---
type: api
title: Create or update a role
description: Create a new Kibana role or update the attributes of an existing role. Kibana roles are stored in the Elasticsearch native realm.
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/kibana/v8/operation/operation-put-security-role-name
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/kibana/v8/operation/operation-put-security-role-name
products:
  - Kibana
---

# Create or update a role

- Server: `https://{kibana_url}`

## Paths

- `PUT` `/api/security/role/{name}`

- [Api key auth](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/kibana/v8/authentication#apikeyauth)
- [Basic auth](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/kibana/v8/authentication#basicauth)

#### Path Parameters

- `name` (string · min: 1 · max: 1024)
  The role name.

## Description

Create a new Kibana role or update the attributes of an existing role. Kibana roles are stored in the Elasticsearch native realm.

## Query String Parameters

- `createOnly` (boolean · default: false)
  When true, a role is not overwritten if it already exists.

## Request Body

`application/json`

- `description` (string · max: 2048) — optional
  A description for the role.
- `elasticsearch` (object) — required
  - `cluster` ([] string) — optional
  - `indices` ([] object) — optional
    - `allow_restricted_indices` (boolean) — optional
      Restricted indices are a special category of indices that are used internally to store configuration data and should not be directly accessed. Only internal system roles should normally grant privileges over the restricted indices. Toggling this flag is very strongly discouraged because it could effectively grant unrestricted operations on critical data, making the entire system unstable or leaking sensitive information. If for administrative purposes you need to create a role with privileges covering restricted indices, however, you can set this property to true. In that case, the names field covers the restricted indices too.
    - `field_security` (map string to string) — optional
    - `names` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `privileges` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `query` (string) — optional
      A search query that defines the documents the role members have read access to. A document within the specified data streams and indices must match this query in order for it to be accessible by the role members.
  - `remote_cluster` ([] object) — optional
    - `clusters` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `privileges` ([] string · min: 1) — required
  - `remote_indices` ([] object) — optional
    - `allow_restricted_indices` (boolean) — optional
      Restricted indices are a special category of indices that are used internally to store configuration data and should not be directly accessed. Only internal system roles should normally grant privileges over the restricted indices. Toggling this flag is very strongly discouraged because it could effectively grant unrestricted operations on critical data, making the entire system unstable or leaking sensitive information. If for administrative purposes you need to create a role with privileges covering restricted indices, however, you can set this property to true. In that case, the names field will cover the restricted indices too.
    - `clusters` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `field_security` (map string to string) — optional
    - `names` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `privileges` ([] string · min: 1) — required
    - `query` (string) — optional
      A search query that defines the documents the role members have read access to. A document within the specified data streams and indices must match this query in order for it to be accessible by the role members.
  - `run_as` ([] string) — optional
- `kibana` ([] object · max: 1000) — optional
  - `base` (union string[]) — required
    One of: `string[]`
  - `feature` (map string to string) — optional
  - `spaces` (union [] enum | [] string · default: [
  "*"
]) — optional
    Values: `*`
- `metadata` (map string to object) — optional

## Response

Indicates a successful call.

## Code Examples

#### Console

```console
PUT /api/security/role/{name}
{
  "description": "Grant full access to discover and dashboard features in the default space. Grant read access in the marketing, and sales spaces.",
  "metadata": {
    "version": 1
  },
  "elasticsearch": {
    "cluster": [],
    "indices": []
  },
  "kibana": [
    {
      "base": [],
      "feature": {
        "discover": [
          "all"
        ],
        "dashboard": [
          "all"
        ]
      },
      "spaces": [
        "default"
      ]
    },
    {
      "base": [
        "read"
      ],
      "spaces": [
        "marketing",
        "sales"
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

#### curl

```curl
curl -X PUT "https://{kibana_url}/api/security/role/{name}" \
  -H "kbn-xsrf: true" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "description": "Grant full access to discover and dashboard features in the default space. Grant read access in the marketing, and sales spaces.",
  "metadata": {
    "version": 1
  },
  "elasticsearch": {
    "cluster": [],
    "indices": []
  },
  "kibana": [
    {
      "base": [],
      "feature": {
        "discover": [
          "all"
        ],
        "dashboard": [
          "all"
        ]
      },
      "spaces": [
        "default"
      ]
    },
    {
      "base": [
        "read"
      ],
      "spaces": [
        "marketing",
        "sales"
      ]
    }
  ]
}'
```