docs-v2/content/telegraf/controller/reference/authorization.md

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Authorization Understand how authentication and authorization work in Telegraf Controller, including user roles, API tokens, and endpoint security.
telegraf_controller
name parent
Authorization Reference
106
/telegraf/controller/users/
/telegraf/controller/tokens/
/telegraf/controller/settings/

{{% product-name %}} uses session-based authentication for the web UI and token-based authentication for API and Telegraf agent requests. Both mechanisms work together to control who can access the system and what actions they can perform.

User roles

{{% product-name %}} enforces a four-tier role hierarchy. Each role inherits the permissions of the roles below it, and higher roles unlock additional administrative capabilities.

Role Description
Owner Full system access. Manages users, tokens, and settings. Only one owner exists at a time. Created during initial setup.
Administrator Full system access. Same capabilities as the owner except cannot transfer ownership.
Manager Manages configurations, agents, labels, and reporting rules. Manages own API tokens. Cannot manage users or settings.
Viewer Read-only access to configurations, agents, labels, and reporting rules. Cannot manage tokens, users, or settings.

Only one owner can exist at a time. The owner account is created during initial setup and cannot be deleted. If you need to change the owner, the current owner must transfer ownership to another user.

[!Tip] To change the owner of your {{% product-name %}} instance, see Transfer ownership.

API tokens

API tokens authenticate programmatic API requests and Telegraf agent connections to {{% product-name %}}.

Each token is scoped to the user who created it. The token's effective permissions are restricted to the creating user's role---a token cannot exceed the permissions of its owner. If a user's role changes to a role with less permissions, all of that user's existing tokens are automatically updated with restricted permissions or revoked to match the new role.

Tokens use the tc-apiv1_ prefix, making them easy to identify in configuration files and scripts.

[!Important] A token value is shown only once at the time of creation. Store it in a secure location immediately---you cannot retrieve it later.

Endpoint authentication

By default, {{% product-name %}} requires authentication for API endpoints. Administrators can selectively require authentication for individual endpoint groups:

  • Agents --- agent management endpoints
  • Configs --- configuration management endpoints
  • Labels --- label management endpoints
  • Reporting rules --- reporting rule management endpoints
  • Heartbeat --- agent heartbeat endpoints

When authentication is enabled for an endpoint group, every request to that group must include a valid API token or an active session.

[!Note] To configure which endpoint groups require authentication, see Manage settings.