---
title: "List roles"
method: POST
path: "/v2/permissions.listRoles"
tags: ["permissions"]
---

# List roles

`POST /v2/permissions.listRoles`

Retrieve all roles in your workspace including their assigned permissions.
Results are paginated and sorted by their id.

**Required Permissions**

Your root key must have the following permission:
- `rbac.*.read_role`

## Request body

- V2PermissionsListRolesRequestBody
  - `limit` integer — Maximum number of roles to return in a single response. Use smaller values for faster response times and better UI performance. Use larger values when you need to process many roles efficiently. Results exceeding this limit will be paginated with a cursor for continuation.
  - `cursor` string — Pagination cursor from a previous response to fetch the next page of roles. Include this when you need to retrieve additional roles beyond the first page. Each response containing more results will include a cursor value that can be used here. Leave empty or omit this field to start from the beginning of the role list.
  - `search` string — Free-form text to filter roles. Returns roles whose ID, name, or description contains the search string. Matching is case-insensitive.

## Response `200`

Roles retrieved successfully

- V2PermissionsListRolesResponseBody
  - `meta` Meta, required — Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The `requestId` is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team.
    - `requestId` string, required — A unique id for this request. Always include this ID when contacting support about a specific API request. This identifier allows Unkey's support team to trace the exact request through logs and diagnostic systems to provide faster assistance.
  - `data` Role[], required — Array of roles with their assigned permissions.
    - `id` string, required — The unique identifier for this role within Unkey's system. Generated automatically when the role is created and used to reference this role in API operations. Always begins with 'role_' followed by alphanumeric characters and underscores.
    - `name` string, required — The human-readable name for this role that describes its function. Should be descriptive enough for administrators to understand what access this role provides. Use clear, semantic names that reflect the job function or responsibility level. Names must be unique within your workspace to avoid confusion during role assignment.
    - `description` string — Optional detailed explanation of what this role encompasses and what access it provides. Helps team members understand the role's scope, intended use cases, and security implications. Include information about what types of users should receive this role and what they can accomplish. Not visible to end users - this is for internal documentation and access control audits.
    - `permissions` Permission[] — Complete list of permissions currently assigned to this role. Each permission grants specific access rights that will be inherited by any keys or users assigned this role. Use this list to understand the full scope of access provided by this role. Permissions can be added or removed from roles without affecting the role's identity or other properties. Empty array indicates a role with no permissions currently assigned.
      - `id` string, required — The unique identifier for this permission within Unkey's system. Generated automatically when the permission is created and used to reference this permission in API operations. Always begins with 'perm_' followed by alphanumeric characters and underscores.
      - `name` string, required — The human-readable name for this permission that describes its purpose. Should be descriptive enough for developers to understand what access it grants. Use clear, semantic names that reflect the resources or actions being permitted. Names must be unique within your workspace to avoid confusion and conflicts.
      - `slug` string, required — The unique URL-safe identifier for this permission.
      - `description` string — Optional detailed explanation of what this permission grants access to. Helps team members understand the scope and implications of granting this permission. Include information about what resources can be accessed and what actions can be performed. Not visible to end users - this is for internal documentation and team clarity.
  - `pagination` Pagination, required — Pagination metadata for list endpoints. Provides information necessary to traverse through large result sets efficiently using cursor-based pagination.
    - `cursor` string — Opaque pagination token for retrieving the next page of results. Include this exact value in the cursor field of subsequent requests. Cursors are temporary and may expire after extended periods.
    - `hasMore` boolean, required — Indicates whether additional results exist beyond this page. When true, use the cursor to fetch the next page. When false, you have reached the end of the result set.

## Other responses

- `400` — Bad Request
- `401` — Unauthorized
- `403` — Forbidden
- `404` — Not Found
- `429` — Too Many Requests
- `500` — Internal Server Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/unkeyed/apis/unkey-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/unkeyed/apis/unkey-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/unkeyed/unkey-api/versions/fa78aafac89c/schema)