How To Edit My Drupal Site

Drupal allows a wide range of customization when it comes to user access and therefore, what one can "edit" in their Drupal site.

Access is granted based on three aspects:

1. User Roles

The user role gives a name to the type of role that the user will have when accessing the site. Be default, Drupal has two roles. The first role is "anonymous user". This represents anyone accessing the site without a login. This role is intended to have the lowest level of permissions. The second role is "authenticated user". This represents anyone accessing the site with a login.

For most sites, I suggest creating just two more roles. The "editor" and the "site administrator", which by default have all the permissions of an "authenticated user", since an "editor" must have a user login. The "site administrator" has full access while the "editor" has limited access.

2. Permissions

Once the roles are in place, the permissions are carefully granted to each role. Each time a new module is introduced, there are a new set of permissions pertaining to that need to be granted to the various roles based how the module will be used.

3. Users

The user is the individual who is accessing the site. Assuming the site is "online", and user can access the site simply by going to the site's url. Any "authenticated user" must identify himself/herself by first logging into the site. Access is granted by typing "/user" at the end of the site address where the Drupal site is installed (usually in the public folder such as "www.mydrupalsite.com/user").

If you are setting up a Drupal site on your own, you will want to learn more about these three aspect as to how they apply to each module you are working with. It can be very dangerous allowing access to the wrong user roles and it can be quite frustrating not allowing proper access to the right roles.

If you are hiring me to create your Drupal site for you, I will set this painstaking process up for you. For your ease of use, I will create a private non-published page where you can go to get help to any questions you may have as it pertains to your user role.