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

# Managing clearances

The **Clearances** page of Organisation Administration ([below](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#clearances-page)) allows the following within an organisation:

* The [addition of new clearances](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#adding-a-new-clearance).
* Modifying an existing clearance's [users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-users-in-an-existing-clearance) and/or [classifications](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-classifications-on-an-existing-clearance).
* Existing clearances to be [edited](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#editing-an-existing-clearance) or [removed](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#removing-an-existing-clearance).

Organisation administrators can define a *clearance*, which represents a group of [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md) with whom a [file](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-files.md) can be [shared](/CS1.0/user/uploading-storing-and-sharing-content-securely.md#sharing-secure-content) based on the [classification](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md) applied to the file.

The ability to share a file with users who are members of a clearance is granted through the clearance's association with a [classification](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md) (defined in the organisation) which in turn is specified when sharing the file.

If a [Covata user](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md):

* Belongs to any clearance associated with a [classification](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md), then that Covata user can be shared a file when this classification is specified.
* Is not associated with a classification (by virtue of their account not being a member of any clearance associated with this classification), then that Covata user cannot be shared a file when this classification is specified.

> [!NOTE]
>
> It is possible for a clearance to be associated with multiple classifications.

![Clearances page](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD/images/77cbfe5b3266-clearances-page.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD\&q=85\&s=8491b1b6a416c424152a1a71b60e30cd)

> [!NOTE]
>
> Clearances are not exposed in any way to [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md) who do not have the [Organisation administrator role](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md#organisation-administrator-role).

## Adding a new clearance

**To add a new clearance group to your organisation on the Covata Platform:**

1. Ensure you are [signed in](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#signing-in-to-organisation-administration) to Organisation Administration.
2. Click the **Clearances** option on the left of the [Organisation Administration interface](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#the-organisation-administration-interface) to open the **Clearances** page.
3. Click the **Add New** button.
4. In the **Add new clearance** dialog box, specify the:

   * **Name** - A name that best describes the clearance's members (i.e. Covata users) in a short sentence.
   * **Description ( *Optional* )** - A longer description to provide more information about the clearance. Be aware that the value of this field is only visible when this clearance is subsequently [edited](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#editing-an-existing-clearance) (in the **Edit clearance** dialog box).
5. Click **Save** and the new clearance is added and will appear as a new entry on the **Clearances** page. \

   **Notes:**

   * To add one or more [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md) to this clearance, see [Modifying users in an existing clearance](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-users-in-an-existing-clearance).
   * To associate this clearance with one or more [classifications](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md), which would then allow these classifications to restrict file sharing to any Covata users who are members of this clearance, see [Modifying classifications on an existing clearance](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-classifications-on-an-existing-clearance).

## Modifying users in an existing clearance

**To modify the membership of Covata users in an existing clearance:**

1. Ensure you are [signed in](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#signing-in-to-organisation-administration) to Organisation Administration.
2. Click the **Clearances** option on the left of the [Organisation Administration interface](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#the-organisation-administration-interface) to open the **Clearances** page.
3. In the **Members** column, click the numbered link associated with the clearance whose existing [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md) are to be modified, which opens the 'clearance's members' dialog box. \

   **Note:** Alternatively, select the clearance's check box on the left and then click the **Manage** button with the 'person' icon.
4. In this dialog box, any Covata users whose email addresses appear in the **Clearance members** section on the right are already members of the clearance:

   | To do the following: | Do this: | Which results in this: |
   | - | - | - |
   | Add a user to the clearance | Click the email address of that user in the **Available users** section. | Transfers that user to the **Clearance members** section. |
   | Remove a user from the clearance | Click the email address of that user in the **Clearance members** section. | Transfers that user to the **Available users** section. |
   | Find specific users by filtering them (making it easier to add or remove them above) | In either the **Available users** or **Clearance members** sections, begin typing (into its respective **Filter** box) a series of characters contained in the Covata users' email addresses. | The list of users (in their respective section/s) being filtered to those whose email address contains the subset of characters entered into its **Filter** box. |
   | Add all users to the clearance | Click the  ![Add all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/XFCH1-fsOPTworsw/images/ba0414469515-add-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XFCH1-fsOPTworsw\&q=85\&s=9eca0d8f47f065e9d35c3221ff11b7ce)   (Add all) button in the **Available users** section. | Transfers all remaining users in this section to **Clearance members**. |
   | Remove all users from the clearance | Click the  ![Remove all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/_MzKWwAlmVvZNHNz/images/ceb2b8442518-remove-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=_MzKWwAlmVvZNHNz\&q=85\&s=41fb2069a92f162ec4b1d42f56de23a9)   (Remove all) button in the **Clearance members** section. | Transfers all remaining users in this section to **Available users**. |
5. Click **Save** and the clearance's membership will be modified accordingly. The number in the **Members** column associated with this clearance is updated to reflect the total number of Covata users that were in **Clearance members** section (just before clicking **Save**). \

   **Note:** To associate this clearance (of one or more Covata users) with one or more [classifications](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md) (which would then allow these classifications to restrict file sharing to these Covata users), see [Modifying classifications on an existing clearance](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-classifications-on-an-existing-clearance).

## Modifying classifications on an existing clearance

**To modify the association of classifications with an existing clearance:**

1. Ensure you are [signed in](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#signing-in-to-organisation-administration) to Organisation Administration.
2. Click the **Clearances** option on the left of the [Organisation Administration interface](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#the-organisation-administration-interface) to open the **Clearances** page.
3. In the **Classifications** column, click the numbered link associated with the clearance whose existing [classifications](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-classifications.md) are to be modified, which opens the 'clearance's classifications' dialog box. \

   **Note:** Alternatively, select the clearance's check box on the left and then click the **Manage** button with the 'labels/tags' icon.
4. In this dialog box, any classifications which appear in the **Clearance classifications** section on the right are already associated with the clearance:

   | To do the following: | Do this: | Which results in this: |
   | - | - | - |
   | Add a classification to the clearance | Click the classification in the **Available classifications** section. | Transfers that classification to the **Clearance classifications** section. |
   | Remove a classification from the clearance | Click the classification in the **Clearance classifications** section. | Transfers that classification to the **Available classifications** section. |
   | Find specific classifications by filtering them (making it easier to add or remove them above) | In either the **Available classifications** or **Clearance classifications** sections, begin typing (into its respective **Filter** box) a series of characters contained in the classification's name. | The list of classifications (in their respective section/s) being filtered to those whose name contains the subset of characters entered into its **Filter** box. |
   | Add all classifications to the clearance | Click the  ![Add all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/XFCH1-fsOPTworsw/images/ba0414469515-add-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XFCH1-fsOPTworsw\&q=85\&s=9eca0d8f47f065e9d35c3221ff11b7ce)   (Add all) button in the **Available classifications** section. | Transfers all remaining classifications in this section to **Clearance classifications**. |
   | Remove all classifications from the clearance | Click the  ![Remove all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/_MzKWwAlmVvZNHNz/images/ceb2b8442518-remove-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=_MzKWwAlmVvZNHNz\&q=85\&s=41fb2069a92f162ec4b1d42f56de23a9)   (Remove all) button in the **Clearance classifications** section. | Transfers all remaining classifications in this section to **Available classifications**. |
5. Click **Save** and the clearance's classifications will be modified accordingly. The number in the **Permissions** column associated with this clearance is updated to reflect the total number of classifications that were in **Clearance classifications** section (just before clicking **Save**). \

   **Note:** To add one or more [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md) to this clearance, which would then allow these classifications to restrict file sharing to these Covata users (including any others who are members of this clearance), see [Modifying users in an existing clearance](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-users-in-an-existing-clearance).

## Editing an existing clearance

Editing an existing clearance allows modification of the clearance's **Name** and **Description**. This functionality can also be used to view a clearance's **Description**.

**To edit an existing clearance in your organisation:**

1. Ensure you are [signed in](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#signing-in-to-organisation-administration) to Organisation Administration.
2. Click the **Clearance** option on the left of the [Organisation Administration interface](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#the-organisation-administration-interface) to open the **Clearances** page.
3. Locate/scroll to the relevant clearance and select its check box on the left.
4. Click the **Edit** button.
5. In the **Edit clearance** dialog box, modify the:

   * **Name** - A name that best describes its members (i.e. [Covata users](/CS1.0/admin-platform/administering-users-within-an-organisation.md)) in a short sentence.
   * **Description ( *Optional* )** - A longer description to provide more information about the clearance. Be aware that this field is only visible from this dialog box.
6. Click **Save** and the clearance's **Name** and **Description** are updated accordingly. \

   **Note:** Due to a minor bug that will be fixed in a future product release, it is currently not possible to clear the **Description** field once any text has been added.

## Removing an existing clearance

Removing an existing clearance removes any association between the [Covata users who were members](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-users-in-an-existing-clearance) of this clearance as well as any [classifications that were associated](/CS1.0/admin-platform/managing-clearances.md#modifying-classifications-on-an-existing-clearance) with the clearance.

Therefore, if a Covata user was shared a file with a classification that is associated with one or more clearances (of which the user is also a member) and the removal of one of these clearances results in the user:

* Still remaining associated with this classification (through the classification's association with other clearances to which the user is also a member), then the user will still have access to this file.
* Losing their association with this classification (because the user was not a member of any other clearance that had an association with this classification), then the user loses access to this file.

**To remove an existing clearance from your organisation:**

1. Ensure you are [signed in](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#signing-in-to-organisation-administration) to Organisation Administration.
2. Click the **Clearance** option on the left of the [Organisation Administration interface](/CS1.0/admin-platform/accessing-organisation-administration.md#the-organisation-administration-interface) to open the **Clearances** page.
3. Locate/scroll to the relevant clearance and select its check box on the left.
4. Click the **Remove** button.
5. On the **Remove clearance** message box, click **Yes** to proceed with the clearance's removal.


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