How to Create a Custom Joomla Access Level
A Joomla Viewing Access Level is a named set of user groups used to decide who can view items such as menu items, modules, categories, and component content. Create a custom level when the built-in levels do not represent the audience you need.
Design the audience before creating the level
List the user groups that should be able to view the protected items. Keep viewing access separate from action permissions: adding a group to an access level lets members receive that viewing level; it does not grant Create, Edit, Delete, or administrative actions.
Create the access level
- Sign in to Joomla Administrator.
- Open Users → Access Levels.
- Select New.
- Enter a clear title that describes the audience.
- Select the user groups that should have viewing access to this level.
- Save the access level.
Official Joomla documentation describes access levels as the mechanism that controls which groups can view objects assigned to that level.
Account for group hierarchy
User groups can be arranged in a parent-child tree. Joomla's access documentation explains that membership through that hierarchy affects the viewing levels a user receives. Review the group structure before selecting groups so the effective audience is not broader or narrower than intended.
Assign the new level to items
Creating the level does not protect anything by itself. Edit the relevant menu item, module, category, article, contact, or other access-aware item and select the new level in its Access field. Apply it consistently to the underlying resource and navigation when both need restriction.
Avoid changing a shared level casually
An access level can be used by many objects. Changing which groups belong to an existing level can immediately change visibility across all items assigned to it. For a new audience, a separate custom level is often easier to audit than repurposing a widely used level.
Test representative accounts
Test at least one user who should receive the level and one who should not. Check direct URLs as well as menus and modules. If a result is unexpected, inspect the user's complete group membership and the level's selected groups before changing unrelated ACL action permissions.
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