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

# Read-Only Mode

> Enable read-only mode on a Nextedy PLANNINGBOARD instance so stakeholders and unlicensed users can view the board without being able to modify plans or move cards.

## How read-only mode works

Planningboard enforces read-only access automatically for users who do not hold a Planningboard license. When a user without a license opens a board, the following restrictions apply:

* **Drag and drop is blocked** — cards cannot be dragged between swimlanes or into plans; any drag attempt leaves the card in its original position and no change is persisted.
* **Create New Plan button is hidden** — the toolbar button that creates a new plan (`#btnCreateNewPlan`) is not shown.
* **Show Unplanned button is hidden** — the toggle that opens the unplanned sidebar (`#btnShowUnplanned`) is not shown.
* **Sidebar panel is hidden** — the editing sidebar (`#sidebar`) is not accessible.

Read-only users retain full **visibility** of the board: they can see all cards, swimlanes, capacity bars, and calendar data exactly as licensed planners see them.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/zUlmOSLBIQ0HyaAX/planningboard/diagrams/guides/advanced/read-only-mode/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=zUlmOSLBIQ0HyaAX&q=85&s=7bdccc0281149e610d062f457ca8c5cf" alt="Toolbar and board comparison between a licensed user and an unlicensed read-only user: Create New Plan and Show Unplanned are hidden for read-only users, drag and drop is blocked, and the sidebar panel is hidden, while swimlanes, cards, and Refresh remain visible and usable for both" width="680" height="280" data-path="planningboard/diagrams/guides/advanced/read-only-mode/diagram-1.svg" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify who needs read-only access">
    Read-only access is license-driven, not a widget parameter. Determine which users in your Polarion instance should view-only:

    1. Open **Administration > Nextedy PLANNINGBOARD > License**.
    2. Review the list of assigned license seats.
    3. Users not assigned a seat will automatically see the board in read-only mode.

    <Tip title="Share board links with stakeholders">
      You can share the direct URL of a Planningboard Wiki page or LiveDoc with stakeholders who do not need a license. They will see the full board view — all swimlanes, cards, and capacity bars — without any risk of accidental edits.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the board URL is accessible">
    Read-only users must be able to open the page where the board widget is embedded. Check that:

    * The Polarion project is accessible to the user (project visibility and role).
    * The Wiki page or LiveDoc containing the widget is readable by the user.
    * No Polarion Document or Space ACL blocks the user from viewing the page.

    <Warning title="Polarion ACLs are separate from license seats">
      A user without a Planningboard license can still be blocked from viewing the board entirely if Polarion's Document ACL or Space ACL denies read access to the page. Ensure the page and its space grant at least **Read** access to the intended audience. The SVN Repository ACL (Administration > Repositories) is an independent layer and must also permit read access.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm read-only behavior">
    After a read-only user opens the board:

    1. Ask them (or test with a non-licensed account) to attempt dragging a card to a different swimlane or plan column.
    2. The card should return to its original position and no change should be saved.
    3. The **Create New Plan** and **Show Unplanned** toolbar buttons should not be visible.
    4. The sidebar should not appear when clicking a card.

    <Note title="Board refresh is always available">
      Even in read-only mode, the **Refresh** button (↺) remains visible. Read-only users can use it to reload the current board state from the server at any time.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refresh the board after changes">
    If a licensed user makes changes while a read-only user is viewing the board, the read-only user will not see those changes automatically. They must click the **Refresh** button to reload the board state from the server.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Decision matrix — read-only vs. licensed access

| Capability                   | Read-only user | Licensed user |
| ---------------------------- | -------------- | ------------- |
| View swimlanes and cards     | Yes            | Yes           |
| View capacity bars           | Yes            | Yes           |
| View calendar / plan columns | Yes            | Yes           |
| Drag cards between swimlanes | No             | Yes           |
| Open unplanned sidebar       | No             | Yes           |
| Create a new plan            | No             | Yes           |
| Use the editing sidebar      | No             | Yes           |
| Refresh board state          | Yes            | Yes           |

## Limitations

* Read-only mode is enforced at the **license level only** — there is no widget parameter to force read-only mode for licensed users. If you need to lock down editing for a licensed user, manage access at the Polarion role or page ACL level.
* There is no visual indicator on the board that tells a read-only user they are in read-only mode beyond the absence of the edit controls.

{/* Verify whether a visual "read-only" banner or toast is shown to unlicensed users in the current release */}

## You should now see...

After following these steps, unlicensed users who open the board should see all planning data — swimlanes, cards, capacity bars, and plan columns — but find that the **Create New Plan** and **Show Unplanned** buttons are absent from the toolbar, the sidebar does not open, and any drag attempt leaves cards in their original positions.

## See also

* [Widget Parameters Overview](/planningboard/guides/configuration/widget-parameters) — full list of widget parameters for controlling board behavior
* [Basic Board Interactions](/planningboard/getting-started/basic-interactions) — overview of board interactions available to all users
* [License Installation](/planningboard/getting-started/licensing) — how to install and manage Planningboard license seats
* [Drag and Drop Issues](/planningboard/guides/troubleshooting/drag-and-drop-issues) — troubleshoot cases where drag and drop is unexpectedly blocked

<Accordion title="Sources">
  **KB Articles**

  * Planningboard Widget Parameters
  * Planningboard: Customizable Statistics and Capacity Indicators

  **Support Tickets**

  * [#5879](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/5879)
  * [#6174](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/6174)

  **Source Code**

  * `planningboard.js`
  * `Config.java`
  * `viewSetup.vm`
  * `PlansMode.java`
  * `licenseReadonly.cy.ts`
</Accordion>