README

Role-based folder access, move restrictions, and Inbox workflow for Virtual Media Folders.

Description

This add-on extends Virtual Media Folders with enterprise-grade editorial workflow features:

• Per-role folder visibility — Control which folders each role can see
• Move/assignment restrictions — Define who can move media into which folders
• Inbox workflow — Contributors upload to an inbox; editors triage and move onward
• Review workflow — Track items needing review with dedicated admin screen
• Internationalization — Fully translatable with Norwegian Bokmål included

Requirements

• WordPress 6.8+
• PHP 8.3+
• Virtual Media Folders plugin

Installation

Recommended: Use the Add-On Manager to install the add-on.

Manual installation:

1. Download vmfa-editorial-workflow.zip
2. Upload via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
3. Activate via WordPress Admin → Plugins

Plugin updates are handled automatically via GitHub. No need to manually download and install updates.

Configuration

Folder Permissions

Navigate to Media → VMF Settings → Editorial Workflow to configure:

1. Permission Matrix — Set view/move/upload/remove permissions per folder per role
2. Inbox Mapping — Assign default upload folders for each role
3. Approved Folder — Choose which folder approved items are moved to

Supported Roles

The permission settings automatically include all roles that have the upload_files capability — not just Editor and Author. This means custom roles are fully supported:

• Custom roles like "Contributor with upload" or "Shop Manager" will appear automatically
• Any role granted the upload_files capability via plugins (e.g., Members, User Role Editor) will be configurable
• Administrator is excluded from settings as they always have full access to all folders

To add the upload_files capability to a custom role, you can use a role management plugin or run the following WP-CLI command:

# Example: Grant 'upload_files' capability to a custom role
wp role create media_contributor "Media Contributor" --clone=subscriber 
wp cap add media_contributor upload_files

Default Permissions

Out of the box, the plugin applies sensible defaults:

• Editor — Full access to all folders by default (can be restricted via settings)
• Author — No access by default (must be explicitly granted permissions)
• Custom roles — No access by default (must be explicitly granted permissions)

Permission Types

Note: Moving media from Folder A to Folder B only requires "Move To" permission on Folder B (and "View" on both). Anyone can remove media to Uncategorized.

Workflow Folders

On activation, the plugin creates protected system folders:

• /Workflow/Needs Review — Items pending editorial review
• /Workflow/Approved — Items that have been approved

These folders cannot be renamed or deleted.

Review Screen

Access Media → Review to:

• View all items needing review
• Bulk approve items (moves to Approved folder)
• Bulk assign items to destination folders
• See notification badge with count of pending items

Development

See docs/development.md for build instructions, testing, hooks reference, and REST API documentation.

License

GPL-2.0-or-later