---
type: api
title: Get roles
description: **All methods and paths for this operation:**
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4493/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/operation/operation-security-get-role
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4493/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/operation/operation-security-get-role
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Get roles


## Paths

- `GET` `/_security/role/{name}`
- `GET` `/_security/role`

#### Path parameters

- `name` (union string | string[]) — optional, leave it out to use `/_security/role`
  The name of the role.
You can specify multiple roles as a comma-separated list.
If you do not specify this parameter, the API returns information about all roles.

## Description

Get roles in the native realm.
The role management APIs are generally the preferred way to manage roles, rather than using file-based role management.
The get roles API cannot retrieve roles that are defined in roles files.

## Required authorization

- Cluster privileges: `read_security`

## Authentication

- Api key: `Authorization: <value>`
  Elasticsearch APIs support key-based authentication.
  You must create an API key and use the encoded value in the request header.
  For example:
  
  
  ```
  curl -X GET "${ES_URL}/_cat/indices?v=true" \
    -H "Authorization: ApiKey ${API_KEY}"
  ```
  
  To get API keys, use the `/_security/api_key` APIs.
- Basic: `Authorization: Basic <credentials>`
- Bearer: `Authorization: Bearer <token>`
  Elasticsearch APIs support the use of bearer tokens in the `Authorization` HTTP header to authenticate with the API.
  For examples, refer to [Token-based authentication services](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/users-roles/cluster-or-deployment-auth/token-based-authentication-services)

## Query string parameters

- `include_implicit` (boolean · default: false) — optional
  If `true`, include privileges that are implicitly granted by registered `ImplicitPrivilegesProviders` alongside the explicitly configured privileges.
Each implicit entry in the response is annotated with `implicitly_granted: true`.

## Response

`application/json`

- `<string>` (object)
  - `cluster` (union anyOf[])
    Values: `all`, `cancel_task`, `clone_api_key`, `create_snapshot`, `cross_cluster_replication`, `cross_cluster_search`, `delegate_pki`, `grant_api_key`, `manage`, `manage_api_key`, `manage_autoscaling`, `manage_behavioral_analytics`, `manage_ccr`, `manage_data_frame_transforms`, `manage_data_stream_global_retention`, `manage_enrich`, `manage_esql`, `manage_ilm`, `manage_index_templates`, `manage_inference`, `manage_ingest_pipelines`, `manage_logstash_pipelines`, `manage_ml`, `manage_oidc`, `manage_own_api_key`, `manage_pipeline`, `manage_reindex`, `manage_rollup`, `manage_saml`, `manage_search_application`, `manage_search_query_rules`, `manage_search_synonyms`, `manage_security`, `manage_service_account`, `manage_slm`, `manage_token`, `manage_transform`, `manage_user_profile`, `manage_watcher`, `monitor`, `monitor_data_frame_transforms`, `monitor_data_stream_global_retention`, `monitor_enrich`, `monitor_esql`, `monitor_inference`, `monitor_ml`, `monitor_reindex`, `monitor_rollup`, `monitor_snapshot`, `monitor_stats`, `monitor_text_structure`, `monitor_transform`, `monitor_watcher`, `none`, `post_behavioral_analytics_event`, `read_ccr`, `read_fleet_secrets`, `read_ilm`, `read_pipeline`, `read_security`, `read_slm`, `transport_client`, `write_connector_secrets`, `write_fleet_secrets`
  - `indices` (object[])
    - `implicitly_granted` (boolean)
      Set to `true` on entries that were contributed by a registered `ImplicitPrivilegesProvider`
rather than explicitly stored on the role. Only present when the get role API is called with
`include_implicit=true`. The put role API rejects this field, so clients must not echo it back
on a GET-then-PUT round-trip.
    - `field_security` (object)
      The document fields that the owners of the role have read access to.
      - `except` (string)
      - `grant` (string)
    - `names` (union string | string[])
      A list of indices (or index name patterns) to which the permissions in this entry apply.
    - `privileges` (union anyOf[])
      The index level privileges that owners of the role have on the specified indices.
      Values: `all`, `auto_configure`, `create`, `create_doc`, `create_index`, `create_view`, `cross_cluster_replication`, `cross_cluster_replication_internal`, `delete`, `delete_index`, `delete_view`, `index`, `maintenance`, `manage`, `manage_data_stream_lifecycle`, `manage_follow_index`, `manage_ilm`, `manage_leader_index`, `manage_view`, `monitor`, `none`, `read`, `read_cross_cluster`, `read_view_metadata`, `view_index_metadata`, `write`
    - `query` (union)
      A search query that defines the documents the owners of the role have access to. A document within the specified indices must match this query for it to be accessible by the owners of the role.
    - `allow_restricted_indices` (boolean · default: false)
      Set to `true` if using wildcard or regular expressions for patterns that cover restricted indices. Implicitly, restricted indices have limited privileges that can cause pattern tests to fail. If restricted indices are explicitly included in the `names` list, Elasticsearch checks privileges against these indices regardless of the value set for `allow_restricted_indices`.
  - `remote_indices` (object[])
    - `clusters` (string)
      A list of cluster aliases to which the permissions in this entry apply.
    - `field_security` (object)
      The document fields that the owners of the role have read access to.
      - `except` (string)
      - `grant` (string)
    - `names` (union string | string[])
      A list of indices (or index name patterns) to which the permissions in this entry apply.
    - `privileges` (union anyOf[])
      The index level privileges that owners of the role have on the specified indices.
      Values: `all`, `auto_configure`, `create`, `create_doc`, `create_index`, `create_view`, `cross_cluster_replication`, `cross_cluster_replication_internal`, `delete`, `delete_index`, `delete_view`, `index`, `maintenance`, `manage`, `manage_data_stream_lifecycle`, `manage_follow_index`, `manage_ilm`, `manage_leader_index`, `manage_view`, `monitor`, `none`, `read`, `read_cross_cluster`, `read_view_metadata`, `view_index_metadata`, `write`
    - `query` (union)
      A search query that defines the documents the owners of the role have access to. A document within the specified indices must match this query for it to be accessible by the owners of the role.
    - `allow_restricted_indices` (boolean · default: false)
      Set to `true` if using wildcard or regular expressions for patterns that cover restricted indices. Implicitly, restricted indices have limited privileges that can cause pattern tests to fail. If restricted indices are explicitly included in the `names` list, Elasticsearch checks privileges against these indices regardless of the value set for `allow_restricted_indices`.
  - `remote_cluster` (object[])
    - `clusters` (string)
      A list of cluster aliases to which the permissions in this entry apply.
    - `privileges` (enum[])
      The cluster level privileges that owners of the role have on the remote cluster.
      Values: `monitor_enrich`, `monitor_stats`
  - `metadata` (object)
  - `description` (string)
  - `run_as` (string[])
  - `transient_metadata` (map string to object)
  - `applications` (object[])
    - `application` (string)
      The name of the application to which this entry applies.
    - `privileges` (string[])
      A list of strings, where each element is the name of an application privilege or action.
    - `resources` (string[])
      A list resources to which the privileges are applied.
  - `role_templates` (object[])
    - `format` (enum)
      Values: `string`, `json`
    - `template` (string)
  - `global` (map string to string to string to string)
## Code examples

#### Console

```console
GET /_security/role/my_admin_role
```

#### JavaScript

```javascript
const response = await client.security.getRole({
  name: "my_admin_role",
});
```

#### Python

```python
resp = client.security.get_role(
    name="my_admin_role",
)
```

#### curl

```curl
curl -X GET "$ELASTICSEARCH_URL/_security/role/my_admin_role" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey $ELASTIC_API_KEY"
```

#### Java

```java
client.security().getRole(g -> g
    .name("my_admin_role")
);
```

#### C#

```c#
var response = await client.Security
    .GetRoleAsync(d1 => d1
        .Name(new[] { "my_admin_role" })
    );
```

#### PHP

```php
$resp = $client->security()->getRole([
    "name" => "my_admin_role",
]);
```

#### Ruby

```ruby
response = client.security.get_role(
  name: "my_admin_role"
)
```

## Response examples

#### Security get role response example1

A successful response from `GET /_security/role/my_admin_role`. The response contains information about the `my_admin_role` role in the native realm.

```json
{
  "my_admin_role": {
    "description": "Grants full access to all management features within the cluster.",
    "cluster" : [ "all" ],
    "indices" : [
      {
        "names" : [ "index1", "index2" ],
        "privileges" : [ "all" ],
        "allow_restricted_indices" : false,
        "field_security" : {
          "grant" : [ "title", "body" ]}
      }
    ],
    "applications" : [ ],
    "run_as" : [ "other_user" ],
    "metadata" : {
      "version" : 1
    },
    "transient_metadata": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```