Preamble
You can grant GRANT and REVOKE rights for different database objects in PostgreSQL. We will see how to grant and revoke table privileges in PostgreSQL.
Grant privileges for a table
You can give users different privileges for tables. These permissions can be any combination of SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE, INDEX, CREATE, ALTER, DROP, GRANT OPTION, or ALL.
Syntax to provide table privileges in PostgreSQL
GRANT privileges ON object TO user;
privileges
Privileges to appoint. This can be any of the following values:
|
Privileges
|
Description
|
|---|---|
|
SELECT
|
Ability to execute SELECT operators for a table.
|
|
INSERT
|
Ability to execute INSERT operators for a table.
|
|
UPDATE
|
Ability to execute UPDATE operators for a table.
|
|
DELETE
|
Ability to execute DELETE operators for a table.
|
|
TRUNCATE
|
Ability to execute TRUNCATE operators on a table.
|
|
REFERENCES
|
Ability to create external keys (requires privileges for both parent and child tables).
|
|
TRIGGER
|
Ability to create triggers for a table.
|
|
CREATE
|
Ability to perform CREATE TABLE operators.
|
|
ALL
|
Provides all privileges.
|
- object – The name of the database object for which you grant privileges. In case you grant privileges for a table, this will be the name of the table.
- user – The name of the user to whom these privileges will be granted.
Some examples to understand how to grant table privileges in PostgreSQL
For example, if you want to grant SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE privileges to a table named products for a user named trizor, you must run the following GRANT statement:
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON products TO trizor;
You can also use the keyword ALL to specify that you want to grant all privileges to a user named trizor. For example:
GRANT ALL ON products TO trizor;
If you want to grant all users only SELECT access to the products table, you can grant PUBLIC privileges. For example:
GRANT SELECT ON products TO PUBLIC;
Recall the privileges for the table
Once you grant the privileges, you may need to cancel some or all of these privileges. To do this you can run the revoke command. You can revoke any combination of SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, TRUNCATE, REFERENCES, TRIGGER, CREATE, or ALL.
The syntax for revoking table privileges in PostgreSQL
REVOKE privileges ON object FROM user;
privileges
Privileges for review. This can be any of the following values:
|
Privileges
|
Description
|
|---|---|
|
SELECT
|
Ability to execute SELECT operators for a table.
|
|
INSERT
|
Ability to execute INSERT operators for a table.
|
|
UPDATE
|
Ability to execute UPDATE operators for a table.
|
|
DELETE
|
Ability to execute DELETE operators for a table.
|
|
TRUNCATE
|
Ability to execute TRUNCATE operators on a table.
|
|
REFERENCES
|
Ability to create external keys (requires privileges for both parent and child tables).
|
|
TRIGGER
|
Ability to create triggers for a table.
|
|
CREATE
|
Ability to perform CREATE TABLE operators.
|
|
ALL
|
Provides all privileges
|
- object – The name of the database object for which you are revoking the privileges. In the case of revocation of privileges for a table, this will be the name of the table.
- user – The name of the user for whom the privileges are to be revoked.
Examples of how to revoke privileges for a table in PostgreSQL
For example, if you want to revoke the DELETE and UPDATE privileges for a table named products for a user named trizor, you must run the following REVOKE statement:
REVOKE DELETE, UPDATE ON products FROM trizor;
If you want to revoke all table privileges for a user named trizor, you can use the ALL keyword as follows:
REVOKE ALL ON products FROM trizor;
If you granted SELECT * (i.e. all users) privileges in the products table and wanted to revoke those privileges, you can use the following REVOKE statement:
REVOKE SELECT ON products FROM PUBLIC;
PostgreSQL DBA: Grant and Revoke Privileges in PostgreSQL
About Enteros
Enteros offers a patented database performance management SaaS platform. It proactively identifies root causes of complex business-impacting database scalability and performance issues across a growing number of clouds, RDBMS, NoSQL, and machine learning database platforms.
The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Enteros Inc. This blog may contain links to the content of third-party sites. By providing such links, Enteros Inc. does not adopt, guarantee, approve, or endorse the information, views, or products available on such sites.
Are you interested in writing for Enteros’ Blog? Please send us a pitch!
RELATED POSTS
How AIOps and FinOps Drive Cost-Efficient Digital Transformation in Banking
- 9 August 2026
- Database Performance Management
Introduction Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for banks and financial institutions. From mobile banking and digital payments to real-time fraud detection, personalized financial services, and cloud-native applications, banking organizations are investing heavily in technology to deliver faster, smarter, and more convenient customer experiences. However, digital transformation also introduces a major challenge: how can … Continue reading “How AIOps and FinOps Drive Cost-Efficient Digital Transformation in Banking”
How to Optimize Healthcare Operations with Enteros Database Software, AI-Powered Analytics, and Database Observability
Introduction Healthcare organizations operate some of the most data-intensive technology environments in the world. Hospitals, health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical organizations, laboratories, and digital health companies depend on databases to manage electronic health records, patient scheduling, billing, clinical workflows, medical imaging, pharmacy systems, and operational analytics. Database performance directly affects clinician productivity, patient access, administrative efficiency, … Continue reading “How to Optimize Healthcare Operations with Enteros Database Software, AI-Powered Analytics, and Database Observability”
How to Optimize Telecommunications Operations with Enteros Database Software, AI-Powered Analytics, and Database Observability
Introduction The telecommunications industry is undergoing rapid transformation as providers expand 5G networks, fiber infrastructure, cloud services, IoT platforms, edge computing, and AI-driven customer experiences. Telecom operators must process enormous volumes of network, subscriber, billing, usage, device, and customer data while delivering highly reliable services around the clock. Every subscriber authentication, call record, billing transaction, … Continue reading “How to Optimize Telecommunications Operations with Enteros Database Software, AI-Powered Analytics, and Database Observability”
How Intelligent Database Observability Helps Enterprises Achieve Operational Excellence
- 7 August 2026
- Database Performance Management
Introduction In today’s digital-first economy, operational excellence is no longer just a business objective—it is a competitive necessity. Whether organizations operate in banking, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, or SaaS, customers expect applications to be available 24/7, transactions to process instantly, and digital experiences to remain seamless. At the center of these business-critical applications lies one … Continue reading “How Intelligent Database Observability Helps Enterprises Achieve Operational Excellence”