Writeback permissions

Writeback has two sets of permissions. Data permissions control destinations and Writeback tables. Workflow permissions control the Writeback workflows that run those tables. Use this page to decide what each role needs.

Data permissions

Data permissions are in the Data Layer category of the permission editor.

Permission	What it lets a person do
View WriteBack Objects	Open the WriteBack area and its tree, browse destinations, databases, schemas, tables and columns, and open table editors and the Preview tab.
Add/Modify WriteBack Objects	Everything in View WriteBack Objects, plus add, edit and duplicate destinations, validate queries, save a table's General and Columns steps, and move tables to another workflow.
Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects	Run a table with Synchronize, and run Sync Schema on a destination.
Remove WriteBack Objects	Delete destinations, databases, schemas and tables.

Workflow permissions

Workflow permissions are in the Workflow Management category. They control the Workflows view, where Writeback workflows run and are scheduled, and where tables move between them. See Run, schedule and monitor Writeback and Transfer tables between workflows.

Permission	What it lets a person do
View WriteBack Workflow Objects	See Writeback workflows and their details. The Workflows button and Alt+4 need it; without it, the button is hidden.
Add WriteBack Workflows	Create Writeback workflows, for example with Add Workflow in the Workflows view.
Modify WriteBack Workflows	Edit Writeback workflows, including their schedules.
Remove WriteBack Workflows	Delete Writeback workflows.
Execute WriteBack Workflow Objects	Start runs of Writeback workflows and abort them.

Presets

Presets bundle permissions. Give a preset when it matches the job. Otherwise, tick the individual permissions. The Writeback presets are Standard permissions: the data presets sit in Data Layer and the workflow presets in Workflow Management. For the full list, see Permission reference.

Preset	Includes
WriteBack Administrator	View WriteBack Objects, Add/Modify WriteBack Objects, Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects, Remove WriteBack Objects, View Lake Objects and View Warehouse Objects
WriteBack Viewer	View WriteBack Objects
WriteBack Workflow Administrator	All five workflow permissions listed above
Execute/Abort WriteBack Workflows	View WriteBack Workflow Objects and Execute WriteBack Workflow Objects
WriteBack Workflow Viewer	View WriteBack Workflow Objects

Some High-Level presets include these. Data Layer Administrator includes WriteBack Administrator and WriteBack Viewer, and Data Layer Viewer includes WriteBack Viewer. Workflow Administrator, Workflow Viewer and Workflow Executor include the matching Writeback workflow presets.

Give a role Writeback access

Open Admin, then Profile Management > Roles, and open the role you want to change. For how to edit a role, see Roles and permissions.
In the role panel, click Permissions under Access.
In Data Layer, tick the Writeback data permissions the role needs, or the WriteBack Administrator preset.
In Workflow Management, tick the Writeback workflow permissions the role needs.
If people with this role import destination tables, also tick Add/Modify Lake Objects in Data Layer. See Import destination tables.
Click Save changes.

Limits and edge cases

Without View WriteBack Objects, the WriteBack item does not appear in the sidebar, and the area does not open. A person who holds only Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects cannot open it either.
Add/Modify WriteBack Objects does not let a person delete or run tables. Add Remove WriteBack Objects or Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects when they need those actions.
Importing destination tables checks Add/Modify Lake Objects, not a Writeback permission. A WriteBack Administrator can configure tables but cannot import them until the role also has Add/Modify Lake Objects. See Who can do what in the Lake.
Adding a destination needs Add/Modify WriteBack Objects.
Moving a table to another workflow needs Add/Modify WriteBack Objects and permission to modify the target workflow (Modify WriteBack Workflows).
Custom permissions set on a user replace the permissions of that user's roles. See How access works.

Questions, answered

Which permission lets someone only look?

View WriteBack Objects, or the WriteBack Viewer preset. It lets a person open the area, browse destinations and tables, and check previews without changing anything.

Someone can set up tables but cannot run them. Why?

Running a table needs Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects. Add/Modify WriteBack Objects does not include it, so give both permissions. For running a table by hand, see Synchronize a table and read the Sync Log.

Which permission do I need to delete a destination?

Remove WriteBack Objects. The same permission also deletes databases, schemas and tables in Writeback.

Someone can open WriteBack, but there is no Workflows button. Why?

The Workflows button, and Alt+4, show only to people with View WriteBack Workflow Objects. Add that permission in Workflow Management.

Can someone change Writeback schedules without changing tables?

Yes. Modify WriteBack Workflows lets a person edit Writeback workflows without Add/Modify WriteBack Objects. For how schedules decide when a workflow runs, see Schedules and when a workflow starts.

Who can run Sync Schema?

People with Execute/Abort WriteBack Objects. It is the same permission that lets them run a table with Synchronize.

Does Add/Modify WriteBack Objects include viewing?

Yes. It gives everything that View WriteBack Objects gives, so you do not need to add both. It is also what saves your changes to a table; see Create and edit a Writeback table.

Can I limit which Writeback tables a role can use?

Yes. Writeback checks the table access of the person's roles before it acts on a table. Set the table access when you edit the role, as described in Roles and permissions.