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

# Workspace building permissions

> Four toggles that control whether members can build apps, see each other's apps, share beyond the workspace, and manage their own apps.

Playlab introduces granular building permissions on each workspace. You decide whether members can build apps, see each other's apps, share apps beyond the workspace, and manage their own apps. The toggles are set on workspace creation and editable later.

## What this controls

The four toggles are:

**Build Apps.** When on, workspace members can create their own apps inside the workspace. Turn it on for classes where students build apps as part of the curriculum.

**Members can see each other's apps.** When on, members can browse apps built by other members of the same workspace. Useful for collaborative classes; leave off when individual work matters.

**Share apps outside the workspace.** Members can always share an app with other members inside the workspace. This toggle controls whether they can also share it with people, groups, or organizations *outside* the workspace.

**Manage own apps.** When on, members can view moderated messages and delete their own apps. **Recommended for adults only** — keep it off in any workspace with minors.

<Frame caption="The Create new Workspace form. The four building-permission toggles sit below the name and description.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/playlabai/N_qf0YRGPeXGUWqu/images/v2/newworkspace.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=N_qf0YRGPeXGUWqu&q=85&s=eb505b9864c1758e26314da2f1be5e0d" alt="The Create new Workspace modal with Name and Description fields and four member-permission toggles — Build Apps, Members can see each other's apps, Share apps outside the workspace, and Manage own apps — above Cancel and Create new Workspace buttons." width="500" className="mx-auto" data-path="images/v2/newworkspace.png" />
</Frame>

## How to set permissions on workspace creation

The toggles appear on the New Workspace form. Set them as you create the workspace. See [Creating and managing a workspace](/getstarted/Creating%20Your%20Own%20Workspace) for the full creation flow.

## How to change permissions later

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the workspace">
    Go to the workspace you want to update.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Settings">
    Click the settings gear in the top right of the workspace.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find Building Permissions">
    The three toggles are listed together.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update toggles">
    Turn on or off as needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Changes apply going forward. Existing apps and conversations are not affected.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Recommended settings by use case

A few patterns that have worked for teachers:

| Use case                             | Build apps | See each other | Share beyond |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------- | -------------- | ------------ |
| Research class, individual work      | Off        | Off            | Off          |
| Intro CS, students learning to build | On         | On             | Off          |
| AI literacy, collaborative projects  | On         | On             | On           |
| Study skills, students using only    | Off        | Off            | Off          |
| Capstone, students publishing work   | On         | On             | On           |
| Teacher-only workspace               | Off        | n/a            | n/a          |

These are starting points. Adjust to match the class. The fourth toggle, **Manage own apps**, isn't in the table above because it's a safety setting rather than a collaboration one: leave it off for any workspace with minors, and turn it on only for teacher- or staff-only workspaces.

## Key points

<Info>
  * Four toggles: build apps, see each other's apps, share beyond the workspace, manage own apps
  * Start conservative and open up as the class needs grow; "Manage own apps" is adults-only
  * Changes apply going forward, not retroactively
</Info>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I override permissions for individual students?">
    No. Permissions apply to the whole workspace. If you need exceptions, the simplest path is to create a separate workspace with different permissions for those members.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to existing apps when I change a permission?">
    Existing apps stay. Conversations stay. The change applies to what members can do going forward. If you turn off "members can build apps," existing student apps remain accessible. New ones cannot be created.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can students see each other's drafts?">
    Only if "members can see each other" is on. A draft is just an unpublished app. With the toggle on, members see drafts from other members. With it off, they see only their own.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does &#x22;share beyond workspace&#x22; let students share with anyone publicly?">
    It enables the Share modal for them. Students can share with people they enter, but cannot raise visibility above what the org's admin allows. Public sharing may be restricted at the org level by your admin.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if my org admin has set org-wide policies?">
    Org-level policies take precedence. If the org disables public sharing, the workspace toggle for "share beyond workspace" still works for in-org sharing, but public visibility is unavailable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I copy permissions from one workspace to another?">
    Not in this release. The fastest path is to set the toggles by hand on each new workspace, or to use the workspace template feature once it ships.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the safest default for a brand-new class?">
    All four toggles off. Turn on Build apps when students are ready to create. Add See each other when collaboration becomes part of the lesson. Keep Share beyond off unless you've talked through what students might share, and leave Manage own apps off for any class with minors.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I lock permissions so other owners or facilitators can't change them?">
    Org-level policies override workspace toggles. If you need that level of control, ask your org admin to set the policy at the org level.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

Last updated: 06-01-2026

Contact us at [support@playlab.ai](mailto:support@playlab.ai)