---
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/4493/api/doc/kibana/v0/operation/operation-put-security-role-name
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4493/api/doc/kibana/v0/operation/operation-put-security-role-name
products:
  - Kibana
---

# Create or update a role

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

## Paths

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

#### Path parameters

- `name` (string · min length: 1 · max length: 1024) — required
  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.

## Authentication

- Api key: `Authorization: <value>`
  These APIs use key-based authentication. You must create an API key and use the encoded value in the request header. For example: `Authorization: ApiKey base64AccessApiKey`
- Basic: `Authorization: Basic <credentials>`

## Query string parameters

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

## Header parameters

- `kbn-xsrf` (string) — required
  A required header to protect against CSRF attacks

## Request body

`application/json`

- `description` (string · max length: 2048) — optional
  A description for the role.
- `elasticsearch` (object) — required
  The Elasticsearch cluster, index, and remote cluster security privileges for the role.
  - `cluster` (string[] · max items: 100) — optional
  - `global` (object) — optional
    Global privileges for the role.
    - `application` (object) — optional
      - `manage` (object) — optional
        - `applications` (string[] · max items: 1000) — required
    - `data_source` (object[] · max items: 1000) — optional
      - `names` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
      - `privileges` (enum[] · min items: 1 · max items: 5) — required
        The data source privileges that role members have for the specified data sources.
        Values: `create`, `read_metadata`, `delete`, `read`, `manage`
    - `profile` (object) — optional
      - `write` (object) — optional
        - `applications` (string[] · max items: 1000) — required
    - `role` (object) — optional
      Global role privileges.
  - `indices` (object[] · max items: 1000) — 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
      Map values (string[] · max items: 1000)
    - `names` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
    - `privileges` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — 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[] · max items: 100) — optional
    - `clusters` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
    - `privileges` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
  - `remote_indices` (object[] · max items: 1000) — 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 items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
    - `field_security` (map string to string) — optional
      Map values (string[] · max items: 1000)
    - `names` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — required
    - `privileges` (string[] · min items: 1 · max items: 100) — 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[] · max items: 100) — optional
- `kibana` (object[] · max items: 1000) — optional
  - `base` (union string[]) — required
    One of: `string[]`
  - `feature` (map string to string) — optional
    Map values (string[] · max items: 100)
  - `spaces` (union enum[] | string[] · default: [
  "*"
]) — optional
    Values: `*`
- `metadata` (map string to object) — optional

## Response

Indicates a successful call.

## Code examples

#### Console

```console
PUT kbn:/api/security/role/NAME
{
  "description": "My custom Kibana role.",
  "elasticsearch": {
    "cluster": [
      "monitor"
    ],
    "indices": [
      {
        "names": [
          "logs-*"
        ],
        "privileges": [
          "read"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "kibana": [
    {
      "base": [
        "read"
      ],
      "feature": {},
      "spaces": [
        "default"
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

#### curl

```curl
curl -X PUT "${KIBANA_URL}/api/security/role/${NAME}" \
  -H "kbn-xsrf: true" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey ${API_KEY}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "description": "My custom Kibana role.",
    "elasticsearch": {
      "cluster": [
        "monitor"
      ],
      "indices": [
        {
          "names": [
            "logs-*"
          ],
          "privileges": [
            "read"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    "kibana": [
      {
        "base": [
          "read"
        ],
        "feature": {},
        "spaces": [
          "default"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }'
```