---
layout: api
page_title: ACL Policies - HTTP API
description: The /acl/policy endpoints manage Consul's ACL policies.
---

# ACL Policy HTTP API

-> **1.4.0+:** The APIs are available in Consul versions 1.4.0 and later. The documentation for the legacy ACL API is [here](/api-docs/acl/legacy).

The `/acl/policy` endpoints [create](#create-a-policy), [read](#read-a-policy),
[update](#update-a-policy), [list](#list-policies) and
[delete](#delete-a-policy) ACL policies in Consul.

For more information on how to setup ACLs, please check
the [ACL tutorial](https://learn.hashicorp.com/tutorials/consul/access-control-setup-production).

## Create a Policy

This endpoint creates a new ACL policy.

| Method | Path          | Produces           |
| ------ | ------------- | ------------------ |
| `PUT`  | `/acl/policy` | `application/json` |

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `NO`             | `none`            | `none`        | `acl:write`  |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy create`](/commands/acl/policy/create).

### Parameters

- `Name` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies a name for the ACL policy. The name
  can contain alphanumeric characters, dashes `-`, and underscores `_`.
  This name must be unique.

- `Description` `(string: "")` - Free form human readable description of the policy.

- `Rules` `(string: "")` - Specifies rules for the ACL policy. The format of the
  `Rules` property is detailed in the [ACL Rules documentation](/docs/security/acl/acl-rules).

- `Datacenters` `(array<string>)` - Specifies the datacenters the policy is valid within.
  When no datacenters are provided the policy is valid in all datacenters including
  those which do not yet exist but may in the future.

- `Namespace` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace to
  create the policy. If not provided in the JSON body, the value of
  the `ns` URL query parameter or in the `X-Consul-Namespace` header will be used.
  If not provided, the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL
  token or will default to the `default` namespace. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

### Sample Payload

```json
{
  "Name": "node-read",
  "Description": "Grants read access to all node information",
  "Rules": "node_prefix \"\" { policy = \"read\"}",
  "Datacenters": ["dc1"]
}
```

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request PUT \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policy
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "ID": "e359bd81-baca-903e-7e64-1ccd9fdc78f5",
  "Name": "node-read",
  "Description": "Grants read access to all node information",
  "Rules": "node_prefix \"\" { policy = \"read\"}",
  "Datacenters": ["dc1"],
  "Hash": "OtZUUKhInTLEqTPfNSSOYbRiSBKm3c4vI2p6MxZnGWc=",
  "CreateIndex": 14,
  "ModifyIndex": 14
}
```

## Read a Policy

This endpoint reads an ACL policy with the given ID.

| Method | Path              | Produces           |
| ------ | ----------------- | ------------------ |
| `GET`  | `/acl/policy/:id` | `application/json` |

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `YES`            | `all`             | `none`        | `acl:read`   |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy read`](/commands/acl/policy/read).

### Parameters

- `id` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies the UUID of the ACL policy to
  read. This is required and is specified as part of the URL path.

- `ns` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace to lookup
  the policy. This value can be specified as the `ns` URL query
  parameter or the `X-Consul-Namespace` header. If not provided by either,
  the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL token or will default
  to the `default` namespace. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request GET http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policy/e359bd81-baca-903e-7e64-1ccd9fdc78f5
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "ID": "e359bd81-baca-903e-7e64-1ccd9fdc78f5",
  "Name": "node-read",
  "Description": "Grants read access to all node information",
  "Rules": "node_prefix \"\" { policy = \"read\"}",
  "Datacenters": ["dc1"],
  "Hash": "OtZUUKhInTLEqTPfNSSOYbRiSBKm3c4vI2p6MxZnGWc=",
  "CreateIndex": 14,
  "ModifyIndex": 14
}
```

## Read a Policy by Name

This endpoint reads an ACL policy with the given ID.

| Method | Path                     | Produces           |
| ------ | ------------------------ | ------------------ |
| `GET`  | `/acl/policy/name/:name` | `application/json` |

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `YES`            | `all`             | `none`        | `acl:read`   |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy read -name=<string>`](/commands/acl/policy/read#name).

### Parameters

- `name` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies the name of the ACL policy to
  read. This is required and is specified as part of the URL path.

- `ns` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace to lookup
  the policy. This value can be specified as the `ns` URL query
  parameter or the `X-Consul-Namespace` header. If not provided by either,
  the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL token or will default
  to the `default` namespace. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request GET http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policy/name/node-read
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "ID": "e359bd81-baca-903e-7e64-1ccd9fdc78f5",
  "Name": "node-read",
  "Description": "Grants read access to all node information",
  "Rules": "node_prefix \"\" { policy = \"read\"}",
  "Datacenters": ["dc1"],
  "Hash": "OtZUUKhInTLEqTPfNSSOYbRiSBKm3c4vI2p6MxZnGWc=",
  "CreateIndex": 14,
  "ModifyIndex": 14
}
```

## Update a Policy

This endpoint updates an existing ACL policy.

| Method | Path              | Produces           |
| ------ | ----------------- | ------------------ |
| `PUT`  | `/acl/policy/:id` | `application/json` |

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `NO`             | `none`            | `none`        | `acl:write`  |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy update`](/commands/acl/policy/update).

### Parameters

- `ID` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies the UUID of the policy to update. This is
  required in the URL path but may also be specified in the JSON body. If specified
  in both places then they must match exactly.

- `Name` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies a name for the ACL policy. The name
  can only contain alphanumeric characters as well as `-` and `_` and must be
  unique.

- `Description` `(string: "")` - Free form human readable description of this policy.

- `Rules` `(string: "")` - Specifies rules for this ACL policy. The format of the
  `Rules` property is detailed in the [ACL Rules documentation](/docs/security/acl/acl-rules).

- `Datacenters` `(array<string>)` - Specifies the datacenters this policy is valid within.
  When no datacenters are provided the policy is valid in all datacenters including
  those which do not yet exist but may in the future.

- `Namespace` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace of
  the policy to update. If not provided in the JSON body, the value of
  the `ns` URL query parameter or in the `X-Consul-Namespace` header will be used.
  If not provided, the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL
  token or will default to the `default` namespace. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

### Sample Payload

```json
{
  "ID": "c01a1f82-44be-41b0-a686-685fb6e0f485",
  "Name": "register-app-service",
  "Description": "Grants write permissions necessary to register the 'app' service",
  "Rules": "service \"app\" { policy = \"write\"}"
}
```

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request PUT \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policy/c01a1f82-44be-41b0-a686-685fb6e0f485
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "ID": "c01a1f82-44be-41b0-a686-685fb6e0f485",
  "Name": "register-app-service",
  "Description": "Grants write permissions necessary to register the 'app' service",
  "Rules": "service \"app\" { policy = \"write\"}",
  "Hash": "OtZUUKhInTLEqTPfNSSOYbRiSBKm3c4vI2p6MxZnGWc=",
  "CreateIndex": 14,
  "ModifyIndex": 28
}
```

## Delete a Policy

This endpoint deletes an ACL policy.

| Method   | Path              | Produces           |
| -------- | ----------------- | ------------------ |
| `DELETE` | `/acl/policy/:id` | `application/json` |

Even though the return type is application/json, the value is either true or
false indicating whether the delete succeeded.

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `NO`             | `none`            | `none`        | `acl:write`  |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy delete`](/commands/acl/policy/delete).

### Parameters

- `id` `(string: <required>)` - Specifies the UUID of the ACL policy to
  delete. This is required and is specified as part of the URL path.

- `ns` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace of the
  policy to delete. This value can be specified as the `ns` URL query
  parameter or the `X-Consul-Namespace` header. If not provided by either,
  the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL token or will default
  to the `default` namespace. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request DELETE \
    http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policy/8f246b77-f3e1-ff88-5b48-8ec93abf3e05
```

### Sample Response

```json
true
```

## List Policies

This endpoint lists all the ACL policies.

| Method | Path            | Produces           |
| ------ | --------------- | ------------------ |
| `GET`  | `/acl/policies` | `application/json` |

The table below shows this endpoint's support for
[blocking queries](/api-docs/features/blocking),
[consistency modes](/api-docs/features/consistency),
[agent caching](/api-docs/features/caching), and
[required ACLs](/api#authentication).

| Blocking Queries | Consistency Modes | Agent Caching | ACL Required |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| `YES`            | `all`             | `none`        | `acl:read`   |

The corresponding CLI command is [`consul acl policy list`](/commands/acl/policy/list).

### Parameters

- `ns` `(string: "")` <EnterpriseAlert inline /> - Specifies the namespace to list
  the Policies for. This value can be specified as the `ns` URL query
  parameter or the `X-Consul-Namespace` header. If not provided by either,
  the namespace will be inherited from the request's ACL token or will default
  to the `default` namespace. The namespace may be specified as '\*' and then
  results will be returned for all namespaces. Added in Consul 1.7.0.

## Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl --request GET http://127.0.0.1:8500/v1/acl/policies
```

### Sample Response

-> **Note** - The policies rules are not included in the listing and must be
retrieved by the [policy reading endpoint](#read-a-policy)

```json
[
  {
    "CreateIndex": 4,
    "Datacenters": null,
    "Description": "Builtin Policy that grants unlimited access",
    "Hash": "swIQt6up+s0cV4kePfJ2aRdKCLaQyykF4Hl1Nfdeumk=",
    "ID": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001",
    "ModifyIndex": 4,
    "Name": "global-management"
  },
  {
    "CreateIndex": 14,
    "Datacenters": ["dc1"],
    "Description": "Grants read access to all node information",
    "Hash": "OtZUUKhInTLEqTPfNSSOYbRiSBKm3c4vI2p6MxZnGWc=",
    "ID": "e359bd81-baca-903e-7e64-1ccd9fdc78f5",
    "ModifyIndex": 14,
    "Name": "node-read"
  }
]
```
