Matrix Management

How Aptly matrices present authority data — including Authority, Role, and Signatory List matrix types — and how to scope, share, and govern them.

Overview

A Matrix in Aptly is a saved, scoped view of decision and delegation data. Matrices read directly from live Decisions and Delegations, so the values they display always reflect the current state of authority in the tenant — there is no separate matrix dataset to maintain.

Each matrix is configured with its own scope (Groups, Personnel, and Decisions), one of three matrix types that controls how the data is presented, and optional formatting and sharing settings. Matrices can be used for internal review, board reporting, audit packs, or external distribution to counterparties.

Matrices are accessible only when the Matrices module is enabled at the account level. See Settings → Account Settings → Matrices.

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🧩 Matrix types

A matrix’s type determines how its data is rendered. The three types are independently configurable at the tenant level — if a type is disabled, that view is unavailable when creating or opening matrices.

Authority Matrix

The Authority Matrix presents decision authority in a table organized by Section → Category → Decision, showing which positions or users hold authority for each decision and the relevant limits (currency, percentage, time, etc.). It is the default presentation type for in-scope decisions and delegations.

Role Matrix

The Role Matrix is used when Roles (e.g., Consulted, Informed, Endorse, Co-Signer) on Decisions or Delegations are relevant to interpreting authority. It displays the authority holder alongside any configured roleholders, so viewers can see who else must be involved in the process.

Role matrices can also display authority limits in tiers/bands that are auto-generated from the underlying delegation values:

• Up to 6 tiers are produced, plus an additional top tier for Unlimited when present.
• Tier breakpoints use rounded values to reduce visual complexity (rounding intervals scale with the value range).
• Operators (≤, <, ≥, >, =) on tier labels reflect the operators used on the underlying delegations.

Tier configuration is automatic. If the resulting tiering needs adjustment for a specific tenant, contact Aptly support.

Signatory List

The Signatory List is a specialized matrix type focused on users who hold Signatory authority. It displays each in-scope signatory along with their position, contact details, signing limit, Signature Specimen thumbnail, and Identity Documents on file — making it suitable for KYC packs, board signatory registers, and counterparty distribution.

Behavior worth knowing:

• Signatory List matrices only display delegations where a recipient is identifiable — Personnel in Position and Specific Personnel recipient types appear; Position Only delegations do not.
• The Signatory authority type is required and cannot be unchecked while Signatory List is the selected type.
• External privacy rules apply automatically: identity documents are shown by type name only (no download link) on externally shared views; signature specimens may be displayed externally only if enabled in the matrix’s formatting settings.

The Signatory List matrix type is a subscription-tier feature, available when signatory list capabilities are enabled for the tenant.

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🛠️ Matrix anatomy

Every matrix — regardless of type — is built from the same configuration components:

• Main information — name, description, and owner.
• Scope: Groups — which Organizations, Locations, Departments, and custom group dimensions the matrix covers.
• Scope: Personnel — which positions or users are in scope (drives the columns in Authority and Role matrices and the rows in Signatory List).
• Scope: Decisions — which published Decisions (and their associated delegations) are included.
• Matrix Type — Authority, Role, and/or Signatory List. A matrix can be saved with multiple types enabled; viewers switch between the available views via tabs.
• Formatting (Signatory List only) — visibility toggles for Position, Address, Phone, Email, Signature Specimen, and Identity Documents columns.
• Sharing — internal access (Restricted vs. Shared) and external link configuration (see below).

Matrices auto-respect the tenant’s base currency and let viewers toggle the displayed currency (using configured exchange rates) and the value scale (Actual Values, Thousands, Millions). Cells are clickable: selecting a value opens the underlying delegation in a snapshot drawer for full context.

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🔁 Lifecycle and version history

Matrices move through a straightforward lifecycle:

• Draft — initial creation; visible only to the owner and users with appropriate access until published.
• Published — the matrix is live; in-scope users (per role permissions and sharing) can view it, and external viewers can access it via a shared link if external sharing is configured.
• Archived — the matrix is no longer active; archived matrices remain available for reference and audit but do not appear in default Active views.

Every matrix maintains a Version History capturing changes to its configuration over time. Users with the appropriate permission can review prior versions to see when a matrix was modified and by whom.

Because matrices read from live Decisions and Delegations, changes to underlying authority data are reflected immediately in the published matrix view. Version History captures changes to the matrix configuration itself (scope, type, formatting, sharing).

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🔗 External sharing

Matrices can be shared with people who do not have an Aptly login, subject to tenant-level controls.

Account-level controls

Configured under Settings → Account Settings → Matrices:

• External Sharing — when enabled, matrix owners can generate shareable links for external viewers. When disabled, external sharing options are not available on individual matrices.
• Require Password — when enabled, all externally shared matrix links must be password-protected. The password control on individual matrices appears enabled and may be non-editable.

External sharing and password enforcement may be controlled by subscription level. If these controls are not visible in your tenant, they may not be enabled for your plan.

Matrix-level controls

When External Sharing is enabled at the account level, matrix owners can open a matrix’s Settings → Sharing tab and configure:

• External Sharing link (on/off) — generates a shareable link for external viewers.
• Expiration — optional date after which the link stops working.
• Password — required if enforced at the tenant level; otherwise optional.
• Viewer Adjustable Filters — whether external viewers can apply filters to the data they see.

External matrix view

Externally shared matrices render in a simplified view designed to share authority information without exposing internal navigation. If password enforcement is in effect, external viewers must enter the password before accessing the matrix.

For Signatory List matrices, identity documents are never downloadable externally, regardless of internal formatting settings — only the document type names appear.

For full configuration details and screenshots, see the Matrices Settings KB article.

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🔐 Permissions

Access to matrices is governed by role permissions in the matrix namespace, scoped using the sharing-aware scope set, plus stakeholder relationships (Owner, shared users/groups) that grant additional record-specific access.

Permission	Options	Controls
tenant.access_matrices_module	Toggle (On/Off)	Whether the Matrices module appears in the left navigation.
matrix.view / matrix.create / matrix.edit / matrix.archive_restore / matrix.delete	Global / Groups or User Shared / User Shared / None	Core access to view, create, edit, archive/restore, and delete matrices.
matrix.share	Global / Groups or User Shared / User Shared / None	Manage matrix sharing settings (internal sharing and external link configuration).
matrix.view_version_history	Global / Groups or User Shared / User Shared / None	View the version history of matrix configurations.
matrix.change_owner	Toggle (On/Off)	Reassign the owner of a matrix. Intentionally separated from matrix.edit to tightly control ownership transfers.

Sharing-aware scope set (used by Matrices and Documents):

• Global — applies across all matrices in the tenant.
• Groups or User Shared — applies when the matrix is group-aligned with the user’s effective group membership or explicitly shared to the user.
• User Shared — applies only when the matrix is explicitly shared to the user.
• None — no access via the role.

See Roles & Permissions → for the full permission model, default role descriptions, and how permissions, scopes, and stakeholder relationships combine to determine effective access.

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🧾 Related Pages

• System Settings Overview →
• Delegation Lifecycle →
• Delegation Approvals & Logic →
• Roles & Permissions →
• Group Management →
• Document Management →

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Need help designing matrices for board reporting, audit packs, or external distribution to counterparties? Contact [e-mail] or visit the Aptly Support Portal.