Operators & Admins

A key architectural strength of UNA CMS is its clear separation between platform configuration (handled by Operators via Studio) and community/content management (handled by Administrators and Moderators via the frontend website). Understanding this distinction is vital for secure and efficient site management.

This guide clarifies the roles, responsibilities, access levels, and configuration methods for Operators, Administrators, and Moderators within UNA.

Operators: The Platform Architects

Who they are: Operators are the technical managers, builders, and configurators of the UNA platform. They hold the highest level of administrative privilege, focused on the system's backend. Think of them as the "System Administrators," "Webmasters," or "Platform Owners."

Primary Access: UNA Studio (the backend configuration interface).

Key Responsibilities & Capabilities:

1. Full Studio Access: Operators are the only users who can log into and use UNA Studio.
2. Core Configuration: Manage global settings, system parameters, integrations (API keys, storage, email, etc.).
3. App Management: Install, uninstall, activate, deactivate, update, and configure all UNA apps (modules, templates, languages).
4. Platform Structure: Design page layouts (Pages Builder), configure navigation menus (Navigation Builder), define data structures (Forms Builder).
5. Permissions & Roles: Define Membership Levels and configure the Access Control List (ACL) matrix (Permissions Builder), create and manage Operator Roles (Roles App).
6. Appearance Customization: Select themes, customize design elements, inject custom CSS/JS (Designer App, Theme Settings).
7. User Account Management (System Level): Manage core account statuses (active, pending, suspended), handle email confirmations, configure account pruning, and manage Operator status itself (Accounts App).
8. Deployment & Maintenance: Often involved in server configuration, updates, backups, performance tuning, and troubleshooting technical issues.

How Operator Status is Managed:

• Operator status is tied directly to a user's Account, not their Profile.
• It's assigned via the Accounts app within Studio (Studio > Accounts > Edit Account > Operator checkbox).
• Fine-grained control over which parts of Studio an Operator can access can be achieved using Operator Roles (Studio > Roles).

Administrators: The Community Leaders

Who they are: Administrators are responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the community from the frontend. They handle user interactions, content flow, and enforce community guidelines. Think "Community Manager" or "Head Moderator."

Primary Access: Frontend Website Interface Only. Administrators cannot access UNA Studio.

Key Responsibilities & Capabilities:

1. Community Oversight: Monitor overall community health, activity, and adherence to rules.
2. User Management (Frontend): Manage user profiles as visible on the frontend (e.g., edit profile details visible to admins, assign badges, potentially warn or restrict users based on permissions). They manage Profiles, not the underlying Accounts.
3. Content Moderation: Review reported content, approve/reject pending posts/comments (if workflow requires it), edit or delete inappropriate content according to their permissions.
4. Context Management: May have administrative rights within specific contexts like Groups or Events (e.g., manage group members, settings specific to that group available on the frontend).
5. Using Frontend Tools: Utilize built-in moderation queues, admin dashboards provided by modules on the frontend, and reporting systems.
6. Communication: Announce site news (if permissions allow), interact with members regarding administrative matters.

How Administrator Status is Managed:

• Administrator capabilities are granted to a user's Profile by assigning them a specific Membership Level.
• Operators create and configure these Membership Levels in Studio > Permissions.
• Within the Permissions matrix, Operators grant specific "Actions" (like "Delete Any Post," "Edit Any Profile," "Manage Reports") to the Administrator Membership Level.
• Assigning a user's Profile to this "Administrator" level grants them the corresponding frontend powers.

Moderators: The Content & Conduct Guardians

Who they are: Moderators typically function as a subset of Administrators, often with a more focused scope, primarily centered on content review and basic rule enforcement.

Primary Access: Frontend Website Interface Only. Moderators cannot access UNA Studio.

Key Responsibilities & Capabilities (Often a subset of Administrator tasks):

1. Content Review: Approve, reject, edit, or delete content (posts, comments, media) within their designated areas or scope.
2. Handling Reports: Review user reports about content or behavior.
3. Rule Enforcement: Warn users, remove offending content according to community guidelines.
4. Spam Control: Identify and remove spam content or users.
5. Context Moderation: May moderate specific Groups, Forums, or sections.

How Moderator Status is Managed:

• Similar to Administrators, Moderator capabilities are granted to a user's Profile via a specific Membership Level.
• Operators create a "Moderator" Membership Level in Studio > Permissions.
• This level is granted fewer permissions in the ACL matrix compared to the "Administrator" level (e.g., they might be able to delete posts in a specific forum but not edit any user's profile).
• Assigning a user's Profile to the "Moderator" level grants them these specific frontend moderation tools.

Key Differences Summarized

Configuration in Studio (Operator Tasks)

As an Operator, you are responsible for setting up this role structure:

1. Assigning Operator Status:
   • Go to Studio > Accounts.
   • Find the user's account, click 'Edit'.
   • Check the Operator box.
   • Click Save. Grant this status with extreme caution.
2. Managing Operator Roles (Optional but Recommended):
   • Go to Studio > Roles.
   • Create distinct roles (e.g., "Theme Manager," "App Manager").
   • Assign specific Studio app categories to each role.
   • Assign these roles to Operator accounts in Studio > Accounts > Edit Account. This limits their access within Studio.
3. Creating Admin/Moderator Membership Levels:
   • Go to Studio > Permissions > Settings > Membership Levels.
   • Click Add New Level.
   • Name the levels clearly (e.g., "Administrator," "Global Moderator," "Forum Moderator").
   • Configure pricing/duration if applicable, otherwise set to Lifetime/Free.
   • Go to Studio > Permissions > Levels & Actions Matrix.
   • Select the newly created level (e.g., "Administrator").
   • Carefully check the boxes corresponding to the frontend actions you want this role to have (e.g., search for "delete", "edit", "manage", "moderate" actions).
   • Repeat for the "Moderator" level, granting fewer permissions.
4. Assigning Admin/Moderator Levels to Users:
   • This is typically done by an Operator or a higher-level Administrator on the frontend by editing a user's profile and changing their Membership Level.
   • Operators can technically change a profile's level via database access or potentially through specific Studio tools if available, but the standard workflow involves frontend profile management by someone with the appropriate permissions.

Best Practices

• Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only the necessary permissions. Avoid giving Operator access unless absolutely required for Studio configuration tasks.
• Use Operator Roles: If multiple people need Studio access, use Operator Roles to limit their scope (e.g., a designer only needs access to Designer and Pages, not core System settings).
• Clear Role Definitions: Create distinct Membership Levels for Administrators and Moderators with clearly defined responsibilities reflected in their permissions.
• Separate Accounts: Encourage users who are both Operators and community participants to use separate profiles if appropriate, although not strictly necessary due to UNA's architecture.
• Regular Review: Periodically review who holds Operator status and ensure Admin/Moderator levels have appropriate permissions.

Conclusion

The distinction between Operators (Studio access, platform configuration) and Administrators/Moderators (Frontend access, community/content management) is a core design principle in UNA CMS. Operators use Studio to build and configure the platform, including setting up the Membership Levels that grant frontend administrative powers to specific user Profiles. This separation enhances security and allows for a more focused approach to both technical platform management and active community leadership. Properly configuring these roles via Studio is essential for a well-managed and secure UNA site.