# Photo permissions and restrictions

Source: https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/photo-center/getting-started-with-photo-center/photo-permissions-and-restrictions.html

Photo Center offers several ways to restrict access to a photo in your environment.

## By user

The most common way to restrict access to photos is on a per-user basis. Only users with the appropriate permissions can view restricted photos in Photo Center. Users without those permissions will not have access.

To apply this restriction, follow these steps:

1. Create a role with the following permissions in the Permissions application:

  - Set Image Restricted
  - Use Restricted Images  
For instructions, see [Creating a role](https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/arc-xp-administration/permissions/managing-roles.html#UUID-1ff402f1-159c-1147-368e-30df2a3abe90%5FUUID-d1521368-3892-7fc6-65f0-48be87e15329).
2. Apply the restriction in Photo Center:

  1. Open the image in Photo Center.
  2. Select the **Restricted** option below the image.

> **Note:**
> 
> Users without the Use Restricted Images permission do not see the photo in search results in either Photo Center or Composer.

## By website

If you’re a multi-site client, we recommend configuring image restrictions by website. This helps prevent inadvertently publishing images to sites that do not have the rights to use them.

For example, imagine _Website A_ has rights to use an image taken by its staff photographer, but _Website B_ does not. By applying a website-based restriction, the image can be used in content for _Website A_ but is excluded from stories or galleries circulated to _Website B_.

To apply a website-based restriction, follow these steps:

1. Create a restriction in Global Settings for the relevant content. See [Creating and editing a website restriction](https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/arc-xp-administration/global-settings/managing-website-restrictions.html#UUID-2fc7f399-18d0-e951-a398-b6ef0ee13196%5FUUID-7c51ba40-c884-f29e-84d5-e7d1d5367e2d).

  - The websites listed in the restriction _allow_ the content to display.
  - If a website is missing, you must create it in Site Service. See [Adding a new website](https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/arc-xp-administration/site-service/defining-your-organization-s-websites.html#UUID-0363c274-9f15-fd6d-de98-4de805fa8684%5FUUID-fdbac1b3-634f-ec6f-9521-661dd496476f).
2. Associate the restriction with a distributor. See [Creating or editing a distributor](https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/arc-xp-administration/global-settings/managing-distributors.html#UUID-25bb198c-f766-a9bb-2c44-895e43e17af8%5FUUID-6285ca2a-eba9-6de6-ef96-e3e25d59678a).

> **Note:**
> 
> If a story is linked to a restricted website in a distributor, and that distributor is associated with an image, the image does not appear in Composer when adding images to the story.

## By automatic deletion or restriction

Automatic restriction or deletion is commonly used for images imported from wire services, which often include time-limited usage rights.

For example, _The Herald_ may import a photo from Getty Images that can be used for up to 30 days. After 30 days, the photo must no longer be used. With the appropriate script configuration, the image is automatically purged from Photo Center, though any published version remains intact.

You can also configure the system to automatically restrict an image after a specified date. After the photo is restricted, the [By user](https://docs.arcxp.com/en/products/photo-center/getting-started-with-photo-center/photo-permissions-and-restrictions.html#UUID-11e8986c-7a10-7ffe-8a4b-a41dcd8c4f0c%5FUUID-bc937969-390f-db19-a145-528d9983d046) restrictions apply.

To implement this workflow, include the delete or restrict logic in your wire ingestion process. This is typically handled through your custom content adapters.

Use the following Arc XP Native Specification (ANS) fields to configure time-based rules:

- `additional_properties.expiration_date` \- automatically delete the image after this date
- `additional_properties.restriction_date` \- automatically restrict the image after this date