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Elasticsearch Guide [7.7] » REST APIs » Security APIs » Create or update roles API
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Create or update roles APIedit

Adds and updates roles in the native realm.

Requestedit

POST /_security/role/<name>

PUT /_security/role/<name>

Prerequisitesedit

  • To use this API, you must have at least the manage_security cluster privilege.

Descriptionedit

The role management APIs are generally the preferred way to manage roles, rather than using file-based role management. The create or update roles API cannot update roles that are defined in roles files.

Path parametersedit

name
(string) The name of the role.

Request bodyedit

The following parameters can be specified in the body of a PUT or POST request and pertain to adding a role:

applications

(list) A list of application privilege entries.

application (required)
(string) The name of the application to which this entry applies
privileges
(list) A list of strings, where each element is the name of an application privilege or action.
resources
(list) A list resources to which the privileges are applied.
cluster
(list) A list of cluster privileges. These privileges define the cluster level actions that users with this role are able to execute.
global
(object) An object defining global privileges. A global privilege is a form of cluster privilege that is request-aware. Support for global privileges is currently limited to the management of application privileges. This field is optional.
indices

(list) A list of indices permissions entries.

field_security
(list) The document fields that the owners of the role have read access to. For more information, see Setting up field and document level security.
names (required)
(list) A list of indices (or index name patterns) to which the permissions in this entry apply.
privileges(required)
(list) The index level privileges that the owners of the role have on the specified indices.
query
A search query that defines the documents the owners of the role have read access to. A document within the specified indices must match this query in order for it to be accessible by the owners of the role.
metadata
(object) Optional meta-data. Within the metadata object, keys that begin with _ are reserved for system usage.
run_as
(list) A list of users that the owners of this role can impersonate. For more information, see Submitting requests on behalf of other users.

For more information, see Defining roles.

Examplesedit

The following example adds a role called my_admin_role:

POST /_security/role/my_admin_role
{
  "cluster": ["all"],
  "indices": [
    {
      "names": [ "index1", "index2" ],
      "privileges": ["all"],
      "field_security" : { // optional
        "grant" : [ "title", "body" ]
      },
      "query": "{\"match\": {\"title\": \"foo\"}}" // optional
    }
  ],
  "applications": [
    {
      "application": "myapp",
      "privileges": [ "admin", "read" ],
      "resources": [ "*" ]
    }
  ],
  "run_as": [ "other_user" ], // optional
  "metadata" : { // optional
    "version" : 1
  }
}

A successful call returns a JSON structure that shows whether the role has been created or updated.

{
  "role": {
    "created": true 
  }
}

When an existing role is updated, created is set to false.
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