# Educator permissions
Educators are the most flexible and customisable role in Synap. Using **Advanced Permissions**, you can configure educator groups to match specific responsibilities within your organisation.
Permissions can be applied:
* **Globally** → across all users, content, or exams
* **Specifically** → limited to selected user groups, exams, or content
{% hint style="info" %}
Permissions applied to a group are **inherited by all users in that group**.\
If a user belongs to multiple groups, their access will combine across those groups.
{% endhint %}
#### Global permissions
Global permissions are set on an Educator's user group page > **Permissions page**
{% content-ref url="/pages/2LwHw1e3vzIKGxeUofMZ" %}
[Global permissions](/doc/users-and-groups/permissions/global-permissions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
#### Specific permissions
Specific permissions are set on each content's (Quiz, Exam, Assignment, Collection, Course, Note etc) > **Access page**
{% content-ref url="/pages/AtMFFSmW3JxGUgh4EK2T" %}
[Specific permissions](/doc/users-and-groups/permissions/specific-permissions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Common educator roles
Below are the most common ways educators are configured.
### 1. User moderators / external managers (read-only access)
These educators can view users and their progress but cannot make any changes.
They are typically used for:
* External stakeholders
* Auditors
* Managers who need visibility but not control
**Global access example**
* Educators can view all users and progress across all student groups
**Specific access example**
* Educator A can view users in *Student Group A* only
* Educator B can view users in *Student Group B* only
### 2. Content creators
These educators focus only on creating and managing content, without access to user data.
They are typically used for:
* Question writers
* Content teams
* Academic staff
**Global access example**
* Educators can create and edit all library content and quizzes
**Specific access example**
* Educator A can edit *Quiz A* but not *Quiz B*
* Educator B can edit *Quiz B* but not *Quiz A*
Permissions can be further refined, for example:
* Allow creating content but not deleting it
* Allow editing but not publishing
### 3. Exam managers / moderators
These educators manage exams, marking, and results. This role can vary significantly depending on responsibilities.
They are typically used for:
* Exam administrators
* Markers and moderators
* Proctoring and results teams
**Global access example**
* Educator A can manage marking and assign markers across all exams
* Educator B can create and manage all exams
* Educator C can review proctoring and release results but cannot create exams
**Specific access example**
* Educator A can manage marking on *Exam A* only
* Educator B can only manage exams they have created
* Educator C is responsible for proctoring and results release on *Exam A*
## Applying permissions
The same approach applies to **courses and collections**:
* Permissions can be global or specific
* Educators can be limited to only the content they are responsible for
### Global vs specific permissions
Choosing between global and specific permissions is a key decision:
* **Global permissions** are easier to manage and suited to smaller teams
* **Specific permissions** provide more control and are suited to larger teams or segmented workflows
### Best practice
When setting up custom educator roles:
* Remove permissions from the **default Educator group**
* Create **new educator groups for each role** (e.g. Markers, Content Creators, Moderators)
* Assign permissions based on responsibilities rather than job titles
This ensures permissions are clear, controlled, and easier to maintain.
### Collaborators
Collaborators allow you to give users access to specific content or exams without changing their global or group permissions.
This is designed to support teams who need to work together on individual items, without giving broad administrative control across the platform. Learn more about Collaborators below
{% content-ref url="/pages/3q5aI6YlZUw3BXt0yP2r" %}
[Collaborators](/doc/users-and-groups/permissions/collaborators.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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