Security · 5 min read

Row-level security explained: who sees what

Most companies do not want most people to see most data. Row-level and column-level security are how a BI tool enforces that without building a separate dashboard for every team.

Row-level security

A rule that limits which records a person sees. The sales table is shared, but each rep sees rows for their own territory; each store manager sees their own store; each client sees their own orders in a portal. One dashboard, many views.

Column-level security

A rule that hides or masks which fields a person sees. Salaries, margins, charge-out rates, personal details — visible to finance or HR, hidden or masked for everyone else, on the same page.

The rule has to hold everywhere

The question to ask any tool: does the rule apply in the CSV download? In the scheduled PDF? In the embedded view in your portal? In the answer an AI assistant gives? If any of those bypass it, the rule is decoration.

  • Dashboards and charts
  • Downloads and exports
  • Scheduled reports
  • Shared links and embedded views
  • AI answers

In Klayara, rules are attached to the data itself, so they apply identically in all five places, and an activity log records who changed and shared those rules. Security & permissions.

FAQ

Questions this guide answers.

Something else on your mind? Ask us directly — a person answers.

What is row-level security?

A rule that limits which records a person sees in a shared table — each sales rep sees their own territory, each store manager their own store, each client their own orders — so one dashboard serves many audiences.

What is the difference between row-level and column-level security?

Row-level security limits which records a person sees; column-level security hides or masks which fields they see, such as salaries or margins. They are usually used together on the same page.

Does row-level security apply to downloads and scheduled reports?

It should, and you must check. A rule that applies only on the dashboard but not in the CSV download, the scheduled PDF, the embedded view or the AI answer is decoration rather than security.

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