A simple explanation of how RLS protects your database - no PhD required.
Check Your App's RLSRow Level Security (RLS) is like having a bouncer at each row of your database.
Imagine a spreadsheet where each row belongs to a different user. Without RLS, anyone who opens the spreadsheet can see everyone's data. With RLS, each user only sees their own rows - the bouncer checks their ID before letting them in.
In database terms: RLS lets you write rules like "users can only see rows where user_id matches their ID".
Anyone can see all data:
| data | |
|---|---|
| alice@... | Alice's secrets |
| bob@... | Bob's secrets |
| eve@... | Eve's secrets |
Alice only sees her data:
| data | |
|---|---|
| alice@... | Alice's secrets |
| bob@... | [hidden] |
| eve@... | [hidden] |
In January 2025, security researchers found that 170+ apps built with Lovable had exposed databases due to missing RLS. User emails, passwords, payment data, and even admin credentials were accessible to anyone who knew how to query the database.
Without RLS, if an attacker discovers your Supabase URL (which is often exposed in your app's JavaScript), they can query your database directly and access everyone's data - not just their own.
Built-in RLS support. Used by Supabase, Neon, Railway, and most modern platforms.
Uses "Security Rules" instead of RLS. Same concept, different implementation.
No native RLS. Must implement access control in your application code.
"Supabase enables RLS by default"
Wrong! Supabase creates tables with RLS disabled. You must manually enable it and create policies. This is the #1 cause of security issues in vibe-coded apps.
"My API key is private, so my data is safe"
Wrong! Supabase anon keys are meant to be public and are visible in your app's JavaScript. RLS is what actually protects your data.
"Authentication means my data is secure"
Wrong! Authentication verifies who you are. RLS controls what you can access. Without RLS, any authenticated user can see ALL users' data.
Row Level Security (RLS) is a database feature that controls which rows a user can see or modify. Instead of giving users access to an entire table, RLS lets you write rules like "users can only see their own data." It's like having a bouncer at each row of your database.
No! This is a common misconception. Supabase creates tables with RLS disabled by default. You must manually enable RLS and create policies for each table. This is why so many vibe-coded apps have security issues.
You can check in Supabase Dashboard under Authentication → Policies, or use a security scanner like Vibe App Scanner that tests your deployed app for RLS misconfigurations by attempting to access data without authentication.
Don't guess whether your RLS is configured correctly. Scan your deployed app to find out.
Last updated: January 15, 2026