diff --git a/docs/content/configuration.md b/docs/content/configuration.md
index adcb724d..06ea7ab0 100644
--- a/docs/content/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/content/configuration.md
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ these are rarely used for various reasons.
 | `allowFreeURL`                 | `CMD_ALLOW_FREEURL`                  | **`false`** or `true`                                                   | Set to allow new note creation by accessing a nonexistent note URL. This is the behavior familiar from [Etherpad](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite).                                                                                                        |
 | `requireFreeURLAuthentication` | `CMD_REQUIRE_FREEURL_AUTHENTICATION` | **`false`** or `true`                                                   | Set to require authentication for FreeURL mode style note creation.                                                                                                                                                                                               |
 | `disableNoteCreation`          | `CMD_DISABLE_NOTE_CREATION`          | **`false`** or `true`                                                   | Set to `true` to disallow any person to create notes.                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
-| `defaultPermission`            | `CMD_DEFAULT_PERMISSION`             | **`editable`**, `freely`, `limited`, `locked`, `protected` or `private` | Set notes default permission (only applied on signed-in users).                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
+| `defaultPermission`            | `CMD_DEFAULT_PERMISSION`             | **`editable`**, `freely`, `limited`, `locked`, `protected` or `private` | Set notes default permission (only applied on signed-in users). See the [permissions documentation](./references/permissions.md)                                                                                                                                  |
 | `enableUploads`                | `CMD_ENABLE_UPLOADS`                 | **`all`** , `registered`, `none`                                        | Set to specify who can upload images (`all` includes guest users, `registered` restricts to registered users, `none` disables uploads completely). If not set, but both `allowAnonymous` and `allowAnonymousEdits` are `false`, this will be set to `registered`. |
 | `sessionName`                  |                                      | **`connect.sid`**                                                       | Cookie session name.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
 | `sessionLife`                  | `CMD_SESSION_LIFE`                   | **`14 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000`**, `1209600000` (14 days)                  | Cookie session life time in milliseconds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/hand-paper-o.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/hand-paper-o.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..603d9827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/hand-paper-o.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="1650" height="1780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M880 128c-62 0-112 50-112 112v656h-32V368c0-62-50-112-112-112s-112 50-112 112v784L358 947c-24-32-62-51-102-51-71 0-128 58-128 128 0 28 9 55 26 77l384 512c24 32 62 51 102 51h688c46 0 86-33 95-78l76-405c3-19 5-39 5-59V624c0-62-50-112-112-112s-112 50-112 112v272h-32V368c0-62-50-112-112-112s-112 50-112 112v528h-32V240c0-62-50-112-112-112zm0-128c90 0 173 51 214 132 14-3 28-4 42-4 132 0 240 108 240 240v17c139-8 256 99 256 239v498c0 28-3 56-8 83l-76 404c-19 106-112 183-220 183H640c-80 0-157-39-205-102L51 1178c-33-44-51-99-51-154 0-141 114-256 256-256 42 0 93 10 128 34V368c0-132 108-240 240-240 14 0 28 1 42 4C707 51 790 0 880 0z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/id-card.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/id-card.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..542abf82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/id-card.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="2050" height="1680" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M896 1212c0-132-32-284-164-284-40 40-95 64-156 64s-116-24-156-64c-132 0-164 152-164 284 0 73 48 132 107 132h426c59 0 107-59 107-132zM768 768c0-106-86-192-192-192s-192 86-192 192 86 192 192 192 192-86 192-192zm1024 480v-64c0-18-14-32-32-32h-704c-18 0-32 14-32 32v64c0 18 14 32 32 32h704c18 0 32-14 32-32zm-384-256v-64c0-18-14-32-32-32h-320c-18 0-32 14-32 32v64c0 18 14 32 32 32h320c18 0 32-14 32-32zm384 0v-64c0-18-14-32-32-32h-192c-18 0-32 14-32 32v64c0 18 14 32 32 32h192c18 0 32-14 32-32zm0-256v-64c0-18-14-32-32-32h-704c-18 0-32 14-32 32v64c0 18 14 32 32 32h704c18 0 32-14 32-32zM128 384h1792v-96c0-18-14-32-32-32H160c-18 0-32 14-32 32v96zm1920-96v1216c0 88-72 160-160 160H160c-88 0-160-72-160-160V288c0-88 72-160 160-160h1728c88 0 160 72 160 160z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/leaf.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/leaf.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76c70125
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/leaf.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="1900" height="1700" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M1280 704c0-35-29-64-64-64-354 0-582 148-813 403-12 13-19 27-19 45 0 35 29 64 64 64 18 0 32-7 45-19 49-44 93-92 141-137 181-163 336-228 582-228 35 0 64-29 64-64zm512-198c0 64-7 129-20 193-64 311-264 513-542 651-135 68-286 108-438 108-96 0-195-16-286-47-48-16-144-79-184-79-50 0-110 204-197 204-63 0-82-31-109-77-9-17-16-23-16-44 0-104 198-185 198-243 0-9-26-62-30-82-6-34-9-69-9-104 0-318 253-545 537-639 205-68 641 11 780-121 55-51 82-98 166-98 113 0 150 293 150 378z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/lock.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/lock.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..acf155e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/lock.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="1550" height="1550" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M320 768h512V576c0-141-115-256-256-256S320 435 320 576v192zm832 96v576c0 53-43 96-96 96H96c-53 0-96-43-96-96V864c0-53 43-96 96-96h32V576c0-246 202-448 448-448s448 202 448 448v192h32c53 0 96 43 96 96z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/pencil.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/pencil.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..55db2c87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/pencil.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="1550" height="2100" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M363 2000l91-91-235-235-91 91v107h128v128h107zm523-928c0-13-9-22-22-22-6 0-12 2-17 7l-542 542c-5 5-7 11-7 17 0 13 9 22 22 22 6 0 12-2 17-7l542-542c5-5 7-11 7-17zm-54-192l416 416-832 832H0v-416zm683 96c0 34-14 67-37 90l-166 166-416-416 166-165c23-24 56-38 90-38s67 14 91 38l235 234c23 24 37 57 37 91z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/images/icons/umbrella.svg b/docs/content/images/icons/umbrella.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25dda9eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/images/icons/umbrella.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg width="1750" height="1750" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+    <path d="M896 828v580c0 139-117 256-256 256s-256-117-256-256c0-35 29-64 64-64s64 29 64 64c0 67 61 128 128 128s128-61 128-128V828c21-7 42-11 64-11s43 4 64 11zm768 27c0 17-15 32-32 32-9 0-16-4-23-10-58-54-112-92-195-92-95 0-177 59-231 134-12 17-21 35-32 52-7 11-15 17-28 17-14 0-22-6-29-17-11-17-20-35-32-52-54-75-135-134-230-134s-176 59-230 134c-12 17-21 35-32 52-7 11-15 17-29 17-13 0-21-6-28-17-11-17-20-35-32-52-54-75-136-134-231-134-83 0-137 38-195 92-7 6-14 10-23 10-17 0-32-15-32-32 0-3 0-5 1-7 92-378 457-592 831-592 372 0 741 214 831 592 1 2 1 4 1 7zM896 128v98c-21-1-43-2-64-2s-43 1-64 2v-98c0-35 29-64 64-64s64 29 64 64z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/docs/content/references/permissions.md b/docs/content/references/permissions.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d452e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/references/permissions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Permissions
+
+HedgeDoc 1.x uses a basic permission system that differentiates between the owner of a note (the account who initially
+created it), logged-in users and guests.
+
+It is possible to change the access permission of a note through the little button on the top right of the view pane
+in the editor. However, only the note owner can change the permission of a note.
+
+The permissions are named **Freely**, **Editable**, **Limited**, **Locked**, **Protected** and **Private**.
+
+You can configure the default permission for new notes using the `defaultPermission` option in the `config.json` file or
+`CMD_DEFAULT_PERMISSION` environment variable.
+
+For more information, see the [configuration documentation](../configuration.md#users-and-privileges).
+
+|                                                                                   |   Permission   | Owner read/write | Signed-in read | Signed-in write | Guest read | Guest write |
+|:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|:--------------:|:----------------:|:--------------:|:---------------:|:----------:|:-----------:|
+|     <img src="/images/icons/leaf.svg" alt="leaf icon" height="16" width="16">     |   **Freely**   |        ✔         |       ✔        |        ✔        |     ✔      |      ✔      |
+|   <img src="/images/icons/pencil.svg" alt="pencil icon" height="16" width="16">   |  **Editable**  |        ✔         |       ✔        |        ✔        |     ✔      |      ✖      |
+|  <img src="/images/icons/id-card.svg" alt="id card icon" height="16" width="16">  |  **Limited**   |        ✔         |       ✔        |        ✔        |     ✖      |      ✖      |
+|     <img src="/images/icons/lock.svg" alt="lock icon" height="16" width="16">     |   **Locked**   |        ✔         |       ✔        |        ✖        |     ✔      |      ✖      |
+| <img src="/images/icons/umbrella.svg" alt="umbrella icon" height="16" width="16"> | **Protected**  |        ✔         |       ✔        |        ✖        |     ✖      |      ✖      |
+| <img src="/images/icons/hand-paper-o.svg" alt="hand icon" height="16" width="16"> |  **Private**   |        ✔         |       ✖        |        ✖        |     ✖      |      ✖      |
diff --git a/docs/mkdocs.yml b/docs/mkdocs.yml
index 1654e305..3f26695f 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/docs/mkdocs.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ nav:
       - 'Slide Options': references/slide-options.md
       - 'URL Scheme': references/url-scheme.md
       - 'YAML Metadata': references/yaml-metadata.md
+      - 'Permissions': references/permissions.md
   - Developer:
       - 'Getting Started': dev/getting-started.md
       - API: dev/api.md