
| View downloads | Allow (or Inherit) |
| Download files | Allow (or Inherit) |
| Create downloads | Deny |
Author-only category
Goal: only specific users can upload, all members can download.
- Set the global Create downloads to "Deny" for Registered.
- Pick the user(s) you want to allow.
- On the category, override Create downloads to "Allow" for those users.
Moderator overlay
Goal: a single user group moderates one category.
- Edit the category > Permissions.
- For the chosen group, set the relevant Downloads moderator permissions to "Allow".
- Leave them at "Deny" or "Never" globally so the group does not act on other categories.
Resolving "why can't user X do Y?"
Two diagnostic tools:
- AdminCP > Groups & permissions > Analyse permissions. Pick the user, pick the category, see the resolved permissions and where each value comes from.
- The user's own surface: the public download page shows a "permission denied" hint when an action is blocked.
Cache rebuild
Per-category permission changes update the per-user cache automatically. If the rebuild looks stuck or stale, navigate to AdminCP > Tools > Rebuild caches > Permission cache and click Rebuild.
Limits
There is no soft limit on the number of overrides per category. A few hundred per category is fine.