---
title: "Default item settings"
slug: "default-item-settings"
updated: 2026-09-11T13:35:21Z
published: 2026-09-11T13:35:21Z
canonical: "help.cirrusassessment.com/default-item-settings"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cirrusassessment.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Default item settings

**Define default settings per item type for your environment, so new items are created with the options already set.**

Instead of adjusting the same options on every question you author, set them once per item type. Every new item of that type then opens with those settings applied, and authors can still change them on individual items.

This is especially useful for organisations that produce large volumes of content and consistently apply the same configuration.

## Before you start

Access to this feature is controlled by a site role permission. Navigate to **Administration > Roles**, open the role you want to give access to, and enable **Manage default settings**.

![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/cdfc20c8-6721-4154-b0a1-9f49f139d107/Images/Documentation/Screenshot%202026-09-11%20at%203.10.16%E2%80%AFPM.png)

> Users without the permission are not affected
> 
> 
> Authors without 'Manage default settings' simply won't see the menu. They still create items as normal, and the environment defaults still apply to the items they create.

## Set your defaults

Navigate to **Administration > Settings > Default settings**.

![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/cdfc20c8-6721-4154-b0a1-9f49f139d107/Images/Documentation/Screenshot%202026-09-11%20at%203.12.14%E2%80%AFPM.png)

1. Select the item type you want to configure from the list.
2. Set the options exactly as you would when authoring an item.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Repeat for any other item types you want to configure.

Defaults are set per item type, so you can configure Multiple Response without touching Essay, and come back to the others later.

## Which settings can I configure?

Almost every setting that you can set on an item can be given a default value. Which ones appear depends on the item type you selected. Examples include:

- **Add labels**  show A, B, C enumeration to candidates
- **Randomise order**  shuffle the answer alternatives during delivery
- **Scoring method** for example Dichotomous or Polytomous
- **Allowed selections**  'Equal to correct options' or 'No limit'
- **Feedback settings**  general or detailed feedback
- **On-screen instruction**  the instruction text shown to candidates
- **Layout and display options**
- Any other options specific to the item type

![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/cdfc20c8-6721-4154-b0a1-9f49f139d107/Images/Documentation/Screenshot%202026-09-11%20at%203.20.34%E2%80%AFPM.png)

## How defaults are applied

When an author creates a new item, Cirrus opens the item editor with your saved defaults already applied. The author can change any of them before saving, so a default is a starting point, not a lock.

Defaults apply to new items only

Items that already exist in your Library are never changed. If you update your defaults later, only items created after that change will use the new values.

## Good to know

- Defaults are set at environment level, so they apply to every author in your environment.
- It's worth agreeing your defaults with your authoring team before a large authoring round, that's where the time saving is biggest.
- If an item doesn't look the way you expect, check the item's own Options first: an author may have overridden the default on that item.

## Learn more

- Each item also has general options that can be set while authoring. See [Item Options](/v1/docs/using-item-options).
- For an overview of all question types, see [Different Item types](/v1/docs/different-item-types)
- For managing permissions, see [Site Roles](/v1/docs/site-roles)