Skip to content
Kong Gateway 2.8 Increases Security and Simplifies API Management.  —Learn More →
Kong Logo | Kong Docs Logo
search
  • We're Hiring!
  • Docs
    • Kong Gateway
    • Konnect Cloud
    • Kong Mesh
    • Plugin Hub
    • decK
    • Kubernetes Ingress Controller
    • Insomnia
    • Kuma

    • Kong Konnect Platform

    • Docs contribution guidelines
  • Plugin Hub
  • Support
  • Community
  • Kong Academy
Request Demo
  • Kong Gateway
  • Konnect Cloud
  • Kong Mesh
  • Plugin Hub
  • decK
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller
  • Insomnia
  • Kuma

  • Kong Konnect Platform

  • Docs contribution guidelines
  • 2.8.x (latest)
  • 2.7.x
  • 2.6.x
  • Older Enterprise versions (0.31-2.5)
  • Older OSS versions (0.13-2.5)
  • Archive (pre-0.13)
    • Version Support Policy
    • Changelog
    • Kubernetes
    • Helm
    • OpenShift with Helm
    • Docker
    • Amazon Linux
    • CentOS
    • macOS
    • Debian
    • RHEL
    • Ubuntu
    • Migrating from OSS to EE
    • Upgrade Kong Gateway
    • Upgrade Kong Gateway OSS
      • Configuring a Service
      • Configuring a gRPC Service
      • Enabling Plugins
      • Adding Consumers
      • Prepare to Administer
      • Expose your Services
      • Protect your Services
      • Improve Performance
      • Secure Services
      • Set Up Intelligent Load Balancing
      • Manage Administrative Teams
      • Publish, Locate, and Consume Services
    • Running Kong as a Non-Root User
    • Resource Sizing Guidelines
      • Deploy Kong Gateway in Hybrid Mode
    • Kubernetes Deployment Options
    • Control Kong Gateway through systemd
    • Performance Testing Framework
    • DNS Considerations
    • Default Ports
      • Access Your License
      • Deploy Your License
      • Monitor License Usage
      • Start Kong Gateway Securely
      • Keyring and Data Encryption
      • Kong Security Update Process
        • Getting Started
        • Advanced Usage
          • Environment Variables
          • AWS Secrets Manager
          • Hashicorp Vault
        • Reference Format
      • Authentication Reference
        • OpenID Connect with Curity
        • OpenID Connect with Azure AD
        • OpenID Connect with Google
        • OpenID Connect with Okta
        • OpenID Connect with Auth0
        • OpenID Connect with Cognito
        • OpenID Connect Plugin Reference
      • Allowing Multiple Authentication Methods
        • Create a Super Admin
        • Configure Networking
        • Configure Kong Manager to Send Email
        • Reset Passwords and RBAC Tokens
        • Configure Workspaces
        • Basic Auth
        • LDAP
        • OIDC
        • Sessions
        • Add a Role
        • Add a User
        • Add an Admin
      • Mapping LDAP Service Directory Groups to Kong Roles
      • Enable the Dev Portal
      • Structure and File Types
      • Portal API
      • Working with Templates
      • Using the Editor
          • Basic Auth
          • Key Auth
          • OIDC
          • Sessions
          • Adding Custom Registration Fields
        • SMTP
        • Workspaces
        • Manage Developers
        • Developer Roles and Content Permissions
          • Authorization Provider Strategy
          • Enable Application Registration
          • Enable Key Authentication for Application Registration
          • External OAuth2 Support
          • Set up Okta and Kong for external OAuth
          • Set Up Azure AD and Kong for External Authentication
          • Manage Applications
        • Easy Theme Editing
        • Migrating Templates Between Workspaces
        • Markdown Rendering Module
        • Customizing Portal Emails
        • Adding and Using JavaScript Assets
        • Single Page App in Dev Portal
        • Alternate OpenAPI Renderer
      • Helpers CLI
    • Configure gRPC Plugins
    • GraphQL Quickstart
    • Logging Reference
    • Network and Firewall
      • Metrics
      • Reports
      • Vitals with InfluxDB
      • Vitals with Prometheus
      • Estimate Vitals Storage in PostgreSQL
    • Prometheus plugin
    • Zipkin plugin
      • DB-less Mode
      • Declarative Configuration
      • Supported Content Types
      • Information Routes
      • Health Routes
      • Tags
      • Service Object
      • Route Object
      • Consumer Object
      • Plugin Object
      • Certificate Object
      • CA Certificate Object
      • SNI Object
      • Upstream Object
      • Target Object
      • Vaults Beta
        • Licenses Reference
        • Licenses Examples
        • Workspaces Reference
        • Workspace Examples
        • RBAC Reference
        • RBAC Examples
        • API Reference
        • Examples
      • Developers
        • API Reference
        • Examples
        • Event Hooks Reference
        • Examples
      • Audit Logging
      • Keyring and Data Encryption
      • Securing the Admin API
    • DB-less and Declarative Configuration
    • Configuration Reference
    • CLI Reference
    • Load Balancing Reference
    • Proxy Reference
    • Rate Limiting Library
    • Health Checks and Circuit Breakers Reference
    • Clustering Reference
      • kong.client
      • kong.client.tls
      • kong.cluster
      • kong.ctx
      • kong.ip
      • kong.log
      • kong.nginx
      • kong.node
      • kong.request
      • kong.response
      • kong.router
      • kong.service
      • kong.service.request
      • kong.service.response
      • kong.table
      • kong.vault
      • Introduction
      • File structure
      • Implementing custom logic
      • Plugin configuration
      • Accessing the datastore
      • Storing custom entities
      • Caching custom entities
      • Extending the Admin API
      • Writing tests
      • (un)Installing your plugin
    • Plugins in Other Languages

github-edit-pageEdit this page

report-issueReport an issue

enterprise-switcher-iconSwitch to OSS

On this page
  • Roles
  • Content
  • readable_by attribute
Kong Gateway
2.8.x (latest)
  • Kong Konnect Platform
  • Kong Gateway
  • Developer portal
  • Administration

Developer Roles and Content Permissions

Access to the Dev Portal can be fine-tuned with the use of Developer Roles and Content Permissions, managed through the Dev Portal Permissions page of Kong Manager. This page can be found by clicking the Permissions link under Dev Portal in the Kong Manager navigation bar.

Roles

The Roles Tab contains a list of available developer roles as well as providing the ability to create and edit roles.

Selecting Create Role allows you to enter a unique role name, as well as a comment to provide context for the nature of the role. You can assign the role to existing developers from within the role creation page. Clicking Create saves the role and returns you to the Roles List view. There you can see your newly created role as well as any other previously defined roles.

Clicking View displays the Role Details page with a list of developers assigned.

From the Role Details page, click the Edit button to make changes to the role. You can also access this page from the Roles List Edit button. Here you can change the name and comment of the role, assign or remove developers, or delete the role.

Deleting a role will remove it from any developers assigned the role and remove the role restriction from any content files it is applied to.

Content

The Content Tab shows the list of content files used by the Dev Portal. You can apply roles to your content files, restricting access only to developers who possess certain roles. Selecting an individual content file displays a dropdown of available developer roles where you can choose which role has access to the file. Unchecking all available roles will leave the file unauthenticated.

An additional option, the * role, is preset in the list. This predefined role behaves differently from other roles. When a content file has the * role attached to it, any developer may view the page as long as they are authenticated. Additionally, the * role may not be used in conjunction with other user-defined roles and will deselect those roles when * is selected.

Important: The dashboard.txt and settings.txt content files are assigned the * role by default. All other content files have no roles by default. This means that until a role is added, the file is unauthenticated even if Dev Portal Authentication is enabled. Content Permissions are ignored when Dev Portal Authentication is disabled.

readable_by attribute

When a role is applied to a content file using the Content Tab, a special attribute readable_by is added to the headmatter of the file.

---
readable_by:
  - role_name
  - another_role_name
---

In the case of spec files, readable_by is applied under the key x-headmatter or X-headmatter.

x-headmatter:
  readable_by:
    - role_name
    - another_role_name

The value of readable_by is an array of string role names that have access to view the content file. An exception is when the * role is applied to the file. In this case, the value of readable_by is no longer an array, because it contains the single string character *.

readable_by: "*"

⚠️Important: If you manually remove or edit the readable_by attribute, it will modify the permissions of the file. Attempting to save a content file with a readable_by array containing a nonexistent role name will result in an error. Additionally, if you make changes to permissions in the Content Tab or the Portal Editor, be sure to sync any local files so that permissions are not overwritten the next time you push changes.

Thank you for your feedback.
Was this page useful?
  • Kong
    THE CLOUD CONNECTIVITY COMPANY

    Kong powers reliable digital connections across APIs, hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

    • Company
    • Customers
    • Events
    • Investors
    • Careers Hiring!
    • Partners
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Products
    • Kong Konnect
    • Kong Gateway
    • Kong Mesh
    • Get Started
    • Pricing
  • Resources
    • eBooks
    • Webinars
    • Briefs
    • Blog
    • API Gateway
    • Microservices
  • Open Source
    • Install Kong Gateway
    • Kong Community
    • Kubernetes Ingress
    • Kuma
    • Insomnia
  • Solutions
    • Decentralize
    • Secure & Govern
    • Create a Dev Platform
    • API Gateway
    • Kubernetes
    • Service Mesh
Star
  • Terms•Privacy
© Kong Inc. 2022