How to implement role-based access control in Supabase?

Discover how to set up role-based access control (RBAC) in Supabase through detailed, step-by-step guides. Ensure your user permissions are managed securely and efficiently.

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Overview

Role-based access control, or RBAC, in Supabase helps you manage who gets to do what based on their roles. This way, only those with the right permissions can perform certain actions. To get RBAC rolling, you'll set up roles, spell out what each role is allowed to do, and then link these roles to your users. Supabase builds on PostgreSQL's built-in role and permission tools, which makes it pretty easy to get things going. You'll also work with policies to control access at the row level, which adds another layer of security. Getting a handle on how Supabase handles authentication and authorization is crucial for setting up RBAC correctly in your apps.

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How to implement role-based access control in Supabase?

Step 1: Set Up Supabase Project

Log in to Supabase and start a new project.
Follow the steps to set up your project's database.

Step 2: Define Roles in Auth Policies

Head over to the "Auth" section in your Supabase dashboard.
Click on "Policies".
Create custom roles like "user", "admin", "editor", or whatever you need.

Step 3: Create Database Tables

In your Supabase dashboard, go to the "Tables" section under "Database".
Create the tables you need for your app. Make sure each table has a role identifier or permissions column.

Step 4: Insert Role Information

Add role information into the relevant tables.
For instance, if you don't have a "roles" table, create one:
```sql
CREATE TABLE roles (
id serial PRIMARY KEY,
role_name text NOT NULL
);
```
Insert roles:
```sql
INSERT INTO roles (role_name) VALUES ('user'), ('admin'), ('editor');
```

Step 5: Create Role-Based Policies

Set up policies for your tables based on roles.
Example policy to let only admins insert data into a table:
```sql
CREATE POLICY "Admins can insert"
ON your_table_name
FOR INSERT
USING (auth.role() = 'admin');
```

Step 6: Assign Roles to Users

Assign roles when new users sign up, either with a trigger or during the sign-up process:
```sql
CREATE TABLE user_roles (
user_id uuid REFERENCES auth.users(id),
role_id int REFERENCES roles(id)
);

INSERT INTO user_roles (user_id, role_id)
VALUES ('userdata-id', (SELECT id FROM roles WHERE role_name = 'user'));
```

Step 7: Implement Role Checking in Backend

In your backend service, use Supabase client libraries to check user roles.
Example in JavaScript:
```javascript
const { data: userRoles } = await supabase
.from('user_roles')
.select('role_id')
.eq('user_id', user.id);
if (userRoles && userRoles.length > 0) {
const roleId = userRoles[0].role_id;
// Perform role-based logic here
}
```

Step 8: Secure Frontend with Role Checks

Implement role checks in your frontend to make sure the client-side respects access control.
Example in React:
```javascript
useEffect(() => {
const checkUserRole = async () => {
const { user } = supabase.auth.session();
const { data: userRoles } = await supabase
.from('user_roles')
.select('roles(role_name)')
.eq('user_id', user.id);

if (userRoles && userRoles.length > 0) {
const userRole = userRoles[0].roles.role_name;
if (userRole !== 'admin') {
// Redirect or hide admin-only components
}
}
}

checkUserRole();
}, []);
```

Step 9: Test the Implementation

Create test users and give them different roles.
Try accessing different parts of your app to make sure the access control works as expected.
Change roles and check that permissions update accordingly.

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