How to Set Permissions in RabbitMQ: Simple Guide

To set permissions in RabbitMQ, use the rabbitmqctl set_permissions command followed by the virtual host, username, and permission patterns for configure, write, and read. This controls what resources a user can manage or access within a specific virtual host.

Syntax

The rabbitmqctl set_permissions command sets user permissions on a virtual host. It requires five arguments:

• -p <vhost>: The virtual host where permissions apply.
• username: The RabbitMQ user to set permissions for.
• configure: A regex pattern for resources the user can configure (create/delete).
• write: A regex pattern for resources the user can write to (publish messages).
• read: A regex pattern for resources the user can read from (consume messages).

Use ".*" to allow all resources or "" to deny all.

bash

rabbitmqctl set_permissions -p <vhost> <username> <configure> <write> <read>

Example

This example sets permissions for user alice on virtual host /. It allows configuring and writing to all resources, but reading only from queues starting with task_.

bash

rabbitmqctl set_permissions -p / alice ".*" ".*" "^task_.*"

Output

Setting permissions for user "alice" in vhost "/" ...

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when setting permissions include:

• Using incorrect virtual host name, causing permissions not to apply.
• Setting empty regex patterns unintentionally, which denies all access.
• Confusing the order of configure, write, and read arguments.
• Not restarting or reloading RabbitMQ when changes don't seem to take effect (usually not needed but good to check).

Always verify permissions with rabbitmqctl list_user_permissions <username>.

bash

rabbitmqctl set_permissions -p / alice "" ".*" ".*"
rabbitmqctl list_user_permissions alice

Output

Setting permissions for user "alice" in vhost "/" ...
alice	/	""	".*"	".*"

Quick Reference

Argument	Description	Example
vhost	Virtual host where permissions apply	/
username	RabbitMQ user to set permissions for	alice
configure	Regex for resources user can configure	.*
write	Regex for resources user can write to	.*
read	Regex for resources user can read from	^task_.*

Key Takeaways

Use rabbitmqctl set_permissions with virtual host, username, and regex patterns for configure, write, and read.

Regex ".*" grants full access; empty string "" denies access for that permission type.

Verify permissions with rabbitmqctl list_user_permissions to avoid mistakes.

Permissions apply per virtual host, so specify the correct vhost.

Order of arguments is important: vhost, username, configure, write, read.