ABAC: How to create site subscriptions for restricted audiences

Matthew Rawls

November 25, 2025 16:21

Overview

Audience Based Access Control (ABAC) provides the flexibility to enable highly targeted content, communications and access controls.

In this article, we provide an overview on how you can create site subscriptions utilizing ABAC to restrict that site to a specific audience. This capability empowers content creators to control site subscriptions by only assigning relevant audiences.

Who is this for: App managers

Jump to a section:

Step 1: Setting up a site
Step 2: Adding site subscriptions for a restricted audience
FAQ:
- Members vs followers
- Mandatory vs non mandatory subscriptions
Best practices and tips

Site subscription definition and usage

Sites are a digital space within Simpplr where determined site members can view, add, edit, and interact with content based on their permissions. Subscriptions are used to automatically assign an audience to site membership or to follow a site.

Note: Only app managers can add site subscriptions. Site managers and owners cannot add subscriptions to their site, but can manually add members to the site via the People tab. They can also re-run existing subscriptions if any data has changed.

When to create a subscription for an audience

What does it mean to create a subscription for an audience?

Creating a subscription for an audience allows you to auto-follow specific groups of employees to relevant sites and people based on their interests. Now, you can easily select an already created audience.

Audience definition and usage

Audiences are customizable groups of users based on attributes like role, location, or specific individuals. They can then be used to manage who has access to specific features and n content.

Step 1: Setting up a site

Check out the following article for creating a site and defining visibility and subscription:
1. Creating a site with ABAC

Step 2: Adding site subscriptions for a restricted audience

Navigate to the site you would like to create a subscription for.
Click Manage site.
Under the Setup tab, scroll down to the Site visibility and subscriptions section.
Click Add subscription.
If you would like to add a subscription for everyone in your organization:
1. Toggle on Everyone in organization.
If you would like to add a subscription for a restricted audience:
1. Select your desired audience.
2. If you would like to add a sub-audience:
  1. Click on the + icon (Add sub-audience) in front of any audience.
  2. Enter the audience details.
  3. Click Create.
3. Click Done.
Select subscription type (Member or Follower) for your audience.
Toggle on Mandatory if you would like to make membership or following mandatory.
Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Update.

FAQ

What is the difference between Site members and Site followers?

Site members are the intended core user group of a site. These users will always receive all communications from a site that they are members of. Communications include must reads and site content notifications. Site owners and managers can select and add users as site members to match the site’s audience profile.
Site followers are similar to site members, only they don’t have to receive all of a site’s comms. Whenever a site manager is sending a must-read, they can choose whether or not to include site followers as the audience for that communication. Members, however, will receive all comms by default.

Can you add followers to a private site?

No, private sites can’t have site followers. Only public sites have the ability to add followers.

What is the difference between mandatory and non-mandatory subscriptions?

With Mandatory subscriptions, users cannot unfollow or opt out of site membership.
With Non-mandatory subscriptions, users can unfollow or opt out of a site subscription.

Best practices, recommendations, and pro tips

Subscribing users to content can ensure that the appropriate members are following a site, and that they are able to see content relevant to them.
Subscriptions can be made to include everyone in the organization, which is recommended if you would like for everyone within your organization to see this content. This allows you to auto-follow all employees to a site or person that is relevant to everyone.
If your subscription is in “Failed” state, re-run the subscription from the ellipsis (...) menu on the right.