Joomla's Access Control List (ACL) provides granular control over what users can see and do. This guide explains user groups, access levels, and permissions.
Default User Groups
Public
- Who: All visitors (logged in or not)
- Frontend: View public content
- Backend: No access
- Typical Use: General website visitors
Guest
- Who: Not logged-in visitors
- Frontend: View public content only
- Backend: No access
- Typical Use: Anonymous visitors
Registered
- Who: Logged-in users
- Frontend: View registered-level content
- Backend: No access
- Typical Use: Basic membership, newsletter subscribers
Author
- Who: Content creators
- Frontend: View registered content
- Backend: Create and edit own articles
- Typical Use: Blog contributors, guest writers
Editor
- Who: Content managers
- Frontend: View registered content
- Backend: Edit all articles
- Typical Use: Content team, copyeditors
Publisher
- Who: Content approvers
- Frontend: View registered content
- Backend: Edit and publish all articles
- Typical Use: Content approval workflow
Manager
- Who: Site managers
- Frontend: View registered content
- Backend: Full content management, no user/extension control
- Typical Use: Site administrators
Administrator
- Who: Site administrators
- Frontend: View all content
- Backend: Full access except Super User functions
- Typical Use: Technical administrators
Super Users
- Who: Site owners
- Frontend: View all content
- Backend: Complete control
- Typical Use: Site owners, lead developers
Access Levels
Public
- Who Can View: Everyone
- Typical Use: Homepage, blog posts, public pages
Guest
- Who Can View: Only logged-out users
- Typical Use: Login/registration pages
Registered
- Who Can View: Logged-in users only
- Typical Use: Member-only content, downloads
Special
- Who Can View: Author level and above
- Typical Use: Editor/admin resources
Permissions (Actions)
Core Actions
Login:
- Admin Login - Backend access
- Site Login - Frontend access
Content:
- Create - Create new content
- Edit - Modify any content
- Edit Own - Modify own content only
- Edit State - Publish/unpublish
- Delete - Remove content
Administration:
- Admin - Backend access
- Manage - Component configuration
- Options - Global configuration
Custom User Groups
Create Custom Group
Users → User Groups → New
Title: "Premium Members"
Parent: Registered
Save & Close
Assign Permissions
System → Global Configuration → Permissions
Select custom group → Configure actions
Save