> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.listenlabs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Study Permissions

> Restrict a study to named people, give study roles, and share with guests.

Each study is **open** or **restricted**. This page tells you who can open a study, which study roles there are, and who can share. For workspace roles, see [Seat Types & Permissions](https://docs.listenlabs.com/settings-and-management/account.md).

## Open and restricted studies

* **Open:** Anyone in the workspace can find and open the study. This is the default.
* **Restricted:** Only workspace admins and people added to the study can open it.

Other workspace members do not see a restricted study. It is not on the Studies page, in search, in the study switcher, or in the Research Library. If they open a direct link, they see a "not found" page.

Use a restricted study for confidential work, for example leadership, M\&A, or HR research.

## How to see if a study is restricted

* On the Studies page, the study card shows a lock badge.
* In the study, the **Share** button shows a lock.
* In the Share dialog, **General access** shows **Restricted**.

## Restrict a new study

1. Go to the Create page.
2. Above the composer, open the access menu. By default, it shows your workspace name.
3. Select **Restricted**.
4. Create the study.

You get Full access to the study. Nobody else can open it until you share it. Workspace admins can always open it.

## Restrict an existing study

1. Open the study.
2. Click **Share**.
3. Under **General access**, select **Restricted**.

The change saves immediately. These people keep their access:

* People added to the study by name.
* Guests.
* Workspace admins.

All other workspace members lose access.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Only a workspace member with Full access can change General access.

## Open a restricted study again

1. Open the study.
2. Click **Share**.
3. Under **General access**, select your workspace name.

All workspace members can now open the study with their workspace role. The study roles that you gave to workspace members are removed. If you restrict the study again, add those people again. Guests keep their study roles.

## Study roles

| Role | View and comment | Edit | Share | Launch | Delete | Change General access |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Full access** | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **Collaborator** | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| **Viewer** | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |

On a restricted study, each person gets exactly the study role that you give them. Their workspace role does not change it. For example, a workspace Viewer with Full access on a restricted study can edit, launch, share, and delete that study.

On an open study, each workspace member gets the higher of their workspace role and their study role.

## Who can share

* **Full access** can give any role: Full access, Collaborator, or Viewer. Full access can change or remove anyone.
* **Collaborator** can give Collaborator or Viewer. A Collaborator cannot give Full access, and cannot change or remove a person who has Full access.
* **Viewer** cannot share. On a restricted study, a Viewer sees a lock notice in place of the **Share** button.
* **Guests** cannot share, whatever their role.

## Share a study with a person

1. Open the study.
2. Click **Share**.
3. In **Add people by name or email**, type a name or an email address.
4. Select a role.
5. Click **Add**.

If the email address is not in your workspace, you can add the person as a guest. If you are a workspace admin, you can also invite the person to the workspace.

## Guests

A guest is a person outside your workspace. A guest does not join your workspace.

* A guest can get Collaborator or Viewer. A guest can never get Full access.
* A guest can never share. The **Share** button does not show for a guest.
* A guest Collaborator can edit and comment, but cannot launch or share.
* A guest sees only the studies shared with them, under **Shared with me**.
* You can add guests to open studies and to restricted studies.

## Open studies and workspace roles

On an open study, each workspace member gets a study role from their workspace role:

| Workspace role | Study role on open studies | Can share |
| - | - | - |
| Admin | Full access | Yes |
| Researcher | Full access | Yes |
| Collaborator | Collaborator | Yes |
| Viewer | Viewer | No |

The Share dialog of an open study lists the creator, guests, and share links. It does not list workspace members, because their role comes from the workspace.

## Workspace admins

Workspace admins always have Full access to every study in the workspace, open or restricted. Nobody needs to add them, and nobody can remove them. Admins see restricted studies on the Studies page with a lock badge. They also see the spend of each study on [Usage and Billing](https://docs.listenlabs.com/settings-and-management/usage-and-billing.md).

## Share links

Share links work the same on open and restricted studies. A person who can share can turn on **Anyone with the link**. Anyone with the link can view the study's results. Turn off the link to stop this access.

## API keys and integrations

* **API keys** act as workspace admins. A key can read, change, and delete every study in its workspace, restricted studies included. It cannot reach other workspaces. See [Get API Access](https://docs.listenlabs.com/get-api-access.md).
* **Webhooks** do not send events for restricted studies.
* **MCP** acts as the user who connected it. It sees a restricted study only if that user has access.
* **Research Library** shows a restricted study only to people who have access to it.

## Other rules

* **Move a study to another workspace:** On a restricted study, only Full access can move it. On an open study, only a workspace admin can move it.
* **A member leaves the workspace:** They lose their study roles in that workspace.
* **Listen Labs support:** Listen Labs staff can open studies in your workspace to help you. Each visit is logged.

## FAQ

> [accordion] Can I remove a workspace admin from a restricted study?
>
> No. Workspace admins always have Full access.

> [accordion] Can I restrict a study after launch?
>
> Yes. Open **Share** and change **General access** at any time.

> [accordion] Does restricting a study change its responses or reports?
>
> No. It changes only who can open the study.

> [accordion] Who can see that a restricted study exists?
>
> Only workspace admins, people added to the study, and the API keys of the workspace.

***

Anything missing? Let us know at [support@listenlabs.ai](mailto:support@listenlabs.ai) and we'll help you out.


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