---
title: Setup role
description: Administrators who set up Synthetics typically need to enable Monitor Management. Monitor Management will be enabled automatically when a user with the...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/setup-role
products:
  - Elastic Observability
applies_to:
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Setup role
Administrators who set up Synthetics typically need to enable Monitor Management.
Monitor Management will be enabled automatically when a user with the required permissions loads the Synthetics UI. This must be completed just once by an admin before any users with the [Writer role](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/writer-role) can create synthetic monitors. This applies to monitors created via both [projects](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/create-monitors-with-projects) and [the UI](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/create-monitors-ui).
As a best practice, **grant the setup role to administrators only**, and use a more restrictive role for event publishing.
Create a **setup role**, called something like `synthetics_setup`:
1. Start with the `editor` [built-in role](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/roles#built-in-roles-editor). This role grants full access to all features in Kibana (including the Observability solution) and read-only access to data indices.
   <note>
   The `editor` [built-in role](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/roles#built-in-roles-editor) will grant write access to *all* Kibana apps. If you want to limit write access to the Synthetics app only, refer to [Limited write access](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/writer-role#synthetics-write-privileges-limited).If you choose this approach, you will still need to grant the privileges in the next step.
   </note>
2. Grant the role additional privileges that are required to enable Monitor Management:
   1. Grant all of the following privileges:
   | Type                                                                                                                                              | Privilege                             | Purpose                                                                                                          |
   |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   | [Cluster](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-cluster) | `monitor`                             | Allows the user to retrieve cluster details.                                                                     |
   | [Cluster](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-cluster) | `manage_ilm`                          | Allows the user access to all index lifecycle management operations related to managing policies.                |
   | [Cluster](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-cluster) | `read_pipeline`                       | Gives the user read-only access to the ingest pipline.                                                           |
   | [Index](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-indices)   | `synthetics-*`: `view_index_metadata` | Gives the user read-only access to index and data stream metadata.                                               |
   | [Index](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-indices)   | `synthetics-*`: `create_doc`          | Allows the user to index documents.                                                                              |
   | [Index](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-indices)   | `synthetics-*`: `auto_configure`      | Permits auto-creation of indices and data streams.                                                               |
   | [Index](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges#privileges-list-indices)   | `synthetics-*`: `monitor`             | Gives access to all actions that are required for monitoring (recovery, segments info, index stats, and status). |

<note>
  If users with the setup role also need to create, modify, and delete monitors, add the privileges defined in the [writer role](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/synthetics/writer-role).
</note>