Genea Video permissions let you control exactly what each role can do - from watching live video to exporting clips to managing cameras. For most video permissions you can also control which cameras a role can access, down to individual cameras at individual locations.
This article explains how the permissions work and how to set them up.
Where to find them
Global Overview → User Management → Custom Roles
Open any custom role and find the Video Management System section. Expand it to see the six video permissions.
The six permissions
Permission | Read | Full |
Camera Wall | View existing layouts | Create, edit, and delete layouts |
Live View | Watch live video | — |
Playback | Review recorded footage | — |
Forensic Search | Run searches across cameras | — |
Clips | View and download clips | Create, edit, and delete clips |
Device Management | View cameras, gateways, health, and logs | Add, edit, and delete cameras and gateways |
Each permission can be set to No Access, Read, or Full.
💡 Live View, Playback, and Forensic Search only offer Read. There's nothing to create or edit in those areas - you're only ever viewing - so the Full option is greyed out.
Important: permissions are independent
Each video permission works on its own. Granting one does not automatically grant another.
This is deliberate - it gives you precise control, but it does mean you need to think about combinations when building a role. For example:
Giving someone Playback does not give them Live View
Giving someone Camera Wall does not let them see any video in that wall
Giving someone Device Management Full does not let them watch live video
Giving someone Clips does not give them Playback
If a role reaches an area it doesn't have permission for, they'll see a message explaining they're not authorised rather than an error.
⚠️ The most common mistake is granting Camera Wall without Live View. The role sees the wall layout and the camera tiles, but every tile is empty - because Camera Wall controls the layout, not the video inside it. If someone should see live video on the wall, they need both Camera Wall and Live View.
Choosing which cameras a role can access
Four of the six permissions let you scope access to specific cameras:
Permission | Camera-level control |
Live View | ✅ Yes |
Playback | ✅ Yes |
Forensic Search | ✅ Yes |
Clips | ✅ Yes |
Camera Wall | ❌ Applies account-wide |
Device Management | ❌ Applies account-wide |
Camera Wall and Device Management apply across all cameras. If a role has them, it has them everywhere.
Setting camera access
Click the permission name - for example Live View
A panel opens listing your locations, each showing how many cameras are currently allowed
Click a location to configure it
Choose one of three options:
All Cameras - access to every camera at that location, including any added in future
Limited Cameras - access only to cameras you pick from the list
None - no access at that location
If you chose Limited Cameras, select them from the dropdown. They appear under Allowed Cameras
Click Save and Close
💡 All Cameras includes future cameras. If you want a role to automatically pick up new cameras as they're added, choose All Cameras. If you choose Limited Cameras, you'll need to add new ones manually.
Repeat for each location. A role can have different access at each one - All Cameras at headquarters, Limited at a branch office.
Example roles
Some combinations that work well as starting points:
Role | Permissions |
Security operator | Camera Wall Read, Live View Read, Playback Read, Clips Read - all cameras |
Investigator | Playback Read, Forensic Search Read, Clips Full - all cameras. No Camera Wall needed |
Front desk | Live View Read - limited to lobby and entrance cameras only |
System administrator | Device Management Full, plus Live View and Playback Read for verifying cameras work |
Auditor | Playback Read, Clips Read - limited cameras, no Full access anywhere |
What users see without access
No Camera Wall access - the Camera Wall menu is hidden entirely
Camera Wall Read only - layouts are visible but cannot be created, edited, or rearranged
No Device Management access - the Device Management menu is hidden
Device Management Read only - the camera list and details are visible, but the Add button, Actions column, Edit, Delete, and Map Device are all hidden
No Forensic Search access - the Forensic Search menu is hidden
No Clips access - the Clips menu is hidden
Cameras outside a role's scope - simply don't appear, or appear without video
💡 Exporting the camera or gateway list to CSV requires Device Management Read.
Troubleshooting
Issue | What to check |
Camera Wall shows empty tiles | The role has Camera Wall but not Live View. Both are needed to see video on the wall |
Can see playback but not live video | Expected. Playback and Live View are separate permissions - grant Live View as well |
Menu missing entirely | That permission is set to No Access. Menus are hidden rather than shown as disabled |
Can view cameras but not edit them | Device Management is set to Read. Change it to Full |
New camera isn't visible to a role | That location is set to Limited Cameras, which doesn't include new cameras automatically. Add it manually, or switch to All Cameras |
Can view clips but not create them | Clips is set to Read. Change it to Full |
Can't export the camera list | CSV export requires Device Management Read |
Full option is greyed out | Expected for Live View, Playback, and Forensic Search - there is nothing to edit in those areas |
If you have any questions about this feature or have any other requests, please reach out to acsupport@getgenea.com.