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Concepts

Oauth 2.0 with Row-Level Security

Andrios Robert

• 1 min read

Oauth 2.0 with Row-Level Security stops that. It is the combination of modern authorization standards and granular data access controls. Together, they let you decide not only who enters your system, but exactly which records they can touch.

Oauth 2.0 defines a secure process for granting a client limited access to resources without exposing credentials. Instead of passwords, it uses tokens tied to scopes. Scopes restrict token usage to specific operations or datasets. But scopes alone are not enough when different users share the same table. That is where Row-Level Security (RLS) comes in.

Row-Level Security enforces SQL rules that filter database queries on a per-user basis. These rules decide which rows a given identity can read, update, or delete. PostgreSQL and other databases implement RLS natively, making it possible to write policy functions that check user IDs or roles dynamically.

When integrated, Oauth 2.0 handles authentication and broad authorization, while RLS enforces record-level constraints inside the database itself. The flow is straightforward:

  1. User logs in via Oauth 2.0 and receives an access token.
  2. API validates token and extracts claims (user ID, roles, scopes).
  3. Database applies RLS policies matching those claims.
  4. Only permitted rows are returned or updated.

This architecture eliminates reliance on application-only filtering, which can fail under complex queries or concurrent access. It keeps the database as the final arbiter of truth. Tokens and claims from Oauth 2.0 serve as direct inputs to RLS policy checks, ensuring consistent access control across services.

Best practices for Oauth 2.0 with Row-Level Security:

  • Define minimal scopes that align with RLS policies.
  • Store user identity claims securely in tokens.
  • Implement RLS policies directly in the database, not the application layer.
  • Test with edge cases: blank scopes, expired tokens, privileged roles.
  • Log rejected queries for visibility.

The result: strong boundaries around sensitive data, enforced at the core. No bypass, no silent leaks, no guesswork.

You can configure Oauth 2.0 with Row-Level Security and watch it in action at hoop.dev — see it live in minutes.