[Django]-Django Admin- disable Editing and remove "Save" buttons for a specific model

For Django 1.11:

def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
    return False

def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
    extra_context = extra_context or {}
    extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
    extra_context['show_save'] = False
    return super(YourModelAdmin, self).changeform_view(request, object_id, extra_context=extra_context)

The easiest method would be disabling respective permissions in ModelAdmin class. For example, I have a Cart model that I want an admin to only view (list and details) and all I did was to add the following functions to CartAdmin class to disable delete, change and add

class CartAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    list_display = ['listing']

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_change_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

The three methods has_add_permission, has_change_permission and has_delete_permission are the ones that disable add button, add form, edit form and delete buttons in the admin

Here is a sample output when viewing a record details in the admin that has the above permissions disabled

As you can see the diagram above, you only have close button and the details are not displayed in a form

I had same problem. I fixed it in admin.py

from django.contrib.admin.templatetags.admin_modify import register, submit_row as original_submit_row

@register.inclusion_tag('admin/submit_line.html', takes_context=True)
def submit_row(context):
''' submit buttons context change '''
ctx = original_submit_row(context)
ctx.update({
    'show_save_and_add_another': context.get('show_save_and_add_another',
                                             ctx['show_save_and_add_another']),
    'show_save_and_continue': context.get('show_save_and_continue',
                                          ctx['show_save_and_continue']),
    'show_save': context.get('show_save',
                             ctx['show_save']),
    'show_delete_link': context.get('show_delete_link', ctx['show_delete_link'])
})
return ctx

In MyModelAdmin class, add following function

@classmethod
def has_add_permission(cls, request):
    ''' remove add and save and add another button '''
    return False

def change_view(self, request, object_id, extra_context=None):
    ''' customize add/edit form '''
    extra_context = extra_context or {}
    extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
    extra_context['show_save'] = False
    return super(MyModelAdmin, self).change_view(request, object_id, extra_context=extra_context)

Updated answer using Django 1.8 (Python 3 syntax).

There are three things to do:
1) extend the admin change form template, adding an if to conditionally suppress the submit buttons
2) override admin.ModelAdmin.change_view() and set a context var for the template if to read
3) prohibit unwanted POST requests (from DOM hacking, curl/Postman)

---

MyProject/my_app/templates/admin/my_app/change_form.html

{% extends "admin/change_form.html" %}
{% load admin_modify %}
{% block submit_buttons_top %}{% if my_editable %}{% submit_row %}{% endif %}{% endblock %}
{% block submit_buttons_bottom %}{% if my_editable %}{% submit_row %}{% endif %}{% endblock %}

---

MyProject/my_app/admin.py (MyModelAdmin)

def change_view(self, request, object_id, form_url='', extra_context=None):
  obj = MyModel.objects.get(pk=object_id)
  editable = obj.get_status() == 'Active'

  if not editable and request.method == 'POST':
    return HttpResponseForbidden("Cannot change an inactive MyModel")

  more_context = {
    # set a context var telling our customized template to suppress the Save button group
    'my_editable': editable,
  }
  more_context.update(extra_context or {})
  return super().change_view(request, object_id, form_url, more_context)

I had the same problem – the easiest way to do this, is to include some custom JS.

In you admin.py file include

class Media:
    js = ('/static/js/admin.js',)

Then in your admin.js file, include the following JS.

(function($) {
    $(document).ready(function($) {
         $(".submit-row").hide()
    });
})(django.jQuery);

The row is gone – it should work in all versions of Django too.

This has been possible for a while. The names are has_add_permission, has_change_permission and has_delete_permission. See the django admin documentation for reference. Here is also an example:

@admin.register(Object)
class Admin(admin.ModelAdmin):

    def has_add_permission(self, request):
        return False

    def has_change_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

Aug, 2022 Update:

You can remove "SAVE" button, "Save and continue editing" button, "Save and add another" button and "Delete" button from a specific admin.

For example, this is "Person" model in "store" app below:

# "store/models.py"

from django.db import models

class Person(models.Model):
    first_name = models.CharField(max_length=30)
    last_name = models.CharField(max_length=30)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.first_name + " " + self.last_name

    class Meta:
        verbose_name = "Person"
        verbose_name_plural = "Person"

Then, this is "Person" admin in "store" app below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    pass

Then, this is how "Add person" page looks like:

Then, this is how "Change person" page looks like:

Then, this is how "Select person to change" page looks like:

Then, this is how "Person" admin on "Store administration" page looks like:

First, to remove "SAVE" button, set "False" to "extra_context[‘show_save’]" in "changeform_view()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False # Here

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

Then, "SAVE" button is removed from "Add person" page and "Change person" page. *Actually, "SAVE" button is replaced with "Close" buttom as shown below:

Next, to remove "Save and continue editing" button, set "False" to "extra_context[‘show_save_and_continue’]" in "changeform_view()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False # Here

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

Then, "Save and continue editing" button is removed from "Add person" page and "Change person" page as shown below:

Next, to remove "Save and add another" button, return "False" in "has_add_permission()" as shown below. *After this, "Add person" page can no longer be accessed:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None): # Here
        return False

Then, "Save and add another" button is removed from "Change person" page as shown below:

Then, "ADD PERSON" button is also removed from "Select person to change" page as shown below:

Then, "➕ADD" button is also removed from "Person" admin on "Store administration" page as shown below:

Next, to remove "Delete" button, set "False" to "extra_context[‘show_delete’]" in "changeform_view()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
        extra_context['show_delete'] = False # Here

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

Then, "Delete" button is removed from "Change person" page as shown below:

Actually, you can also remove "Delete" button by returning "False" in "has_delete_permission()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
        # extra_context['show_delete'] = False

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None): # Here
        return False

Then, "Delete" button is removed from "Change person" page as shown below:

Then, "Action" select dropdown box is also removed from "Select person to change" page as shown below:

In addition, you can make the fields on "Change person" page unchangeable by returning "False" in "has_change_permission()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
        # extra_context['show_delete'] = False

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None): 
        return False

    def has_change_permission(self, request, obj=None): # Here
        return False

Then, the fields on "Change person" page are made unchangeable as shown below:

Then, "✏️Change" button is replaced with "👁️View" for "Person" admin on "Store administration" page as shown below:

In addition, you can remove "Person" admin from "Store administration" page by returning "False" in "has_view_permission()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        extra_context = extra_context or {}

        extra_context['show_save'] = False
        extra_context['show_save_and_continue'] = False
        # extra_context['show_delete'] = False

        return super().changeform_view(request, object_id, form_url, extra_context)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None): 
        return False

    def has_change_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_view_permission(self, request, obj=None): # Here
        return False

Then, "Person" admin is removed from "Store administration" page as shown below:

Finally, you can replace "changeform_view()" with "render_change_form()" which can also remove "SAVE" button, "Save and continue editing" button and "Delete" button with "context.update()" as shown below:

# "store/admin.py"

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Person

@admin.register(Person)
class PersonAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    
    # Here
    def render_change_form(self, request, context, add=False, change=False, form_url='', obj=None):
        context.update({
            'show_save': False, # Here
            'show_save_and_continue': False, # Here
            # 'show_delete': False, # Here
        })
        return super().render_change_form(request, context, add, change, form_url, obj)

    def has_add_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None): 
        return False

    def has_change_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def has_view_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

You could try this package Django Admin View Permission. This package adds a view permission for the specified models and handles the other stuff automatically.

Based on the excellent answer from @mat_gessel, here’s my solution:

The main differences are UX’y:

• use messages and redirect (with reversing-admin-urls), rather than HttpResponseForbidden to prevent a save
• define get_readonly_fields conditionally to prevent un-saveable inputs being displayed

Also:

• override change_form.html app-wide, because read_only is such a useful, non-invasive enhancement
• define has_delete_permission (may not be required by the OP)
• test request.method != 'GET' to prevent PATCH and friends (not altogether sure if this is required, tbh)

my_app/admin.py

from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
from django.shortcuts import redirect

from django.contrib import admin
from django.contrib import messages


class MyModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    # let's assume two fields...
    fields = (field1, field2)

    def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        if object_id:
            extra_context = extra_context or {}
            extra_context['read_only'] = True

            if request.method != 'GET':
                messages.error(request, "Cannot edit a MyModel object")
                return redirect(
                    reverse('admin:myapp_mymodel_change', args=[object_id])
                )

        return super(MyModelAdmin, self).changeform_view(request, object_id, extra_context=extra_context)

    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None):
        return False

    def get_readonly_fields(self, request, obj=None):
        if obj:
            # display all fields as text, rather than inputs
            return (field1, field2)
        else:
            return []

admin/change_form.html

{% extends "admin/change_form.html" %}
{% load admin_modify %}
{# remove the save buttons if read_only is truthy #}
{% block submit_buttons_top %}{% if not read_only %}{% submit_row %}{% endif %}{% endblock %}
{% block submit_buttons_bottom %}{% if not read_only %}{% submit_row %}{% endif %}{% endblock %}

(Tested on Django 1.9: heads up: some imports have moved since then, eg reverse)

To show close button

app_name/admin.py

from django.contrib.admin.templatetags.admin_modify import register, submit_row as original_submit_row

...
class YourappAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
...
    @register.inclusion_tag('admin/submit_line.html', takes_context=True)
    def submit_row(context):
        ctx = original_submit_row(context)
        ctx.update({
            "show_close": True,
        })
        return ctx
...