So, you just bought into a new sales enablement tool and now you’ve got to get your team set up with the right permissions. If you’re here, I’m guessing that tool is Mediafly. Maybe you’re an admin, maybe you just got volunteered to figure this out. Either way, you want to make sure your sales folks can find what they need and not accidentally nuke something important.
This guide is for you: the team lead, the admin, or the ops person who doesn’t have time for vague help docs. We’re going deep enough to get it done right, but not so deep you’ll fall asleep.
Before You Start: Know What You’re Solving For
Mediafly’s permissions system is powerful, but like most things, it’s easy to overcomplicate. Before you start clicking through settings, ask yourself:
- Who really needs what? Not everyone needs admin rights.
- What’s sensitive? Think pricing, pipeline data, or private presentations.
- Are you planning for growth? Will you need to add new reps or teams soon?
Keep those answers handy. They’ll keep you from just giving everyone “full access” and hoping for the best (which, trust me, never ends well).
Step 1: Get Familiar with Mediafly’s Permission Model
Before you dive in, understand how Mediafly structures permissions. There are three core concepts:
- Roles: Bundles of permissions you can assign to users or groups. Think “Sales Rep,” “Manager,” or “Admin.”
- Groups: Collections of users, usually mapped to teams, regions, or job functions.
- Permissions: The actual rights—view, edit, upload, share, delete, etc.—that you can grant.
Pro tip: Roles and groups sound similar, but roles control what someone can do, and groups control who they’re grouped with. Don’t mix them up.
Step 2: Audit Your Existing Users and Content
If you’re setting up from scratch, you can skip this. But if you’re wrangling an existing Mediafly instance:
- Export your user list. Go to Admin > Users > Export. Look for duplicates, outdated accounts, or ex-employees still hanging around.
- Review your content structure. Is everything in logical folders? Are sensitive materials floating around in public areas?
- Note any oddball use cases. Traveling reps, execs who want “just enough” access, or contractors—write these down.
Don’t spend hours on this, but a quick audit now saves headaches later.
Step 3: Map Out Your Permission Strategy
Grab a notepad or open a doc. List your main sales team roles, like:
- Sales Rep
- Sales Manager
- Sales Ops/Admin
- Marketing (if they upload collateral)
For each, jot down:
- Which folders or types of content they need
- Whether they should upload, edit, or just view
- Any stuff they absolutely shouldn’t touch
If you skip this, you’ll be backtracking later. Trust me.
Step 4: Set Up Groups in Mediafly
Groups make managing permissions way easier, especially as your team grows.
- Go to Admin > Groups.
- Create groups that match your roles/teams, e.g., “North America Sales,” “Sales Managers,” “Contractors.”
- Add users to groups. You can do this manually or, if you have a big team, import via CSV.
What works: Groups are your friend. Assign permissions to groups, not individuals, whenever possible.
What to ignore: Don’t create a group for every little one-off. Use generic groups and handle exceptions with individual permissions (sparingly).
Step 5: Define and Assign Roles
Now, set up roles that bundle the permissions each group needs.
- Go to Admin > Roles.
- Create a role for each team type (e.g., “Sales Rep Basic,” “Manager Full Access”).
- Edit each role to specify permissions. For example:
- Sales Rep: View content, share presentations, upload to personal folders.
- Manager: All Rep permissions plus edit shared folders, run reports.
- Admin: All permissions, including user management.
Assign roles to groups: Go to each group’s settings and pick the right role. This way, anyone added to “Sales Managers” gets the “Manager” role automatically.
Pro tip: Less is more. Default to fewer permissions, then add as needed. It’s easier to loosen up later than to walk back access.
Step 6: Set Folder and Content-Level Permissions
This is where most mistakes happen—people over-grant or forget to lock down sensitive stuff.
- Navigate to the Content section.
- Right-click a folder (or use the options menu) and select “Manage Permissions.”
- Add groups or roles and assign their access:
- View only
- Upload
- Edit
- Delete
- Share
Real-world advice: Avoid giving everyone edit or delete rights to shared folders. One accidental click and a whole region’s collateral is gone.
Don’t bother: Setting super granular permissions on every single file. Stick to folder-level unless you have a very good reason.
Step 7: Test Permissions With Real Users
You’ll want to confirm that your setup actually works before rolling it out team-wide.
- Create a test user for each main role (or ask for a volunteer from each group).
- Log in as the test user (or use “View as” if Mediafly supports it).
- Try to access folders, upload files, run reports, etc. Make sure nothing is too locked down—or too open.
Pro tip: Ask your test users for feedback. If something’s confusing, fix it now, not after your team is frustrated.
Step 8: Roll Out to the Sales Team
Ready to go live? Here’s how to do it without chaos:
- Announce the changes. Let people know what’s new and what to expect.
- Share a quick start guide. Point users to the folders/resources they’ll use most.
- Make it easy to report access issues. Give them a clear way to ask for help or request more access.
What works: Set expectations upfront—especially if you’ve tightened permissions. People notice when they lose access, not when they gain it.
Step 9: Maintain and Review Permissions Regularly
Permissions aren’t “set it and forget it.” People join, leave, and change roles all the time.
- Schedule a quarterly review. Clear out old users, check for groups that don’t make sense anymore.
- Audit sensitive folders. Double-check that only the right people have access.
- Document exceptions. If you grant an individual special access, write it down somewhere. You will forget otherwise.
Ignore: Wildly complex permission matrices. Keep things simple—you’re not running a bank.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Too many admins. Only give admin rights to people who actually need them.
- One-off exceptions everywhere. Handle via groups and roles; manual overrides should be rare.
- “Everyone” group misuse. Don’t put sensitive stuff where the default “Everyone” group can see it.
- Not removing old users. Deprovision folks as soon as they leave.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
User permissions aren’t just a box to check—they keep your data safe and your team running smoothly. Don’t overthink it, and don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Set things up, test with a few real users, and adjust as you go.
Remember: the simplest permission setup that works is the best one. If you ever get lost, just step back, ask who needs what, and start from there.
Good luck—and don’t forget to delete that test user when you’re done.