SET_ROLE(7pg15)

💖 SET_ROLE(7pg15) — PostgreSQL 15.19 Documentation, bestie edition 💖

okay so this is the PostgreSQL 15.19 manual page for SET_ROLE(7pg15), and it's literally about setting the current user identifier of the current SQL session. It's giving “who am I today?” energy, but make it permissions. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

SET_ROLE — set the current user identifier of the current session. that's the whole vibe. 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] ROLE role_name
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] ROLE NONE
RESET ROLE

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so SET ROLE sets the current user identifier of the current SQL session to be role_name. You can write role_name as either an identifier or a string literal — yes bestie, both are valid. After SET ROLE, permissions checking for SQL commands is carried out as though the named role were the one that had logged in originally. iconic.

The specified role_name must be a role that the current session user is a member of. (If the session user is a superuser, any role can be selected. no cap.)

The SESSION and LOCAL modifiers act the same as for the regular SET command. periodt.

SET ROLE NONE sets the current user identifier to the current session user identifier, as returned by session_user. RESET ROLE sets the current user identifier to the connection-time setting specified by the command-line options, ALTER ROLE, or ALTER DATABASE, if any such settings exist. Otherwise, RESET ROLE sets the current user identifier to the current session user identifier. These forms can be executed by any user. 🫶

⚠️ NOTES ⚠️

Using this command, it is possible to either add privileges or restrict one's privileges. main character permissions arc 💀

If the session user role has the INHERIT attribute, then it automatically has all the privileges of every role that it could SET ROLE to; in this case SET ROLE effectively drops all the privileges assigned directly to the session user and to the other roles it is a member of, leaving only the privileges available to the named role. On the other hand, if the session user role has the NOINHERIT attribute, SET ROLE drops the privileges assigned directly to the session user and instead acquires the privileges available to the named role.

In particular, when a superuser chooses to SET ROLE to a non-superuser role, they lose their superuser privileges. this is not a drill. 😭

SET ROLE has effects comparable to SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION, but the privilege checks involved are quite different. Also, SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION determines which roles are allowable for later SET ROLE commands, whereas changing roles with SET ROLE does not change the set of roles allowed to a later SET ROLE. iykyk.

SET ROLE does not process session variables as specified by the role's ALTER ROLE settings; this only happens during login. 🙈

SET ROLE cannot be used within a SECURITY DEFINER function. warning bestie: just no.

🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

okay so watch this little transformation:

SELECT SESSION_USER, CURRENT_USER;

 session_user | current_user
--------------+--------------
 peter        | peter

SET ROLE 'paul';

SELECT SESSION_USER, CURRENT_USER;

 session_user | current_user
--------------+--------------
 peter        | paul

the way session_user stayed peter but current_user became paul? that's the whole point. slay. 💖

🌈 COMPATIBILITY 🌈

PostgreSQL allows identifier syntax ("rolename"), while the SQL standard requires the role name to be written as a string literal. SQL does not allow this command during a transaction; PostgreSQL does not make this restriction because there is no reason to. The SESSION and LOCAL modifiers are a PostgreSQL extension, as is the RESET syntax. PostgreSQL really said “rules are more like guidelines” on that one.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION (SET_SESSION_AUTHORIZATION(7)) — go read that one next, bestie. 💖

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💖 okay that's the whole page! source/version energy: PostgreSQL 15.19; date energy: 2026. now go set your role and slay responsibly. 💅✨