# Restrict Document Visibility (blind/unblind)

Source: https://sites.veevavault.help/gr/sitevault/sv-administration/restricted/

The Restricted document functionality allows sites to limit document visibility to specific users assigned to the study. The feature is intended to be used for blinded/masked studies where certain documents (ex. randomization information) must remain hidden from the larger study staff. Restricting documents and staff is a two-step process that includes first marking individual study documents as Restricted and then granting individual study staff members access to Restricted documents. Only study staff members with access to Restricted documents can view study documents marked as Restricted.

[![Restricted Documents Explained](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-slide.png) ](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-slide.png)

## Summary

- Restricted documents are visible only to Staff or Monitors/External Users granted access to Restricted documents at the study level. _Administrators must also receive study-level access to Restricted documents to view Restricted documents._
- Administrators can grant or revoke a study staff member (including themselves) or monitor/external user’s access to Restricted documents. Granting/revoking restricted access must be performed per user, per study.
- Admins and Study staff with access to Restricted documents for a study can: 
  - View, edit, and approve/finalize restricted documents for the study
  - Upload documents as restricted via the **Study eBinder**
  - Toggle a document’s restrictedness from the Document Actions menu

- All study-specific documents can be restricted; non study-specific/multi-study documents such as CVs, licenses, etc., cannot be restricted.
- Restricted documents cannot be sent on workflows.
- Before study archival can be completed, all Restricted study documents must be unrestricted (changed to Not Restricted). The [Study Archive action](/gr/sitevault/studies/archive-initiate/) includes a check for Restricted documents.
- Restricted documents can be exchanged through **Site Connect** , however, it is important to note that for full Restricted visibility and functionality in both environments **a connected user should have access to Restricted documents in both Site Connect and SiteVault**. For more information on Site Connect activity and permissions, see [SiteVault and Site Connect](/gr/sitevault/getting-started/site-connect/).

## Mark a Document as Restricted or Not Restricted

Staff users granted access to Restricted documents can mark documents as Restricted by:

- Setting the _Restricted_ field to _Yes_ when uploading a document to the Study eBinder
- Selecting _Change to Restricted_ from Document Actions menu

### From Study eBinder Upload

To [upload a document](/gr/sitevault/eisf-ebinder/upload-final-wf/) to the **Study eBinder** as Restricted, select _Yes_ from the **Restricted** field during the upload process.

[![Restricted Upload](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-upload.gif) ](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-upload.gif)

### From Document/All Actions

To toggle a document’s restrictedness, access the document and select either _Change to Restricted_ or _Change to Not Restricted_ from the **Actions** menu **(…)**.

[![Restricted - Document Actions](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-edit.gif) ](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-edit.gif)

## Grant or Revoke Access to Restricted Documents

Administrators can grant or revoke user access to Restricted documents (including their own) when adding or editing **Staff** or **Monitor and External User** study assignments from the **Study** or **Administration** tabs.

### From the Study

Administrators can grant or revoke study-level access to Restricted documents from **Study** tabs for:

- **Staff** when [adding](/gr/sitevault/studies/assign-create/) or [editing](/gr/sitevault/studies/assign-edit/) a Team Assignment from Study \> Team
- **Monitors and External Users** when [adding](/gr/sitevault/studies/mon-assign-create/) or [editing](/gr/sitevault/studies/mon-assign-edit/) a Study Assignment from Study \> Monitor & Auditors

[![Restricted from the Study](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-study-actions.png) ](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-study-actions.png)

### From Administration

Administrators can grant or revoke study-level access to Restricted documents from the **Administration** tab for:

- **Staff** when [creating](/gr/sitevault/sv-administration/staff-create/) a user or [adding](/gr/sitevault/sv-administration/staff-addl-study/) a Study Assignment from **Administration \> Staff**
- **Monitors and External Users** when [creating](/gr/sitevault/sv-administration/mon-create/) a user or [adding](/gr/sitevault/sv-administration/mon-addl-site/) Site Access _and_ a Study Assignment from **Administration \> Monitors & External Users**

[![Restricted from Administration](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-administration-actions.png) ](/gr/uploads/sitevault/images/help/sv-restricted-docs-administration-actions.png)

## Restricted Permissions in Site Connect and SiteVault

Site Connect and SiteVault permissions are managed by different systems and administrators; a user’s access to restricted documents in one system does not guarantee the same access is assigned in the other. See the table below for the expected behavior based on different permission combinations.

| Restricted Permissions | Site Connect Behavior | SiteVault Behavior |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **No Restricted Access** | 
- Cannot view restricted documents.
- Cannot upload restricted documents _from computer_.
- Cannot upload restricted documents _from SiteVault_.

 | 
- Cannot view restricted documents.
- Cannot file restricted documents received in Site Connect to SiteVault and view them once filed.

 |
| **Restricted Access in Both** | 
- Can view restricted documents.
- Can upload restricted documents _from computer_ and view them.
- Can upload restricted documents _from SiteVault_ into Site Connect and view them once uploaded.

 | 
- Can view restricted documents.
- Can file restricted documents received in Site Connect to SiteVault and view them once filed.

 |
| 

**Restricted Access in Site Connect**

**No Restricted Access in SiteVault**

 | 
- Can view restricted documents.
- Can upload restricted documents _from computer_ and view them once uploaded.
- Cannot upload restricted documents _from SiteVault._

 | 
- Cannot view restricted documents.
- Can file restricted documents received in Site Connect to SiteVault, but cannot view them once filed.

 |
| 

**No Restricted Access in Site Connect**

**Restricted Access in SiteVault**

 | 
- Cannot view restricted documents.
- Cannot upload restricted documents _from computer_.
- Can upload restricted documents _from SiteVault_ but cannot view them once uploaded.

 | 
- Can view restricted documents
- Cannot file restricted documents received in Site Connect to SiteVault and view them once filed.

 |