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Stone & Water

Shopware user permissions for product data: roles, super admins, switches

Set up Shopware user permissions for product data so that everyone on the team can do exactly what they should: the PIM combines four Shopware roles with its own super admin list, 14 feature switches, visibility switches, an edit lock and a list of approval authorized users.

Key facts
  • Four roles in the privilege group "StawPim (products)": view, edit, create, delete.
  • Super admins always see everything. As long as the list is empty, everyone counts as super admin.
  • 14 feature switches and three visibility switches for all other users.
  • Edit lock against simultaneous editing, approval authorized users as a separate list.

User permissions in standard Shopware

Shopware grants permissions through roles that you put together under Settings → System → Users & permissions. For products that roughly means: view, edit, create, delete. For a team maintaining product data together this is often too coarse. The intern should maintain texts but not switch a thousand products via bulk change. The agency should edit categories but not import CSV files. And if two people have the same product open, whoever saves last wins.

Shopware user permissions for product data in the PIM

Level 1: the four Shopware roles

The PIM brings the privilege group "StawPim (products)", found in role management in the catalogues area.

  • View (staw_pim.viewer): required for the three menu items PIM Dashboard, PIM and PIM Configuration Matrix. Includes product.viewer and read access to custom fields, sales channels, languages and other master data.
  • Edit (staw_pim.editor): includes product.editor.
  • Create (staw_pim.creator): protects the page for creating new products.
  • Delete (staw_pim.deleter): includes product.deleter.

The PIM does not check edit and delete itself; they take effect through the included Shopware privileges.

Level 2: super admins

In the config matrix, tab "PIM Super Admin", you enter Shopware usernames under "Super admin users", separated by commas or one per line. Super admins always see all areas and features, and only they see this tab. Below the field the PIM shows your detected username. Important: as long as the list is empty, the PIM treats every signed-in user as super admin, and all switches have no effect.

Feature and visibility switches

For all users without super admin status you turn off 14 features individually: create, duplicate and delete products, generate variants, copy to variants, set active/inactive, bulk edits, snapshots, change history, CSV export, CSV import, feed generator, manage categories and approval workflow. Except for the approval workflow, all are on by default. Three visibility switches hide the PIM configuration and the PIM dashboard; the third, for the translation dashboard, has no visible effect in version 1.11.72.

Edit lock

When the edit lock is active (default: off), the detail view registers an opened product with the server. If a second person opens the same product, they see name and time and can take over editing or go back to the list. You choose the timeout between 3 seconds and 5 minutes, 30 seconds being the default.

Approval authorized users

Who may approve and reject in the approval workflow is defined in the "Approval" tab under "Approval authorized users". Super admins may always do so. Do not leave the list empty: in the detail view only super admins may then approve, whereas in bulk edit all users may.

Limit of the switches: the super admin list and feature switches control the PIM interface. The plugin's interfaces require a login to the Shopware admin but check neither PIM roles nor switches. Therefore also assign suitable Shopware roles.

Step by step: set up permissions for a content team

  1. Create a role: create a role in Shopware and enable the PIM roles view and edit under catalogues, plus create if needed.
  2. Assign users: assign the role to the team members.
  3. Enter super admins: in the "PIM Super Admin" tab enter your own username and the other people in charge.
  4. Limit features: for everyone else turn off, for example, "Delete products", "CSV import" and "Bulk edits".
  5. Enable the lock: switch on the edit lock if several people maintain data in parallel.
  6. Regulate approval: enter the approval authorized users before you use the approval workflow.

Use cases

  • Texts written by temporary staff: turn off bulk edits, deletion and CSV import; texts and images remain editable.
  • Agency for categories: "Manage categories" on, feed generator and CSV export off.
  • Four-eyes principle: switch on the approval workflow and enter only the team lead as approval authorized user.
  • Many hands, one product: edit lock with a short timeout so that orphaned locks expire quickly.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if no super admins are entered?

Then every signed-in user counts as super admin. All feature and visibility switches have no effect in this state.

Is there a separate privilege for CSV import?

No. Import and export are controlled by the feature switches "CSV import" and "CSV export" in the "PIM Super Admin" tab. Both are on by default.

Where do I assign the PIM roles?

In Shopware role management in the catalogues area under "StawPim (products)". There you find view, edit, create and delete.

Who may approve products?

Super admins and the users in the "Approval authorized users" list. If the list is empty, the detail view and bulk edit behave differently, so you should always maintain it.

Can I lock myself out as super admin?

Only if you save a super admin list without your own username. That is why the field shows your detected username.

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