Unity Catalog privileges and securable objects

This article describes the Unity Catalog securable objects and the privileges that apply to them. To learn how to grant privileges in Unity Catalog, see Show, grant, and revoke privileges.

Securable objects in Unity Catalog

A securable object is an object defined in the Unity Catalog metastore on which privileges can be granted to a principal (user, service principal, or group). Securable objects in Unity Catalog are hierarchical.

The securable objects are:

• METASTORE: The top-level container for metadata. Each Unity Catalog metastore exposes a three-level namespace (catalog.schema.table) that organizes your data.

  When you manage privileges on a metastore, you do not include the metastore name in a SQL command. Unity Catalog grants or revokes the privilege on the metastore attached to your workspace. For example, the following command grants a group named engineering the ability to create a catalog in the metastore attached to the workspace:

  GRANT CREATE CATALOG ON METASTORE TO engineering
  

• CATALOG: The first layer of the object hierarchy, used to organize your data assets. A foreign catalog is a special catalog type that mirrors a database in an external data system in a Lakehouse Federation scenario.

• SCHEMA: Also known as databases, schemas are the second layer of the object hierarchy and contain tables and views.

• TABLE: The lowest level in the object hierarchy, tables can be external (stored in external locations in your cloud storage of choice) or managed tables (stored in a storage container in your cloud storage that you create expressly for Azure Databricks).

• VIEW: A read-only object created from a query on one or more tables that is contained within a schema.

• VOLUME: The lowest level in the object hierarchy, volumes can be external (stored in external locations in your cloud storage of choice) or managed (stored in a storage container in your cloud storage that you create expressly for Azure Databricks).

• FUNCTION: A user-defined function or an MLflow registered model that is contained within a schema.

• Model: An MLflow registered model is a specific type of function. Models are listed separately from other functions in Catalog Explorer, but when you grant a privilege on a model using SQL, you use GRANT ON FUNCTION.

• EXTERNAL LOCATION: An object that contains a reference to a storage credential and a cloud storage path that is contained within a Unity Catalog metastore.

• STORAGE CREDENTIAL: An object that encapsulates a long-term cloud credential that provides access to cloud storage that is contained within a Unity Catalog metastore.

• CONNECTION: An object that specifies a path and credentials for accessing an external database system in a Lakehouse Federation scenario.

• SHARE: A logical grouping for the tables you intend to share using Delta Sharing. A share is contained within a Unity Catalog metastore.

• RECIPIENT: An object that identifies an organization or group of users that can have data shared with them using Delta Sharing. These objects are contained within a Unity Catalog metastore.

• PROVIDER: An object that represents an organization that has made data available for sharing using Delta Sharing. These objects are contained within a Unity Catalog metastore.

Privilege types by securable object in Unity Catalog

The following table lists the privilege types that apply to each securable object in Unity Catalog. To learn how to grant privileges in Unity Catalog, see Show, grant, and revoke privileges.

Securable	Privileges
Metastore	CREATE CATALOG, CREATE CONNECTION, CREATE EXTERNAL LOCATION, CREATE PROVIDER, CREATE RECIPIENT, CREATE SHARE, CREATE STORAGE CREDENTIAL, SET SHARE PERMISSION, USE MARKETPLACE ASSETS, USE PROVIDER, USE RECIPIENT, USE SHARE
Catalog	ALL PRIVILEGES, APPLY TAG, BROWSE, CREATE SCHEMA, USE CATALOG All users have USE CATALOG on the main catalog by default. The following privilege types apply to securable objects in a catalog. You can grant these privileges at the catalog level to apply them to current and future objects in the catalog. CREATE FUNCTION, CREATE TABLE, CREATE MODEL, CREATE VOLUME, CREATE FOREIGN CATALOG, READ VOLUME, REFRESH, WRITE VOLUME, EXECUTE, MODIFY, SELECT, USE SCHEMA
Schema	ALL PRIVILEGES, APPLY TAG, CREATE FUNCTION, CREATE TABLE, CREATE MODEL, CREATE VOLUME, CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW, USE SCHEMA The following privilege types apply to securable objects within a schema. You can grant these privileges at the schema level to apply them to current and future objects within the schema. EXECUTE, MODIFY, READ VOLUME, REFRESH, SELECT, WRITE VOLUME
Table	ALL PRIVILEGES, APPLY TAG, MODIFY, SELECT, SINGLE USER ACCESS
View	ALL PRIVILEGES, APPLY TAG, SELECT
Volume	ALL PRIVILEGES, READ VOLUME, WRITE VOLUME
External location	ALL PRIVILEGES, BROWSE, CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE, CREATE EXTERNAL VOLUME, READ FILES, WRITE FILES, CREATE MANAGED STORAGE
Storage credential	ALL PRIVILEGES, CREATE EXTERNAL LOCATION, CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE, READ FILES, WRITE FILES
Connection	ALL PRIVILEGES, CREATE FOREIGN CATALOG, USE CONNECTION
Function	ALL PRIVILEGES, APPLY TAG (models only), EXECUTE
Model	Registered models are a type of function.
Share	SELECT (Can be granted to RECIPIENT)
Recipient	None
Provider	None

General Unity Catalog privilege types

This section provides details about the privilege types that apply generally to Unity Catalog. To learn how to grant privileges in Unity Catalog, see Show, grant, and revoke privileges.

ALL PRIVILEGES

Applicable object types: CATALOG, EXTERNAL LOCATION, STORAGE CREDENTIAL, SCHEMA, FUNCTION (including models) TABLE, VIEW, VOLUME

Used to grant or revoke all privileges applicable to the securable object and its child objects without explicitly specifying them.

When ALL PRIVILEGES is granted on an object, it does not individually grant the user each applicable privilege at the time of the grant. Instead, it expands to all available privileges at the time permissions checks are made. This means that as Databricks releases new privileges and new securable objects, an existing ALL PRIVILEGES grant automatically includes any new privileges applicable to the securable object, its existing child objects, and any new child objects.

When ALL PRIVILEGES is revoked, the ALL PRIVILEGES privilege is revoked and any explicit privileges granted to the user on the object are also revoked.

To avoid accidental data exfiltration, ALL PRIVILEGES does not include the EXTERNAL USE SCHEMA privilege.

APPLY TAG

Applicable object types: CATALOG, SCHEMA, TABLE, VOLUME, MATERIALIZED VIEW, VIEW, models that are registered as a FUNCTION

Allows a user to add and edit tags on an object. Granting APPLY TAG to a table or view also enables column tagging. Granting APPLY TAG to a registered model also enables model version tagging.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on the parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on the parent schema.

BROWSE

Applicable object types: CATALOG, EXTERNAL LOCATION

Allows a user to view an object's metadata using Catalog Explorer, the schema browser, search results, the lineage graph, information_schema, and the REST API.

The user does not require the USE CATALOG privilege on the parent catalog or USE SCHEMA on the parent schema.

All users are granted the BROWSE privilege by default on new catalogs that are created using Catalog Explorer. You can revoke the privilege if you prefer. Catalogs created using SQL statements, the REST API, or the Databricks CLI do not grant the BROWSE privilege by default. You must grant it overtly.

CREATE CATALOG

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a catalog in a Unity Catalog metastore. To create a foreign catalog, you must also have the CREATE FOREIGN CATALOG privilege on the connection that contains the foreign catalog or on the metastore.

CREATE CONNECTION

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a connection to an external database in a Lakehouse Federation scenario.

CREATE EXTERNAL LOCATION

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore, STORAGE CREDENTIAL

To create an external location, the user must have this privilege on both the metastore and the storage credential that is being referenced in the external location.

CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE

Applicable object types: EXTERNAL LOCATION, STORAGE CREDENTIAL

Allows a user to create external tables directly in your cloud tenant using an external location or storage credential. Databricks recommends granting this privilege on an external location rather than storage credential (since it's scoped to a path, it allows more control over where users can create external tables in your cloud tenant).

CREATE EXTERNAL VOLUME

Applicable object types: EXTERNAL LOCATION

Allows a user to create external volumes using an external location.

CREATE FOREIGN CATALOG

Applicable object types: CONNECTION

Allows a user to create foreign catalogs using a connection to an external database in a Lakehouse Federation scenario.

CREATE FUNCTION

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to create a function in the schema. Since privileges are inherited, CREATE FUNCTION can also be granted on a catalog, which allows a user to create a function in any existing or future schema in the catalog.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on the parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on the parent schema.

CREATE MODEL

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to create an MLflow registered model (which is a type of FUNCTION) in the schema. Since privileges are inherited, CREATE MODEL can also be granted on a catalog, which allows a user to create a registered model in any existing or future schema in the catalog.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on the parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on the parent schema.

CREATE MANAGED STORAGE

Applicable object types: EXTERNAL LOCATION

Allows a user to specify a location for storing managed tables at the catalog or schema level, overriding the default root storage for the metastore.

CREATE SCHEMA

Applicable object types: CATALOG

Allows a user to create a schema. The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on the catalog.

CREATE STORAGE CREDENTIAL

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a storage credential in a Unity Catalog metastore.

Cannot be granted to a service principal, whether an Microsoft Entra ID or native Azure Databricks service principal.

CREATE TABLE

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to create a table or view in the schema. Since privileges are inherited, CREATE TABLE can also be granted on a catalog, which allows a user to create a table or view in any existing or future schema in the catalog.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on its parent catalog and the USE SCHEMA privilege on its parent schema.

CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to create a materialized view in the schema. Since privileges are inherited, CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW can also be granted on a catalog, which allows a user to create a table or view in any existing or future schema in the catalog.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on its parent catalog and the USE SCHEMA privilege on its parent schema.

CREATE VOLUME

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to create a volume in the schema. Since privileges are inherited, CREATE VOLUME can also be granted on a catalog, which allows a user to create a volume in any existing or future schema in the catalog.

The user must also have the USE CATALOG privilege on the volume's parent catalog and the USE SCHEMA privilege on its parent schema.

EXECUTE

Applicable object types: FUNCTION, Model

Allows a user to invoke a user defined function or load a model for inference, if the user also has USE CATALOG on its parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema. For functions, EXECUTE grants the ability to view the function definition and metadata. For registered models, EXECUTE grants the ability to view metadata for all versions of the registered model, and to download model files.

Since privileges are inherited, you can grant a user the EXECUTE privilege on a catalog or schema, which automatically grants the user the EXECUTE privilege on all current and future functions in the catalog or schema.

EXTERNAL USE SCHEMA

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

Allows a user to be granted a temporary credential to access Unity Catalog tables from an external processing engine using the Unity Catalog open APIs or Iceberg REST APIs.

Only the catalog owner can grant this privilege.

To avoid accidental data exfiltration, ALL PRIVILEGES does not include the EXTERNAL USE SCHEMA privilege, and schema owners do not have this privilege by default.

MANAGE ALLOWLIST

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to add or modify paths for init scripts, JARs, and Maven coordinates in the allowlist that governs Unity Catalog-enabled clusters with shared access mode. See Allowlist libraries and init scripts on shared compute.

MODIFY

Applicable object types: TABLE

Allows a user to add, update, and delete data to or from the table if the user also has SELECT on the table as well as USE CATALOG on its parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema.

Since privileges are inherited, you can grant a user the MODIFY privilege on a catalog or schema, which automatically grants the user the MODIFY privilege on all current and future tables in the catalog or schema.

READ FILES

Applicable object types: VOLUME, EXTERNAL LOCATION

Allows a user to read files directly from your cloud object storage. Databricks recommends granting this privilege on volumes and granting on external locations for limited use cases. For more guidance, see Manage external locations, external tables, and external volumes.

READ VOLUME

Applicable object types: VOLUME

Allows a user to read files and directories stored inside a volume if the user also has USE CATALOG on its parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema.

Privileges are inherited. When you can grant a user the READ VOLUME privilege on a catalog or schema, you automatically grant the user the READ VOLUME privilege on all current and future volumes in the catalog or schema.

SELECT

Applicable object types: TABLE, VIEW, MATERIALIZED VIEW, SHARE

If applied to a table or view, allows a user to select from the table or view, if the user also has USE CATALOG on its parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema. If applied to a share, allows a recipient to select from the share.

Since privileges are inherited, you can grant a user the SELECT privilege on a catalog or schema, which automatically grants the user SELECT privilege on all current and future tables, and views in the catalog or schema.

USE CATALOG

Applicable object types: CATALOG

This privilege does not grant access to the catalog itself, but is needed for a user to interact with any object within the catalog. For example, to select data from a table, users need to have the SELECT privilege on that table and USE CATALOG privileges on its parent catalog as well as USE SCHEMA privileges on its parent schema.

This is useful for allowing catalog owners to be able to limit how far individual schema and table owners can share data they produce. For example, a table owner granting SELECT to another user does not allow that user read access to the table unless they also have been granted USE CATALOG privileges on its parent catalog as well as USE SCHEMA privileges on its parent schema.

The USE CATALOG privilege on the parent catalog is not required to read an object's metadata if the user has the BROWSE privilege on that catalog.

USE CONNECTION

Applicable object types: CONNECTION

Allows a user to list and view details about connections to an external database in a Lakehouse Federation scenario. To create foreign catalogs for a connection, you must have CREATE FOREIGN CATALOG on the connection or ownership of the connection.

USE SCHEMA

Applicable object types: SCHEMA

This privilege does not grant access to the schema itself, but is needed for a user to interact with any object within the schema. For example, to select data from a table, users need to have the SELECT privilege on that table and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema as well as USE CATALOG on its parent catalog.

Since privileges are inherited, you can grant a user the USE SCHEMA privilege on a catalog, which automatically grants the user the USE SCHEMA privilege on all current and future schemas in the catalog.

The USE SCHEMA privilege on the parent schema is not required to read an object's metadata if the user has the BROWSE privilege on that schema or its parent catalog.

WRITE FILES

Applicable object types: VOLUME,EXTERNAL LOCATION

Allows a user to write files directly into your cloud object storage. Databricks recommends granting this privilege on volumes. Grant this privilege sparingly on external locations. For more guidance, see Manage external locations, external tables, and external volumes.

WRITE VOLUME

Applicable object types: VOLUME

Allows a user to add, remove, or modify files and directories stored inside a volume if the user also has USE CATALOG on its parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on its parent schema.

Privileges are inherited. When you can grant a user the WRITE VOLUME privilege on a catalog or schema, you automatically grant the user the WRITE VOLUME privilege on all current and future volumes in the catalog or schema.

Privilege types that apply only to Delta Sharing or Databricks Marketplace

This section provides details about the privilege types that apply only to Delta Sharing.

CREATE PROVIDER

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a Delta Sharing provider object in the metastore. A provider identifies an organization or group of users that have shared data using Delta Sharing. Provider creation is performed by a user in the recipient's Databricks account. See What is Delta Sharing?.

CREATE RECIPIENT

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a Delta Sharing recipient object in the metastore. A recipient identifies an organization or group of users that can have data shared with them using Delta Sharing. Recipient creation is performed by a user in the provider's Databricks account. See What is Delta Sharing?.

CREATE SHARE

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Allows a user to create a share in the metastore. A share is a logical grouping for the tables you intend to share using Delta Sharing

SET SHARE PERMISSION

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

In Delta Sharing, this privilege, combined with USE SHARE and USE RECIPIENT (or recipient ownership), gives a provider user the ability to grant a recipient access to a share. Combined with USE SHARE, it gives the ability to transfer ownership of a share to another user, group, or service principal.

USE MARKETPLACE ASSETS

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

Enabled by default for all Unity Catalog metastores. In Databricks Marketplace, this privilege gives a user the ability to get instant access or request access for data products shared in a Marketplace listing. It also allows a user to access the read-only catalog that is created when a provider shares a data product. Without this privilege, the user would require the CREATE CATALOG and USE PROVIDER privileges or the metastore admin role. This enables you to limit the number of users with those powerful permissions.

USE PROVIDER

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

In Delta Sharing, gives a recipient user read-only access to all providers in a recipient metastore and their shares. Combined with the CREATE CATALOG privilege, this privilege allows a recipient user who is not a metastore admin to mount a share as a catalog. This enables you to limit the number of users with the powerful metastore admin role.

USE RECIPIENT

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

In Delta Sharing, gives a provider user read-only access to all recipients in a provider metastore and their shares. This allows a provider user who is not a metastore admin to view recipient details, recipient authentication status, and the list of shares that the provider has shared with the recipient.

USE SHARE

Applicable object types: Unity Catalog metastore

In Delta Sharing, gives a provider user read-only access to all shares defined in a provider metastore. This allows a provider user who is not a metastore admin to list shares and list the assets (tables and notebooks) in a share, along with the share's recipients.