Branch Level Permissions

This article explains branch level permissions in Model Reef.

You will learn:

  • How to restrict access to specific branches.

  • How branch level permissions cascade to child branches.

  • How branch level access interacts with roles and collaboration tools.

Branch level permissions are essential when multiple teams or external parties only need access to part of a model.

1

How branch level permissions work

Branch level permissions are applied to a specific branch in the model's tree.

Rules:

  • Access flows downwards.

    • If a user has access to a branch, they also have access to all of its children.

  • Access does not flow upwards.

    • Access to a child branch does not grant access to the parent or siblings.

  • You can assign Editor or Viewer roles at branch level.

    • Owners are generally granted at model level.

Branch level access can be applied to multiple branches for the same user if needed.

2

Typical use cases

Branch level permissions are useful for:

  • Multi entity groups

    • Give each entity owner access only to their own entity branch.

    • Keep group consolidation visible only to central finance or head office.

  • Divisional or regional teams

    • Allow each division to maintain its own branch while keeping the group consolidated model in one place.

  • External stakeholders

    • Share only the relevant project or business unit branch with external partners, lenders or advisors.

This allows granular collaboration without duplicating models.

3

What branch level Editors and Viewers can see

Within their assigned branches, users experience the model as if it only contained that subtree:

  • Editors can create and edit variables, drivers, notes, tags and attachments in that subtree.

  • Viewers can see variables, outputs and collaboration artefacts but cannot change them.

  • Both see statements and dashboards filtered to their subtree.

They do not see branches they have no access to, even if those branches exist in the full model.

4

Interactions with model level roles

If a user has both:

  • Model level role, and

  • Branch level role,

the more permissive access applies:

  • Model level Owner overrides any branch level limits.

  • Model level Editor can still edit the whole model.

  • Branch level roles matter only when model level access is not granted.

As a result:

  • Use model level roles for trusted internal team.

  • Use branch level roles when you need isolation and limited visibility.


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