Restrict a branded site to user groups

Limit a branded site to the user groups you choose, so only those people can sign in or create an account on it.

What it does

A site (brand) is one branded front end of your LMS, with its own address, look and sign-in. With this feature, the site editor has a switch, Restrict access by user group, and a list, User groups with access. When the switch is on and at least one group is chosen, only members of those groups, plus Site Administrators, can use the site.

To set it up, go to Design > Sites, open the site, and find the switch on the Configuration tab. Turn it on, choose the groups, and save.

What people outside the groups see

• Signing in: they see "You do not have access to this site." and are signed out.
• Creating an account: the same check runs on registration, subscription sign-up, the shopping cart and event registration. They see "There was an access control issue creating your account".
• Site Administrators and super users always get in. A person who belongs to no groups does not.

Why admins switch it on

• Run a separate site for one audience, such as a partner or a business unit, without others signing in to it.
• Keep a site private even when its address is known.

Before you switch it on

• It is set per site. Each site has its own switch and its own groups.
• If you turn the switch on without choosing any groups, nobody is restricted. Choose at least one group. 
• People are checked when they sign in. Someone who is already signed in is checked again the next time they sign in.
• Make sure the people who should have access are in the groups you pick before you save, including your own admins' day-to-day accounts if they are not Site Administrators.
• If the feature is switched off for your site later, a saved restriction stays in the site editor but stops being enforced, so everyone can sign in again.