Workbook Modes Overview (Legacy)

This document applies to organizations that haven't enabled Live Edit. If your organization onboarded after the November 1, 2022 release of Live Edit or has since upgraded to workbooks with Live Edit capability see Workbook Modes Overview: View, Explore, Edit.

Sigma features three workbook modes (View, Explore, and Edit) that provide different levels of access and interactions within a workbook. Each mode allows specific functionality that depends on your assigned account type and workbook permissions.


Summary of Content

User Requirements

Workbook Accessibility Comparison


User Requirements

  Account type requirement Workbook permission
View mode View workbook permission enabled Can View, Can Explore, Can Edit, or Owner
Explore mode Explore workbook permission enabled Can Explore, Can Edit, or Owner
Edit mode Edit workbook permission enabled Can Edit or Owner

Workbook Accessibility Comparison

The following table breaks down the workbook access control model that governs what you can do in each mode.

  View mode Explore mode Edit mode
Version access

Published version1

Draft version
Element actions
Maximize element

View, filter, and sort underlying data

View element data source

Download element data2
Add/view element comments
Refresh element data
Copy element
Paste element
Create child element
Workbook actions
Use existing controls (filters, parameters)
Export workbook page2
Refresh workbook data
Add/view workbook comments
Modify content (pages, elements, layouts)
Create content (pages, elements, layouts)
Delete content (pages, elements, layouts)
Edit workbook layout
View and change workbook data source
View the workbook lineage
View hidden workbook pages
Publish changes

1 If Version Tagging is enabled, users with Can View or Can Explore workbook permission are granted access to all versions or specified tagged versions only.
2 Function requires Export permission in the user’s assigned account type.


Related Resources


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