Create permission

Create a new permission to define specific actions or capabilities in your RBAC system. Permissions can be assigned directly to API keys or included in roles.

Use hierarchical naming patterns like documents.read, admin.users.delete, or billing.invoices.create for clear organization.

Important: Permission names must be unique within the workspace. Once created, permissions are immediately available for assignment.

Required Permissions

Your root key must have the following permission:

rbac.*.create_permission

1 min read

post/v2/permissions.createPermission

Request example

package main

import(
	"context"
	"os"
	unkey "github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2"
	"github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2/models/components"
	"log"
)

func main() {
    ctx := context.Background()

    s := unkey.New(
        unkey.WithSecurity(os.Getenv("UNKEY_ROOT_KEY")),
    )

    res, err := s.Permissions.CreatePermission(ctx, components.V2PermissionsCreatePermissionRequestBody{
        Name: "users.read",
        Slug: "users-read",
        Description: unkey.Pointer("Grants read-only access to user profile information, account settings, and subscription status."),
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if res.V2PermissionsCreatePermissionResponseBody != nil {
        // handle response
    }
}

Response

{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_123"
  },
  "data": {
    "permissionId": "perm_1234567890abcdef"
  }
}

post/v2/permissions.createPermission

Authorization

Authorizationstringheaderrequired#

Unkey uses bearer tokens for authentication. Public integrations use root keys, while the dashboard proxy uses short-lived JWTs.
To authenticate, include the token in the Authorization header of each request:

Authorization: Bearer unkey_123

Root keys have specific permissions attached to them, controlling what operations they can perform. Legacy permissions use tuple strings like api.*.create_key; resource permissions use Unkey Resource Names plus actions, like unkey:v1:ws_123:keyspaces/*#create_key.
Security best practices:

Keep root keys secure and never expose them in client-side code
Use different root keys for different environments
Rotate keys periodically, especially after team member departures
Create keys with minimal necessary permissions following least privilege principle
Monitor key usage with audit logs.

Body

application/json

namestringrequired#

Creates a permission with this human-readable name that describes its purpose.
Names must be unique within your workspace to prevent conflicts during assignment.
Use clear, semantic names that developers can easily understand when building authorization logic.
Consider using hierarchical naming conventions like 'resource.action' for better organization.

Examples: 'users.read', 'billing.write', 'analytics.view', 'admin.manage'

Length: 1–512

slugstringrequired#

Creates a URL-safe identifier for this permission that can be used in APIs and integrations.
Must start with a letter and contain only letters, numbers, periods, underscores, and hyphens.
Slugs are often used in REST endpoints, configuration files, and external integrations.
Should closely match the name but in a format suitable for technical usage.
Must be unique within your workspace to ensure reliable permission lookups.

Keep slugs concise but descriptive for better developer experience.

Length: 1–128Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_:\-\.\*]+$

descriptionstring#

Provides detailed documentation of what this permission grants access to.
Include information about affected resources, allowed actions, and any important limitations.
This internal documentation helps team members understand permission scope and security implications.
Not visible to end users - designed for development teams and security audits.

Consider documenting:

What resources can be accessed
What operations are permitted
Any conditions or limitations
Related permissions that might be needed

Length: max 512

Responses

application/json

Permission created successfully

metaobjectrequired#

Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The requestId is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team.

Show child attributes

requestIdstringrequired#

A unique id for this request. Always include this ID when contacting support about a specific API request. This identifier allows Unkey's support team to trace the exact request through logs and diagnostic systems to provide faster assistance.

dataobjectrequired#

Show child attributes

permissionIdstringrequired#

The unique identifier assigned to the newly created permission.
Use this ID to reference the permission in role assignments, key operations, and other API calls.
Always begins with 'perm_' followed by a unique alphanumeric sequence.
Store this ID if you need to manage or reference this permission in future operations.

Length: 3–255Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

metaobjectrequired#

Show child attributes

requestIdstringrequired#

errorobjectrequired#

Base error structure following Problem Details for HTTP APIs (RFC 7807). This provides a standardized way to carry machine-readable details of errors in HTTP response content.

Show child attributes

detailstringrequired#

A human-readable explanation specific to this occurrence of the problem. This provides detailed information about what went wrong and potential remediation steps. The message is intended to be helpful for developers troubleshooting the issue.

statusintegerrequired#

HTTP status code that corresponds to this error. This will match the status code in the HTTP response. Common codes include 400 (Bad Request), 401 (Unauthorized), 403 (Forbidden), 404 (Not Found), 409 (Conflict), and 500 (Internal Server Error).

titlestringrequired#

A short, human-readable summary of the problem type. This remains constant from occurrence to occurrence of the same problem and should be used for programmatic handling.

typestringrequired#

A URI reference that identifies the problem type. This provides a stable identifier for the error that can be used for documentation lookups and programmatic error handling. When followed, this URI should provide human-readable documentation for the problem type.

errorsobject[]required#

List of individual validation errors that occurred in the request. Each error provides specific details about what failed validation, where the error occurred in the request, and suggestions for fixing it. This granular information helps developers quickly identify and resolve multiple issues in a single request without having to make repeated API calls.

Show child attributes

locationstringrequired#

JSON path indicating exactly where in the request the error occurred. This helps pinpoint the problematic field or parameter. Examples include:

'body.name' (field in request body)
'body.items[3].tags' (nested array element)
'path.apiId' (path parameter)
'query.limit' (query parameter)
Use this location to identify exactly which part of your request needs correction.

messagestringrequired#

Detailed error message explaining what validation rule was violated. This provides specific information about why the field or parameter was rejected, such as format errors, invalid values, or constraint violations.

fixstring#

A human-readable suggestion describing how to fix the error. This provides practical guidance on what changes would satisfy the validation requirements. Not all validation errors include fix suggestions, but when present, they offer specific remediation advice.

Get API key by hash Create role