---
title: Document Visibility
description: Learn how to control the visibility of your team documents.
---

import { Callout } from 'nextra/components';

# Document Visibility

The default document visibility option allows you to control who can view and access the documents uploaded within a team.

This value can either be set in the [document preferences](/users/documents/document-preferences), or when you [create the document](/users/documents/send-document)

## Document Visibility Options

The document visibility can be set to one of the following options:

- **Everyone** - The document is visible to all team members.
- **Managers and above** - The document is visible to team members with the role of _Manager or above_ and _Admin_.
- **Admin only** - The document is only visible to the team's admins.

The default document visibility is set to "_EVERYONE_" by default. You can change this setting by going to the [document preferences page](/users/documents/document-preferences) and selecting a different visibility option.

![Document visibility preference](/organisations/organisation-document-visibility.webp)

## How it works

- If a user with the "_Member_" role creates a document and the default document visibility is set to "_Everyone_", the document's visibility is set to "_EVERYONE_".
  - The user can't change the visibility of the document in the document editor.
- If a user with the "_Member_" role creates a document and the default document visibility is set to "_Admin_" or "_Managers and above_", the document's visibility is set to the default document visibility ("_Admin_" or "_Managers and above_" in this case).
  - The user can't change the visibility of the document in the document editor.
- If a user with the "_Manager_" role creates a document and the default document visibility is set to "_Everyone_" or "_Managers and above_", the document's visibility is set to the default document visibility ("_Everyone_" or "_Managers and above_" in this case).
  - The user can change the visibility of the document to any of these options, except "_Admin_", in the document editor.
- If a user with the "_Manager_" role creates a document and the default document visibility is set to "_Admin_", the document's visibility is set to "_Admin_".
  - The user can't change the visibility of the document in the document editor.
- If a user with the "_Admin_" role creates a document, and the default document visibility is set to "_Everyone_", "_Managers and above_", or "_Admin_", the document's visibility is set to the default document visibility.
  - The user can change the visibility of the document to any of these options in the document editor.

You can change the visibility of a document at any time by editing the document and selecting a different visibility option.

![A screenshot of the Documenso's document editor page where you can update the document visibility](/teams/document-visibility-settings.webp)

<Callout type="warning">
  Updating the default document visibility in the team's general preferences will not affect the
  visibility of existing documents. You will need to update the visibility of each document
  individually.
</Callout>

## A Note on Document Access

The `document owner` (the user who created the document) always has access to the document, regardless of the document's visibility settings. This means that even if a document is set to "Admins only", the document owner can still view and edit the document.

The `recipient` (the user who receives the document for signature, approval, etc.) also has access to the document, regardless of the document's visibility settings. This means that even if a document is set to "Admins only", the recipient can still view and sign the document.