Access control of confidential documents

Introduction

In Keka, you can limit access to sensitive employee documents and letter templates by marking them as confidential. This ensures that only authorized users can view or manage these items, keeping your HR data secure.

This feature is ideal for managing access to salary letters, legal files, and personal employee documents.

Who can do this:

• HR Managers: Have access by default.

• Other Users: Must have the Manage confidential folders, letter templates & letters permission.

• For document folders, users also need the Manage document definitions permission.

Note: Confidentiality settings only apply if the user already has basic access to the folder or template.

Configuration

1. Click the gear icon (⚙️) at the top-right corner of the screen to open Global Settings.

2. From the left-hand menu, go to Roles & Permissions.

3. You’ll land on the User Roles tab by default. Here, you can See the list of predefined and custom role and View the scope, permission level, and users assigned to each role

4. To manage permissions or users for any role:

   • Click the three-dot menu under the Actions column

   • Select Manage Permissions to edit role privileges

   • Or choose Manage Users to add/remove people from the role

5. Use the Search Roles bar to quickly find a specific role by name. For Example Confidential.

6. Now select the Documents side tab and enable Manage confidential folders, letter templates & letters.
   Finally click update. 

1. Mark a Letter Template as Confidential

1. Go to Org > Documents > Document templates.

2. Open an existing template or create a new one.

3. Click Manage permissions.

   

4. Enable Contains confidential information. You can also set View and download permissions here
   

5. Click Save.

Tip: If you clone a confidential template, it stays confidential. You can edit this setting later.

2. Mark an Employee Document Folder as Confidential

1. Go to Org > Documents > Employee documents > Settings.

2. Open an existing folder or create a new one.

3. Click the 3-dot menu > Manage folder settings.

   

4. Check Mark folder as confidential.

5. Click Save/Update.

Note: This setting is unchecked by default.

Options & Variants

Where Confidential Letters Are Restricted

• Employee Profile > Documents > Verified Folders: Only visible to users with permission.

• Letter Templates Grid: Confidential templates are hidden unless the user has the proper access.

• Cloned Templates: Inherit the confidential status automatically.

Where Confidential Document Folders Are Restricted

• Employee Profile > Documents: Hidden from users without access.

• Reports: Confidential folder types aren’t available as filters.

• Pending Verification / Expiring Docs Tabs: Confidential folders don’t appear.

• Bulk Uploads: Files added to confidential folders are automatically restricted.

Note:

• Employees can always see their own documents.

• Reporting Managers can view documents if given access via folder permissions.

Notes & Tips

Important: Confidentiality rules apply to both the web app and the mobile app.

Examples & Use Cases

Finance Team & Salary Letters

• Can access: HR Managers and users with Manage confidential folders, letter templates & letters.

• Cannot access: HR Executives without this permission—even if they normally handle letters.

• Result: Salary letters generated from confidential templates stay hidden from unauthorized users.

Legal Documents in a Confidential Folder

• Can access: Users with both Manage confidential folders and Manage document definitions.

• Cannot access: Any other admin, even if they have general access to employee documents.

• Result: Legal and compliance documents remain protected.

Reporting Manager Access

• If granted folder-level permission, Reporting Managers can access their team’s confidential documents—even without the confidential access permission.

• This overrides the usual confidentiality restriction.

Troubleshooting