Visibility

Visibility defines who can see and interact with a document in Katara.

Visibility is more than just access—it determines how documents appear in search results, lists, and AI-driven workflows. The system ensures that only authorized users can view content, protecting organizational data.

Who can see a document?

A user can see a document if any of the following conditions are met:

• Ownership: The user is the owner of the document.

• Sharing: The document has been explicitly shared with the user.

• Published/Public Visibility: The document has been published and configured for broader visibility, including public-readable access where that behavior is used.

• Legacy Mode: The document is a legacy document without an assigned owner, making it visible to the entire organization.

Publication State

Visibility is also tied to a document's publication state.

• Published: The document is available through the published visibility path and can be used as context for AI agents.

• Not Published: The document remains outside the published visibility path until it is ready.

Search and List Results

Authorization is enforced at every level of the platform. When you perform an embedding search or list documents, the results are automatically filtered based on your permissions.

• No Leaks: If you don't have access to a document, it will not appear in search results or document lists.

• Accurate Pagination: Result counts and page boundaries reflect only the documents you are authorized to see.

• Agent Context: AI agents only retrieve and process documents that are visible to the user initiating the request.

Sensitivity Constraints

Shared and viewer-based access is still subject to a sensitivity check. If a user's clearance level is lower than a document's sensitivity level, they will not be able to view the document through those access paths.