PrestaShop Roles and Permissions | OpsBlu Docs

PrestaShop Roles and Permissions

Understand and configure PrestaShop employee profiles, permission system, and role-based access control for secure team management.

Configure granular access control for your PrestaShop team members using employee profiles, permissions, and role-based restrictions to maintain security and operational efficiency.

PrestaShop Permission System Overview

PrestaShop uses a profile-based permission system that controls access to Back Office features and functionality.

Key Concepts

Employee:

  • Individual user account with login credentials
  • Assigned to one profile (role)
  • Can be assigned to specific shops in multi-store setup

Profile:

  • Collection of permissions (role template)
  • Defines what sections of Back Office are accessible
  • Controls View, Add, Edit, Delete permissions per section

Permission Levels:

  • View: See information but cannot modify
  • Add: Create new entries
  • Edit: Modify existing entries
  • Delete: Remove entries
  • None: No access to section

Default PrestaShop Profiles

SuperAdmin Profile

Access Level: Full, unrestricted access

Capabilities:

  • Access all Back Office sections
  • Manage all stores in multi-store setup
  • Configure system settings
  • Add/remove employees
  • Modify any content
  • Access server configuration
  • Manage modules and themes

Use Cases:

  • Store owner
  • Technical administrator
  • Development team lead

Security Considerations:

  • Limit number of SuperAdmin accounts (1-2 maximum)
  • Use strong passwords and 2FA
  • Restrict to trusted individuals only
  • Audit SuperAdmin actions regularly

Administrator Profile (Logistician)

Access Level: Near-full access except system configuration

Capabilities:

  • Manage products, categories, inventory
  • Process orders and manage customers
  • Configure shipping and payments
  • Manage store content (CMS pages)
  • View reports and analytics
  • Cannot: Change system settings, manage employees

Use Cases:

  • Store manager
  • Operations manager
  • Senior team members

Typical Permissions:

Orders: View, Add, Edit, Delete
Customers: View, Add, Edit, Delete
Products: View, Add, Edit, Delete
Catalog: View, Add, Edit, Delete
Stats: View
Employees: None
Preferences: None
Advanced Parameters: None

Translator Profile

Access Level: Translation and content only

Capabilities:

  • Translate product descriptions
  • Translate category names
  • Translate CMS pages
  • Translate module strings
  • Cannot: Modify prices, inventory, orders

Use Cases:

  • Translation team
  • Content writers
  • Localization specialists

Typical Permissions:

Products: View, Edit (translations only)
Categories: View, Edit (translations only)
CMS: View, Edit
Other sections: None

Salesman Profile

Access Level: Order and customer management

Capabilities:

  • View and process orders
  • View customer information
  • Update order statuses
  • Process refunds
  • Cannot: Modify catalog, pricing, system settings

Use Cases:

  • Customer service representatives
  • Order fulfillment team
  • Sales support

Typical Permissions:

Orders: View, Edit
Customers: View, Edit
Stats: View
Cart Rules: View
Products: View only
Everything else: None

Accessing Permission Settings

Back Office > Team > Profiles

- View all profiles
- Click profile name to edit
- Configure permissions per section

Understanding Permission Matrix

PrestaShop shows a grid of sections vs. permission types:

Section          | View | Add | Edit | Delete
-----------------+------+-----+------+--------
Orders           |  ✓   |  ✓  |  ✓   |   ✓
Customers        |  ✓   |  -  |  ✓   |   -
Products         |  ✓   |  ✓  |  ✓   |   ✓
Employees        |  -   |  -  |  -   |   -

Creating Custom Profiles

Step-by-Step Profile Creation

1. Create New Profile:

Back Office > Team > Profiles > Add new profile

Name: Content Manager

2. Configure Permissions:

For Content Manager Example:

Catalog Management:

Products: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Categories: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Attributes: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete -
Features: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete -
Manufacturers: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete -
Suppliers: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -

Orders (Read-only for reference):

Orders: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Customers: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -

Design & Content:

CMS Pages: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Image Settings: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓, Delete -

No Access:

Employees: All disabled
Preferences: All disabled
Advanced Parameters: All disabled
Modules: All disabled
Payment: All disabled
Shipping: All disabled

3. Save Profile:

Click "Save" to create profile.

4. Assign to Employees:

Back Office > Team > Employees > Add new employee
or
Edit existing employee > Profile: Select "Content Manager"

Common Custom Profile Examples

Marketing Manager Profile

Purpose: Manage promotions, marketing content, analytics

Permissions:

Cart Rules (Promotions): View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Catalog Price Rules: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
CMS Pages: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Products: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓ (descriptions only), Delete -
Stats: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Customers: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Orders: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Modules: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓ (marketing modules only), Delete -
Everything else: None

Inventory Manager Profile

Purpose: Manage stock levels, suppliers, warehouses

Permissions:

Products: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓ (stock only), Delete -
Stock: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Suppliers: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Warehouses: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Supply Orders: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Categories: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Orders: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Everything else: None

Customer Service Profile

Purpose: Handle customer inquiries, process returns

Permissions:

Customers: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓, Delete -
Orders: View ✓, Add -, Edit ✓, Delete -
Order Messages: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete -
Merchandise Returns: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Customer Service: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit ✓, Delete ✓
Products: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Cart Rules: View ✓, Add ✓ (limited), Edit -, Delete -
Everything else: None

Accountant/Finance Profile

Purpose: Access financial data, reporting

Permissions:

Stats: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Orders: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Customers: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Invoices: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Credit Slips: View ✓, Add ✓, Edit -, Delete -
Payment: View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Modules (Analytics): View ✓, Add -, Edit -, Delete -
Everything else: None

Multi-Store Permissions

Shop Association

When running multiple stores, you can restrict employees to specific shops:

Configure Shop Access:

Back Office > Team > Employees > Edit Employee

Shop association:
☑ Main Store
☐ Brand Store 2
☑ Regional Store 3

This employee only accesses Main Store and Regional Store 3

Multi-Store Permission Scenarios

Scenario 1: Global Administrator

  • Access: All shops
  • Profile: Administrator
  • Use: Central management across all stores

Scenario 2: Store-Specific Manager

  • Access: Single shop only
  • Profile: Administrator
  • Use: Manage one specific brand/region

Scenario 3: Product Manager Across Stores

  • Access: Selected shops
  • Profile: Custom "Product Manager"
  • Use: Manage catalog for specific store group

Scenario 4: Customer Service All Stores

  • Access: All shops
  • Profile: Salesman
  • Use: Handle orders from any store

Fine-Grained Permission Control

Tab-Level Permissions

PrestaShop allows permissions at the menu tab level:

Back Office > Team > Profiles > Edit Profile > Permissions tab

Each menu item shown with checkboxes:

Dashboard                 ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☐ Edit  ☐ Delete
Catalog
  Products                ☑ View  ☑ Add  ☑ Edit  ☑ Delete
  Categories              ☑ View  ☑ Add  ☑ Edit  ☐ Delete
  Monitoring              ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☐ Edit  ☐ Delete
  Attributes & Features   ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☐ Edit  ☐ Delete
Orders
  Orders                  ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☑ Edit  ☐ Delete
  Invoices                ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☐ Edit  ☐ Delete
  ...

Module-Specific Permissions

Control access to specific modules:

Profile: Marketing Manager

Modules:
  Google Analytics        ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☑ Edit  ☐ Delete
  Facebook Pixel          ☑ View  ☐ Add  ☑ Edit  ☐ Delete
  Email Marketing         ☑ View  ☑ Add  ☑ Edit  ☑ Delete
  Payment Modules         ☐ View  ☐ Add  ☐ Edit  ☐ Delete

Permission Best Practices

Principle of Least Privilege

Grant minimum access needed:

Bad: Give everyone Administrator profile "just in case"
Good: Create specific profiles for each role with exact permissions needed

Example:

Content Writer has:
   - Delete products
   - Manage employees
   - Configure payments

Content Writer has:
   - View products
   - Edit product descriptions
   - Edit CMS pages

Regular Permission Audits

Monthly Review Checklist:

  1. Review Active Employees:

    Back Office > Team > Employees
    - Who has access?
    - Are all accounts still needed?
    - Last login date for each
    
  2. Review Profile Assignments:

    • Is each employee in correct profile?
    • Have job responsibilities changed?
    • Any employees with excessive permissions?
  3. Review SuperAdmin Accounts:

    • How many SuperAdmin accounts exist?
    • Are all justified?
    • Consider downgrading some to Administrator
  4. Check Multi-Store Access:

    • Do shop associations still make sense?
    • Any employees accessing stores they shouldn't?

Separation of Duties

Critical Separations:

Financial:

  • Order processing ≠ Payment configuration
  • View reports ≠ Edit financial data
  • Process refunds ≠ Modify order totals

Catalog:

  • Add products ≠ Approve/publish products
  • Modify prices ≠ Final price approval
  • Delete products ≠ Restore deleted items

Technical:

  • Install modules ≠ Configure modules
  • Edit theme ≠ Approve theme changes
  • Database access ≠ Production changes

Document Custom Profiles

Profile Documentation Template:

# Custom Profile: Marketing Coordinator

## Purpose
Manage promotional campaigns, marketing content, and analytics tracking

## Assigned To
- Marketing team members
- Campaign managers
- Content creators (marketing)

## Permissions Summary
- Full access: Promotions, CMS Pages, Marketing Modules
- View access: Products, Categories, Orders, Customers, Stats
- No access: Employees, System Settings, Payment, Shipping

## Detailed Permissions
[List specific permissions for each section]

## Shop Association
All shops (multi-brand marketing)

## Restrictions
- Cannot modify product prices
- Cannot process refunds
- Cannot add/remove employees
- Cannot change system configuration

## Review Schedule
Quarterly (January, April, July, October)

## Change Log
- 2024-01-15: Created profile
- 2024-03-10: Added CMS page edit permission
- 2024-06-20: Restricted product edit to view-only

Advanced Permission Scenarios

Temporary Access Elevation

Scenario: Content writer needs temporary access to modify product prices for sale event.

Solution:

  1. Create Time-Limited Administrator Account:

    Create new employee with elevated profile
    Set expiration reminder
    Document reason and duration
    
  2. Or Temporarily Change Profile:

    Back Office > Team > Employees > Edit employee
    Change from "Content Manager" to "Marketing Manager"
    Document change in notes
    Revert after sale event
    

Vendor/Third-Party Access

Scenario: External agency needs access for module configuration.

Solution:

Create Limited Agency Profile:

Profile: Agency Access

Permissions:
  Modules: View ✓, Edit ✓ (specific modules only)
  Theme: View ✓, Edit ✓
  Products: View ✓ (for testing)
  Orders: View ✓ (for testing)
  Everything else: None

Additional Controls:
  - Set account expiration date
  - Require VPN or IP whitelist
  - Enable 2FA
  - Monitor activity logs
  - Disable after project completion

Seasonal Staff Permissions

Scenario: Holiday season temporary staff for order processing.

Solution:

Profile: Seasonal Order Processor

Permissions:
  Orders: View ✓, Edit ✓ (status only)
  Customers: View ✓
  Products: View ✓
  Shipping: View ✓
  Everything else: None

Constraints:
  - Cannot delete orders
  - Cannot modify prices
  - Cannot issue refunds (escalate to manager)
  - View-only access to customer data
  - Cannot export data

Monitoring and Logging

Employee Activity Logs

Enable Logging:

Back Office > Advanced Parameters > Logs

Enable:
☑ Save logs
☑ Log severity: Informational (1)

Review Logs:

Back Office > Advanced Parameters > Logs

Filter by:
- Employee
- Date range
- Action type
- Severity

What to Monitor:

  • Unusual deletion activity
  • Off-hours access
  • Failed login attempts
  • Permission changes
  • Data exports
  • Order modifications
  • Price changes

Security Alerts

Set up alerts for:

  • New employee created
  • SuperAdmin profile assigned
  • Employee accessing from new IP
  • Multiple failed login attempts
  • Permission changes
  • Large data exports

Compliance Considerations

GDPR Compliance

Employee Access to Customer Data:

Document:
- Who has access to customer data
- Purpose of access (legitimate interest)
- Retention period
- Access audit trail

Restrict:
- Limit customer data access to those who need it
- Implement view vs. edit controls
- Log all customer data access
- Enable data anonymization where possible

PCI DSS Compliance

Payment Data Access:

Requirements:
- Limit access to cardholder data
- Assign unique IDs to employees with computer access
- Restrict physical and logical access
- Track all access to network resources and cardholder data

PrestaShop:
- Minimize employees with payment configuration access
- Use tokenization for card data
- Review payment module access regularly
- Audit changes to payment settings

Troubleshooting Permission Issues

Employee Can't Access Expected Section

Check:

  1. Profile Assignment:

    Back Office > Team > Employees > Edit employee
    Verify correct profile assigned
    
  2. Profile Permissions:

    Back Office > Team > Profiles > Edit profile
    Check permissions for that section
    
  3. Multi-Store Context:

    Verify employee has access to current shop
    Check shop association
    
  4. Clear Cache:

    Back Office > Advanced Parameters > Performance > Clear cache
    
  5. Module Disabled:

    Some sections require specific modules enabled
    Check module status
    

Permission Changes Not Taking Effect

Solutions:

  1. Log out and back in - Sessions cache permissions
  2. Clear browser cache - Old cached pages may show
  3. Clear PrestaShop cache - Template cache may be stale
  4. Check profile vs. employee - Ensure editing correct profile

Next Steps