Introduction
This guide helps you decide how to approach restricting which tasks are visible in a private client portal, specifically when visibility should be limited to the viewer’s project.
What decision this guide helps with
Decide between approaches that control who can see which tasks and how those views are surfaced to users, without diving into execution details.
Why this decision matters
Proper visibility controls protect data, reduce confusion, and maintain independent project context for clients and team members.
What this guide does and does NOT cover
It explains the decision framework and the boundaries of this approach. It does not provide step-by-step setup, does not compare specific tools, and does not include purchasing guidance.
What the task really involves
Balancing security, usability, and maintainability when surfaces need to reflect per-project assignment while remaining scalable.
Conceptual breakdown
- Per-project visibility: surface only tasks linked to a user’s project.
- Access controls: who can view the task list and related data.
- Data sources and filters: how task lists are filtered for the viewer.
- Auditing and governance: keeping a record of who has access to what.
Hidden complexity
Permissions interact with roles, custom post types, and caching. UI surfaced lists must respect filters under different contexts. Misconfigurations can unintentionally expose data.
Common misconceptions
Common misconceptions include believing built-in roles alone solve all needs, assuming visibility guarantees across all pages, and underestimating testing requirements. Real-world setups require explicit mappings and checks.
Where this approach fits
This approach sits in the category of access control and data visibility within the WordPress ecosystem. It supports restricting what a user sees based on their project assignment and surfacing only relevant tasks.
What this category helps with
- Clear, project-based data exposure for clients.
- Controlled collaboration within a shared portal.
- Auditable rules for who can view what.
What it cannot do
It does not automatically translate to per-user permissions beyond project-based scopes, nor does it guarantee perfect data isolation in all edge cases without proper configuration and testing.
Clear boundaries
This guide focuses on visibility controls for task lists and related content. It does not cover UI design, performance optimization, or external authentication workflows.
When this approach makes sense
When you have clearly defined projects, mapped users to projects, and a need to show each user only the tasks from their project.
Situations where it is appropriate
Use this when clients collaborate on a project-specific portal and internal staff require project-scoped views.
When to consider other approaches
If your requirements demand per-user (not per-project) granularity, or if you need a fully separate system for each client, consider alternative workflows or specialized portal solutions.
Red flags
Unclear project mappings, no defined access rules, or reliance on UI-only restrictions without back-end enforcement.
Situations where another category or workflow is better
For more complex multi-tenant separation or highly customized user experiences, a different workflow or system architecture may be more suitable.
5.5) Decision checklist
Is this approach appropriate?
Yes, if you have clearly defined projects, reliable user-to-project mappings, and a need to surface only per-project task data.
What must be true?
- Projects and user-project mappings exist and are maintained.
- Permissions and data queries enforce per-project visibility.
- The task list surfaces only tasks from the viewer’s project.
What disqualifies it?
- No defined projects or mappings.
- Missing or inconsistent access rules.
- Reliance on client-side filtering without back-end enforcement.
Common mistakes and wrong assumptions
Assuming built-in roles alone suffice, under-testing visibility with real users, or not accounting for caching and multi-page views that might bypass filters.
Things to consider before you start
- Prerequisites: defined user roles, project taxonomy, and user-to-project mappings.
- Time investment: expect design and validation overhead; testing across contexts.
- Data integrity: ensure tasks are consistently linked to projects.
Prerequisites and time investment
Defined projects, defined user roles, and mapping; estimated time to validate is moderate.
What to do next
Refer to the related task for the implementation plan; execution happens inside the TASKS. Choose the task variant that fits constraints and proceed within the dedicated task workflow.