Fix Supabase Row Level Security permission errors
Row Level Security (RLS) blocks all access to tables by default when enabled. If your queries return empty results or permission errors, your RLS policies likely don't cover the current user's operation.
Error messages you might see
new row violates row-level security policy for table "table_name"permission denied for table table_nameWhy this happens in AI-generated code
RLS enabled but no policies created
AI-generated SQL enables RLS on tables but forgets to create corresponding policies, effectively locking out all access including from your own app.
Policies don't match the authenticated user context
AI tools write policies using auth.uid() but the client isn't passing a valid JWT, so the function returns null and no rows match the policy.
Missing policies for specific operations
AI-generated policies often only cover SELECT but miss INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations, causing writes to fail silently or with permission errors.
How to fix it
Create policies for all required operations
Write explicit RLS policies for each operation (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) your app needs. Test each one individually using the Supabase SQL editor.
Verify auth context is being passed correctly
Ensure your Supabase client is initialized with the user's session token so auth.uid() resolves correctly in your policies. Check that the JWT hasn't expired.
Get professional help
Still stuck? Our engineers can design and debug your RLS policies. Visit /products to get started.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I disable RLS to fix this quickly?
Never disable RLS in production — it's your primary data access control. Instead, use the Supabase dashboard SQL editor to test policies with specific user contexts to debug the issue safely.
How do I test RLS policies locally?
Use the Supabase SQL editor with `set request.jwt.claims = '{"sub": "user-id"}'` to simulate authenticated requests and verify your policies return the expected rows.
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