Page Restriction Trouble

[Jeff Rowley]

I have read through a few dozen articles here ... but I still haven't been able to resolve my page permission problems.

My goal is: "Set all pages to 'view & comment only' for everyone, and then allow a few people 'edit' permissions to a particular page."

My "Space settings | Permissions" are set to:

- Groups | Administrators = [everything is green checkmarks]
- Groups | Confluence-users = "All/View" & "Comments/Add" are the only green checks
- Ind. Users | Me = [everything is green checkmarks]

I create a new sub page.  The permissions start as "Unrestricted/No Restrictions" and it says "Everyone can view and edit this page."

- This is clearly not true, because everyone can View but no one (but me) can Edit. 
- But I get it.  "From a certain Atlassian logic/perspective" it works the way it was intended even though it is opposite the way I originally understood it. 
- Crazy - but OK.  I get it.

Now I want to allow certain people to have Edit permissions for that sub-page.

- I click the "lock" icon
- Change from "No Restrictions" to "Editing Restrictions"
- Add the user "Bob" as "Can Edit" and click Apply

Yet, Bob still does not have the "Click here to Edit" pencil icon after he refreshes his view of that sub-page.

What am I doing/understanding incorrectly?

Thanks for your help!

[Davin Studer · Accepted solution]

The thing about restrictions it is filters down from what is already available in space permissions. If the user does not have edit ability via space permissions then then adding a page restriction will not grant edit access. The restriction is simply that. It restricts from the current space permissions who can edit or view a page.

[Jeff Rowley]

Davin,  Thank you for your response.

So, greater permissions cannot be ADDED in a sub-page. 
Only restricted/removed.  True?

Pages DEEPER down can only be assigned MORE restrictive permissions, not less.  True?

So, do I need to add "full edit" permissions for everyone at the top level, then remove those permissions on all other pages except the one that I want Bob to be able to edit?

[Davin Studer]

That is correct and typically it is easier to handle with groups. That way if you need multiple people to have the same restrictions it is simply a matter of adding them to a group rather than having to edit restrictions on multiple pages.

[Jeff Rowley]

Thank you!

[Elena Lurye]

Adding to Davin's reply - I would create a separate group for people who would need the same permissions as Bob (if you expect more of them users to have this access) and grant them "Add pages" permissions on the space level and then grant them edit restriction on this specific page. Or, if only Bob needs access to edit this page, do the same for his ID only.