Managing Users & Permissions¶
GeoServer’s security framework gives you fine-grained control over who can access your spatial data and services. It uses a flexible, role-based access control model, ensuring that only authorized users can view, edit, or administer resources. Whether you’re running a small setup or a large multi-user environment, this system keeps your security policies organized and easy to manage.
By assigning roles to individual users or entire groups, you can control access to specific layers, services, and functions. This approach makes it straightforward to maintain consistent permissions while reducing administrative overhead.
You can manage all users, groups, and roles from the Users, Groups, Roles page under the Security section in the left-hand menu. Each component has its own tab for streamlined management.
Defining Roles & Assigning Permissions¶
Roles bundle together permission sets that define what a user can access or modify — covering services, layers, and other resources.
To create a role, open the Roles tab and select Add New Role. Give it a name that reflects its purpose, such as LAYER_EDITOR or READ_ONLY_USER, then click Save.
Navigate to the Data page under Security to assign permissions. Here, you can specify exactly which services, layers, or workspaces the role can access, and whether it has read or write capabilities. Save your changes to activate the role.
Managing Groups¶
Groups make it easier to manage permissions for multiple users at once.
From the Users/Groups tab, select Add New Group. Give it a descriptive name and assign the relevant roles, then click Save.
Your group is now ready to streamline your permission management by applying role-based access to all members at once.
Creating & Editing Users¶
Individual user accounts are managed from the Users/Groups tab. To create one, select Add New User. Enter a unique username and set a secure password. You can assign the user to any necessary groups or roles, then Save.
To update an existing account, select the user, adjust their details or access rights, and save your changes. Deleting users is also done from this same interface.
Next up: Learn how to extend GeoServer’s capabilities with OGC services.