Overview
Users may be able to work in a publication, including with Owner-level publication access, and still be unable to open or manage the Integrations page.
This behavior is expected when the user is not an organization administrator. In Contently, publication permissions and organization-level permissions are separate. The Integrations page is controlled by organization-admin access, not by publication staffing alone.
This distinction is important because two different issues can appear at the same time:
- A user cannot access Publication Settings → Integrations because they are not an organization admin.
- One or more existing CMS integrations are disconnected and need to be reviewed or reconnected.
A user may therefore be blocked from fixing a disconnected integration simply because they do not have the required organization-level access to manage integrations.
Solution or Explanation
Key rule
Access to the Integrations page requires organization-admin permissions. Publication Owner access is not enough on its own.
If a user opens the Integrations page without the required access, they may see a permission message instead of the integrations management interface. This is not, by itself, evidence of a product defect.
How to interpret the issue correctly
When investigating an integrations-related request, first separate the problem into these two questions:
- Can the user access the Integrations page?
- Is the integration itself connected and configured correctly?
These are related, but they are not the same problem.
If the user cannot access the Integrations page
If the user is blocked from Publication Settings → Integrations, verify whether they have organization-admin access.
If they do not have that access:
- Ask an existing organization admin on the account to manage the integration.
- If the user specifically needs their organization-admin access changed, route that request internally for privileged review and handling.
Do not assume that publication-level access such as Owner should grant integration-management access.
If the user can access the Integrations page but the integration is disconnected
Once an organization admin can access the Integrations page, review the affected integration directly.
For CMS integrations, a disconnected status usually means the connection or destination-side configuration must be verified. The next step depends on the integration type.
For WordPress integrations
For WordPress, each destination site uses its own integration-specific API key.
To verify or reconnect a WordPress integration:
- In Contently, go to Publication Settings → Integrations.
- If needed, use the publication selector and choose All publications to view organization-level integrations.
- Open the affected WordPress integration.
- Locate the integration’s install guide and API key.
- In the matching WordPress site, log in as a WordPress administrator.
- In WordPress, go to Contently → Open integration.
- Enter or update the API key for that specific integration.
- Click Update.
- Return to Contently and verify whether the integration now shows as connected.
If the integration still does not connect
If the integration remains disconnected after the correct admin has reviewed the configuration, collect the following before escalating:
- integration name,
- approximate test or update time,
- time zone,
- any error message shown in the UI,
- and any diagnostic email or related failure evidence.
This helps distinguish a configuration problem from a platform-side issue.
Example
A publication may be connected to multiple CMS destinations, such as:
- production,
- development,
- regional sites,
- or language-specific sites.
Each destination is managed as its own integration. One integration may be connected while another remains disconnected. That does not mean the entire CMS setup is broken. It usually means the disconnected destination needs its own connection details reviewed.
Similarly, a user may be able to manage publication content successfully but still be unable to access the Integrations page because they are not an organization admin.
Verification
The access issue is resolved when the correct user can open Publication Settings → Integrations and see the integrations management interface instead of the permission notice.
A CMS connection issue is resolved when:
- the affected integration shows as connected in Contently, and
- the destination platform accepts the integration configuration as expected.
For WordPress, successful verification generally means the correct API key has been entered in the matching WordPress site and the integration reflects a connected state in Contently.
Additional Notes
- Publication Owner and organization administrator are different permission types.
- The Integrations page is an organization-level administrative area.
- A disconnected integration and a permissions error may occur together, but they should be investigated separately.
- For WordPress, each WordPress instance requires its own API key. Reusing the wrong key across multiple destinations can prevent the affected integration from connecting correctly.
- If the request is specifically about changing organization-admin access rather than troubleshooting the integration itself, treat it as an access-management request, not as a CMS defect.
- If support testing could affect a live CMS or push content externally, coordinate the verification carefully and avoid unnecessary write actions until the correct admin is involved.