Managing access to resources
About default booking access
Resource groups are configured in Group admin to allow or deny specific access to make or view bookings. The booking access set for a resource group in Group admin is the default for resources managed by the group. The default access can be overridden by adding exceptions as discussed below.
Default booking access is set for a resource group in Application setup > Groups > ... > Edit name / Deployment.
The following booking options can be individually enabled or disabled:
- Can view
- Make bookings
- View other users' bookings
- Edit other users' bookings (meeting space resources only)
- Delete other users' bookings (meeting space resources only)
A resource group can have different default booking access settings for meeting spaces and personal spaces.
Typically, the default settings either allow all users to make bookings (Open group) or deny all users the ability to make bookings (Restricted group). Whether a group is open or restricted is determined by the default status of the ‘Make bookings’ setting:
- 'Make bookings' is enabled - Open group - all users can book.
- 'Make bookings' is disabled - Restricted group - no users can book.
In addition, resource groups managing meeting spaces can be configured as 'self-managed' - allowing users to immediately book their chosen space, or 'managed' - requiring users to request a meeting space which is then approved or denied by an administrator.
- Self-managed group - Book the meeting spaces immediately; no approval required.
- Managed group - Request to book the meeting spaces; an administrator approves or denies the request.
Learn more: Book or Request a meeting space
Contents
Overriding default booking access
The default access settings for a resource group can be overridden - to allow specific users access to a restricted group or deny specific users access to an open group - by applying access exceptions. Access exceptions can either be applied to a user group (recommended) or to individual users, and can be described as:
- Exclusive access - when specific users are granted access to resources managed by a Restricted group (that denies access by default).
- Excluded access - when specific users are denied access to resources managed by an Open group (that allows access by default).
Access exceptions can be applied to a user in the following ways:
- Apply access exceptions for user groups via User group access (recommended)
- Apply access exceptions for individual users via Group permissions
- Apply access exceptions for an individual user via their User profile
Conflicting access settings
If a user has individual access exceptions set in Group permissions or in their user profile that conflict with access inherited from a user group, the user’s individual access settings take precedence.
All access exceptions that apply to a user can be viewed on the Permissions tab in the user profile. Learn more: User access and permissions
Apply access exceptions for user groups via User group access (recommended)
User group access was introduced for Eptura Engage in June 2026 and is the recommended method for applying access exceptions to resource groups.
User groups and User group access enable you to apply specific booking permissions and booking windows to groups of users for selected resource groups, overriding the default settings configured for those resources.
In addition, if Intelligent Booking is enabled for your organization, the order of the resource groups in the user group's access list determines their priority when Intelligent Booking automatically selects a space for a member of the user group, and Anchor points can be assigned to each resource group within a user group to automatically guide bookings to the same area on a floor. This helps ensure users are consistently placed in nearby or relevant spaces to their team members.
If conflicting access exceptions are applied to the user via Group permissions or the Permissions tab on the user profile, the user-specific settings take precedence.
Learn more: User group access, Preferential booking windows, and Anchor points
Apply access exceptions for individual users via Group permissions
This is the traditional method for overriding the default settings for specific users, but it is not the preferred solution; instead, we recommend managing access exceptions through user group access (see above), which offers easier management and greater flexibility.
Default resource group booking access can be overridden for individual users from the Group permissions tab in User management.
Learn more: Group permissions
Apply access exceptions for an individual user via their User profile
Default resource group booking access can be overridden for an individual user from the Permissions tab in their user profile.
Learn more: User access and permissions
View access exceptions for a particular user
From the user profile in User management, administrators can view and edit access exceptions that have been applied for a user - whether set individually via Group permissions or inherited from a user group.
Learn more: User access and permissions