Are you tired of being the sole gatekeeper of your Supabase database? Do you want to share the power with external users, but still maintain control over what they can access? Look no further! In this article, we’ll dive into the world of Supabase access control and show you how to allow external users to access specific tables in your database.
Why You Need to Control Access
Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. As your database grows, so does the need for access control. You can’t have just anyone wandering around your database, accessing sensitive information, or making unauthorized changes. That’s like leaving your house keys on the front porch – not a great idea!
By controlling access, you can:
- Ensure data security and integrity
- Protect sensitive information from unauthorized access
- Prevent data breaches and cyber attacks
- Improve collaboration and sharing of data with external users
Understanding Supabase Roles and Permissions
Supabase uses a role-based access control (RBAC) system, which means you can assign specific permissions to users or groups based on their role. Think of roles like job titles, and permissions like the tasks they can perform.
There are two types of roles in Supabase:
- Internal roles: These are roles that you create and manage within your Supabase instance.
- External roles: These are roles that are linked to external authentication providers, such as Google, GitHub, or Azure.
Permissions, on the other hand, define what actions a user or role can perform on a specific resource, such as a table or row.
Creating a New Role for External Users
Let’s create a new internal role for our external users. This role will have limited permissions, allowing them to access only the tables we specify.
Follow these steps:
- Log in to your Supabase dashboard and navigate to the
Settings
tab. - Click on
Roles
and then click theNew Role
button. - Enter a name for your role, such as
externals
, and a description. - Click
Create Role
.
Assigning Permissions to the New Role
Now that we have our new role, let’s assign some permissions. We’ll give our externals
role access to a specific table, but with limited permissions.
Follow these steps:
- Navigate to the
Tables
tab in your Supabase dashboard. - Click on the table you want to share with external users, and then click the
Permissions
tab. - Click the
Edit
button next to theRoles
section. - Select the
externals
role from the dropdown menu. - Choose the permissions you want to assign, such as
SELECT
,INSERT
, orUPDATE
. - Click
Save
.
Creating an External User Account
Now that we have our role and permissions set up, let’s create an external user account. This account will be linked to an external authentication provider, such as Google or GitHub.
Follow these steps:
- Navigate to the
Auth
tab in your Supabase dashboard. - Click on the
External Auth
tab. - Choose the external authentication provider you want to use, such as Google or GitHub.
- Follow the provider’s instructions to set up the external auth flow.
- Once set up, click the
Save
button.
Linking the External User to the New Role
Now that we have our external user account, let’s link it to our externals
role.
Follow these steps:
- Navigate to the
Users
tab in your Supabase dashboard. - Click on the external user account you just created.
- Click the
Roles
tab. - Click the
Edit
button. - Select the
externals
role from the dropdown menu. - Click
Save
.
Testing the New Role and Permissions
Let’s test our new role and permissions to make sure everything is working as expected.
Follow these steps:
- Log out of your Supabase dashboard.
- Log back in as the external user account you created.
- Navigate to the
Tables
tab. - Try to access a table that you didn’t grant permission to. You should get an error.
- Try to access the table you granted permission to. You should be able to view or edit the data based on the permissions you assigned.
Table | Permission | Result |
---|---|---|
my_secret_table | No access | Error |
my_shared_table | SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE | Access granted |
Conclusion
And that’s it! You’ve successfully allowed external users to access certain tables in your Supabase database. By creating a new role, assigning permissions, and linking the role to an external user account, you’ve taken the first step in controlling access to your database.
Remember to always follow best practices for access control and security, and to regularly review and update your permissions to ensure your database remains secure.
// Supabase API example to grant permissions to a role const { data, error } = await supabase .from('my_table') .grantPermission({ role: 'externals', permissions: ['SELECT', 'INSERT', 'UPDATE'] });
Now, go forth and share your data with the world (or at least, with the external users you trust)!
Frequently Asked Question
Got questions about sharing your Supabase DB with external users? We’ve got answers!
How do I grant external users access to specific tables in my Supabase DB?
To grant external users access to specific tables, you need to create a role-based access control (RBAC) system. Create a new role, assign the necessary permissions to that role, and then assign the role to the external user. You can do this by going to the Supabase dashboard, clicking on the “Auth” tab, and then creating a new role. From there, you can assign the role to the user and specify which tables they should have access to.
What kind of permissions can I grant to external users?
With Supabase, you can grant various permissions to external users, including `SELECT`, `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, and `DELETE`. These permissions can be granted at the table level, so you can control exactly what actions external users can perform on specific tables. For example, you might grant a user `SELECT` permission on a table so they can read data but not modify it.
How do I authenticate external users?
Supabase provides several authentication options for external users, including email/password authentication, OAuth, and JWT (JSON Web Tokens). You can choose the authentication method that best fits your use case. Once authenticated, the user will receive an access token that can be used to access the authorized tables.
Can I limit the amount of data external users can access?
Yes, with Supabase, you can limit the amount of data external users can access by using Row-Level Security (RLS) policies. These policies allow you to define rules that determine which rows in a table a user can access. For example, you might create a policy that only allows a user to access rows where a specific column matches their user ID.
How do I revoke access for external users?
To revoke access for external users, you can simply remove the role assignment or permissions that were granted to the user. This will immediately revoke their access to the authorized tables. You can also delete the user account or access token to prevent future access.