
Row Level Security in Quicksight is a powerful feature that allows you to control access to specific data rows based on user attributes. This means you can restrict certain users from seeing sensitive data.
To enable Row Level Security in Quicksight, you need to create an IAM policy that defines the permissions for each user or group. This policy will determine what data each user can access.
Row Level Security in Quicksight can be applied to any data source, including Amazon Redshift and Amazon Aurora. This flexibility makes it a versatile tool for managing data access.
By implementing Row Level Security in Quicksight, you can ensure that each user only sees the data they need to perform their job, reducing the risk of data breaches and improving overall data governance.
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What is Row Level Security in Quicksight?
Row Level Security in Quicksight is a feature that allows dataset owners to restrict the visibility of specific data rows based on the user's identity accessing a dashboard or report. This is particularly essential in multi-tenant environments or business units that share a common reporting infrastructure but require strict separation of data visibility for privacy or compliance purposes.
QuickSight administrators can control which subset of data each user or group is authorized to view through Row Level Security. They do this by mapping users or groups to field values in a dedicated permissions dataset.
QuickSight supports two main types of Row Level Security: User-Based Rules and Tag-Based Rules. User-Based Rules are based on specific usernames or group memberships, while Tag-Based Rules use session tags passed during dashboard embedding, commonly used for anonymous or dynamic users.
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Understanding in QuickSight
Amazon QuickSight provides organizations with a practical way to enforce data access controls through Row Level Security (RLS). This feature is particularly essential in multi-tenant environments or business units that share a common reporting infrastructure.
RLS filters data at the dataset level based on user identity or attributes. Users only see the subset of data they are authorized to view, even if they access the same analysis or dashboard.
QuickSight supports two main types of RLS: User-Based Rules and Tag-Based Rules. User-Based Rules are based on specific usernames or group memberships, while Tag-Based Rules use session tags passed during dashboard embedding.
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User-Based Rules allow administrators to control which subset of data each user or group is authorized to view. This control is implemented by mapping users or groups to field values in a dedicated permissions dataset.
Tag-Based Rules are commonly used for anonymous or dynamic users. They provide a way to restrict data visibility based on session tags passed during dashboard embedding.
RLS is implemented by mapping users or groups to field values in a dedicated permissions dataset. This ensures that each user accesses only the data relevant to their role, department, region, or any other logical classification defined by the organization.
By implementing RLS, organizations can ensure strict separation of data visibility for privacy or compliance purposes.
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What is Amazon Quicksight?
Amazon Quicksight is a fast, cloud-powered business intelligence service that makes it easy to visualize and analyze data.
Traditionally focused on authenticated users, Quicksight offers a secure way to manage and share data with multiple stakeholders.
Quicksight is designed to provide fast analytics and visualization capabilities, allowing users to make data-driven decisions quickly.
Quicksight supports a wide range of data sources, including Amazon Redshift, Amazon S3, and Amazon DynamoDB.
Configuring Row Level Security

To configure Row Level Security in Amazon QuickSight, you'll first need to create a dataset rule. This rule will determine which data each user can access based on their identity.
You can create a dataset rule by specifying a query or file with the user's name or group name, along with a dedicated permissions dataset. This permissions dataset will contain field values that map users or groups to specific data rows.
When defining a dataset rule, it's essential to use a mandatory user identifier column, such as "UserName" or "UserARN". You should also include common columns from the parent dataset, like "Country" or "Unit Name".
Here are some key considerations when creating a dataset rule:
- Avoid using duplicate rules per user, as only the first row will be considered.
- Don't have more than 999 rule records applied per user.
- If a column has comma-separated values, enclose them in double quotes.
- Currently, only textual data is supported.
To test your dataset rule, save it to an Excel or CSV file and then apply it to the dataset associated with the dashboard. This will ensure that users can only see the data relevant to their role or department.
To apply the rules to the dataset, open the dataset page, click on "Set up" under Row-level security, and select the dataset with the rules from the list. Click "Apply dataset" and then "Apply and activate" to activate the rules.
Remember to verify that RLS is enabled by opening the "New Custom SQL" dataset and checking if Row-level security is shown as enabled.
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Access Control and Permissions
To restrict access to a dataset, you need to create a query or file with UserName/UserARN or GroupName/GroupARN. This will restrict access to the user level or group level.
The dashboard will not display any data for a user/group unless you add a rule for them. If a dataset has row level security enabled, users will see an error message when they access the dashboard without the required UserName/UserARN or GroupARN.
You can apply only one rules dataset to a parent dataset, but you can apply the same rules dataset to multiple parent datasets. If you create a duplicate dataset, the RLS rules will get inherited.
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To verify whether RLS is enabled, open the "New Custom SQL" dataset and check if Row-level security is enabled.
User-based rules Row-Level Security allows you to create permissions datasets in two ways: by uploading a file (e.g., CSV, XLSX, JSON, TSV) or by creating it through a query. Field names and values used in the permissions dataset are case-sensitive and must match exactly as they appear in the target dataset.
Here's a breakdown of the UserARN permission dataset format:
The following table illustrates how users in the groups will have restricted access to the data in the dashboard:
In the permissions dataset, the UserARN column is used to identify the user, and the Region and Segment columns are used to restrict access to the data.
Tag-based row-level security in Amazon QuickSight allows you to link data rows with one or multiple tags and assign specific tags to users, including anonymous visitors. This method introduces a dynamic approach to data access control that doesn’t depend solely on fixed user roles.
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To add RLS tags to a dataset, you need to follow these steps:
1. Go to the dataset details page and select Set up Row-level security.
2. Select Tag-based rules.
3. Choose the column to which you want to add the tag.
4. Enter the tag name and choose a delimiter.
5. Select Add to add the tag.
6. Tap on Apply Rules to apply the tags you have added.
7. On the Turn on tag-based security page, choose Apply and activate.
The tag-based rules are now active, and you can turn them on and off for the dataset as needed.
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Best Practices and Considerations
To implement row level security effectively, use user-based RLS when you control identity via IAM, SSO, or QuickSight groups.
You should also use tag-based RLS when embedding dashboards for external or unauthenticated users. This is a crucial consideration, especially if you're planning to share your dashboards with others.
Always validate session tag values in your backend before embedding to avoid spoofing. This will help prevent any potential security issues.
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Here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- Use user-based RLS when you control identity via IAM, SSO, or QuickSight groups.
- Use tag-based RLS when embedding dashboards for external or unauthenticated users.
- Always validate session tag values in your backend before embedding to avoid spoofing.
- Leverage parameterized datasets to further optimize performance and security.
Best Practices
When working with Row Level Security (RLS) in QuickSight, it's essential to follow best practices to ensure data visibility is limited to authorized users. Use user-based RLS when you control identity via IAM, SSO, or QuickSight groups.
To avoid spoofing, always validate session tag values in your backend before embedding dashboards. This is crucial when embedding dashboards for external or unauthenticated users, where tag-based RLS is recommended.
Leverage parameterized datasets to optimize performance and security. This can be done in addition to using RLS to further restrict data access.
Here are some key considerations for implementing RLS:
- Use user-based RLS when you control identity via IAM, SSO, or QuickSight groups.
- Use tag-based RLS when embedding dashboards for external or unauthenticated users.
- Always validate session tag values in your backend before embedding to avoid spoofing.
- Leverage parameterized datasets to further optimize performance and security.
Regularly refreshing the permissions dataset is crucial for organizations with complex access structures. This ensures that dynamic user groups and matrixed reporting lines are accounted for in the permissions dataset.
Pricing Considerations
Pricing Considerations are crucial when designing for scalability and embedding dashboards in different contexts.

User-Based RLS Pricing is suitable for internal apps with a known and limited user count.
Tag-Based RLS Pricing is ideal for large-scale SaaS or public-facing dashboards with thousands of unique viewers.
To make the most of User-Based RLS Pricing, consider implementing it in internal apps where the user count is predictable and manageable.
How it Works and Behavior
To implement row-level security in Amazon QuickSight, you need to create a permissions dataset. This dataset should include mappings that define which users or groups are allowed to see which rows of data.
A typical configuration strategy involves including one column for user or group identifiers, such as email addresses or IAM roles, and one or more columns that match fields in the primary dataset, like Region, Business Unit, or Customer Category.
The permissions dataset must not contain duplicate rows, as QuickSight will ignore them when evaluating access rules, which may result in unintended data exposure or restriction.
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Here's a summary of the key elements to include in your permissions dataset:
By following these steps and using the correct configuration, you can effectively implement row-level security in Amazon QuickSight and restrict user access to sensitive data.
How It Works
To get started with QuickSight, you'll need to create a dataset, which is the foundation of your analysis. This dataset will contain the data you want to visualize and explore.
First, you'll need to create a permissions dataset, which is essentially a table that defines the access controls for your main dataset. This permissions table will contain mappings that determine who can see what data.
The process of creating a permissions dataset is a crucial step in setting up access controls for your QuickSight analysis. By defining these permissions, you can ensure that sensitive data is only accessible to authorized users.
To apply the access controls, you'll need to link your main dataset to the permissions table. This is done by using the permissions table to define the rules for your main dataset. These rules will dictate who can view, edit, or delete specific data points.
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Once you've set up the access controls, you can embed your dashboard in an application or website using authenticated embedding. This typically involves using AWS IAM federation or QuickSight's user-based embedding APIs to authenticate users and grant them access to the dashboard.
Here are the key steps to follow:
- Create a dataset in QuickSight.
- Define a permissions dataset with mappings.
- Apply the RLS (Row-Level Security) rules to your main dataset.
- Embed the dashboard using authenticated embedding.
Behavior of Row-Level
Row-Level Security in Amazon QuickSight is used to define which users or groups are allowed to see which rows of data. This is done by using a permissions dataset that must not contain duplicate rows.
A typical configuration strategy involves including one column for user or group identifiers, such as email addresses or IAM roles. Including one or more columns that match fields in the primary dataset, like Region, Business Unit, or Customer Category, is also recommended.
If an entry in the permissions dataset includes a user identifier with all other fields left null, that user is granted access to the entire dataset. On the other hand, if a user is not mentioned in the permissions file, they will not be able to view any data when accessing the report or dashboard.
A critical limitation of Row Level Security in Amazon QuickSight is that it only applies to string-based fields, such as varchar, char, or string data types. This means organizations must plan around this constraint by creating derived fields or text equivalents of numerical categories where necessary.
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Practical Applications
Row level security in QuickSight is a powerful tool that can help organizations control who sees what data.
You can create a row level security rule to restrict user access based on Country and Unit Name, as seen in a dashboard that captures head count and attrition rate of two units in a company.
Preparing a correctly structured permissions dataset is a crucial step in implementing RLS. This involves mapping each user's email to their respective sales region to limit sales data visibility by region.
Testing is a critical part of deploying Row Level Security, and administrators should verify user-specific views before releasing dashboards for broader use.
Organizations with complex access structures may need to refresh the permissions dataset regularly, which can be managed effectively through SPICE and direct query datasets.
Implementing RLS typically involves two main steps: preparing a permissions dataset and applying it to the target dataset within the QuickSight interface.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the limitation of RLS in Quicksight?
RLS in Quicksight is limited to textual data only, excluding dates and numeric fields, and can apply up to 999 rule records per user. Exceeding this limit may cause RLS rules to fail, so be mindful of your dataset's rule count.
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