Search engine-based features are a basic interaction mean for users to find information inside a Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS); nonetheless, traditional solutions lack in mechanisms for access rights management for data contained in search engines’ indexes. This paper explores the integration of a Role Based Access Control (RBAC) mechanism for the interaction with a search engine in a Webbased LMS. We first outline a reference conceptual model for the design of Web-based LMSs exploiting RBAC by means of WebML, a visual modeling language for the high-level specification of data-intensive Web applications. Then, we propose a model-driven approach for the definition of a RBAC-driven interaction between users and search engines, extending WebML with new modeling primitives and outlining significative modeling patterns for the specification of the visibility and action access control levels. Key words: Web Engineering, Search Engine Design, Index Modeling, Access Contr...