Configure bulk action permissions per user role
Use this guide to control which bulk actions each user role can see and use in the product grid. With granular bulk action permissions, you can allow a role to run Edit common attributes while restricting Change family, without touching other product permissions.
Use cases
- Allow editing products individually, but not in bulk: disable all permissions in the Product bulk actions section while keeping product-level edit permissions enabled. Users can still open a product and edit its Attributes directly, but the bulk action modal will show no available actions for that role.
- Granular category control: enable Add to categories while disabling Move to categories and Remove from categories. Users can classify products into new Categories but cannot move or remove them from existing ones.
Prerequisites
- You must have a role with rights to manage user roles (System > Roles).
- The role you want to configure must already have the Product mass edit actions permission enabled. This is the parent permission that controls access to the bulk action button itself: individual bulk action permissions only apply when this is granted.
Configure bulk action permissions
- Go to Settings > Roles.
- Click the role you want to configure.
- Open the Permissions tab.
- Scroll to the Product bulk actions section.
- Enable or disable each permission individually.
- Click Save.
Changes take effect immediately after saving. No session restart is required for affected users.
Available bulk action permissions
The table below lists every available bulk action permission, the action it controls in the product grid, and whether it is enabled by default on a new role.
| Permission | Bulk action controlled | Enabled by default |
|---|---|---|
| Edit common attributes | Edit shared Attribute values across selected products | Yes |
| Add attribute values | Add values to an Attribute across selected products | Yes |
| Remove attribute values | Remove values from an Attribute across selected products | Yes |
| Change family | Reassign selected products to a different Family | Yes |
| Change status | Enable or disable selected products | Yes |
| Add to groups | Add selected products to one or more Groups | Yes |
| Add to categories | Add selected products to one or more Categories | Yes |
| Move to categories | Move selected products to a different Category | Yes |
| Remove from categories | Remove selected products from their Categories | Yes |
| Associate to products | Create Associations between selected products and other products | Yes |
| Add to product model | Attach selected simple products to a product model | Yes |
| Change parent product model | Reassign selected variant products to a different product model | Yes |
| Convert variant to simple | Convert selected variant products into simple products | Yes |
| Add to workflow | Add selected products to a Collaboration Workflow | No |
About "Add to workflow": this permission is disabled by default on all roles and is only visible if the Collaboration Workflows feature is enabled in your environment. Enable it explicitly for roles that should be allowed to trigger workflows from the product grid.
How permissions stack
Bulk action permissions work alongside existing product-level permissions: both must be granted for an action to be available to a user. Removing either one hides the action from the bulk action modal.
The Product mass edit actions permission (in the Products section of the role) remains the parent gate: if it is disabled, the bulk action button is not visible at all in the product grid, regardless of individual bulk action permissions.
The table below lists, for each bulk action, the additional product-level permission that must also be granted.
| Bulk action | Also requires this permission (Products section) |
|---|---|
| Edit common attributes | Edit attribute values of a product |
| Add attribute values | Edit attribute values of a product |
| Remove attribute values | Edit attribute values of a product |
| Add to product model | Edit attribute values of a product |
| Change parent product model | Edit attribute values of a product |
| Change family | Change the Family of a product |
| Change status | Enable/disable a product |
| Add to groups | Add a product to a group |
| Add to categories | List categories |
| Move to categories | List categories |
| Remove from categories | List categories |
| Associate to products | Edit associations of a product |
| Convert variant to simple | Convert a variant product to a simple product |
| Add to workflow | Add a product to a workflow (Collaboration Workflows section) |
Five bulk actions share the same dependency: Edit common attributes, Add attribute values, Remove attribute values, Add to product model, and Change parent product model all require the Edit attribute values of a product permission. Similarly, the three category actions (Add, Move, Remove) all depend on List categories.
Example: restrict a contributor role
If your "Content contributor" role should be able to edit Attribute values but not change a product's Family or convert variants to simple products:
- Go to Settings > Roles > Content contributor.
- Open the Permissions tab and scroll to Product bulk actions.
- Keep Edit common attributes, Add attribute values, and Remove attribute values enabled.
- Disable Change family and Convert variant to simple.
- Click Save.
Users with this role will see only the permitted actions when they open the bulk action modal from the product grid.
