---
title: "Controlling Object Access with Realms"
slug: "realms"
updated: 2026-02-26T23:10:09Z
published: 2026-02-26T23:10:09Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Controlling Object Access with Realms

Access in Slate falls into three categories:

- [**User Permissions**](/v1/docs/getting-started-with-users-permissions)**:**What actions is a user authorized to perform?
- [**Population Permissions**](/v1/docs/managing-record-access-using-population-permissions): To which users or groups do those actions apply?
- **Realms**: To which objects (something made with a Slate tool, like a mailing or a query) can permissions be assigned?

## What is a realm in Slate?

When you grant a user a permission, you grant them access to some tool or area in Slate: grant someone the *Deliver* permission, and they can select *Deliver*from the main navigation (but that’s about it); grant them the *Deliver (edit all users)*permission, and now they can view and edit all of the mailings in Deliver.

But what if you want the user to access only certain mailings, not all of them? **Realms**let you grant access to only those objects contained in that realm. In our Deliver example, the user with *Deliver (edit all users)*could see all mailings except the mailings in realms to which they don’t have access.

If we create a realm called *My Department*, and we place a new mailing in that realm, our users wouldn’t see it without also being granted access to this *My Department*realm:

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Realm example with Deliver mailing(1).png)

Assign a query to a realm to compartmentalize who can build, run, and edit it without affecting queries in other realms. What a user can do is controlled by a user permission, but realms allow their impact to be limited to only appropriate objects.

Similarly, forms, events, and Scheduler slots can be placed in realms to define who can access, build, or edit these objects without affecting the resources in other realms.

> [!TIP]
> ⭐ Best practice
> 
> Objects not assigned to a realm are visible to all users; avoid confusion by assigning all objects to a realm.

## Creating a realm

To create a new realm:

1. Go to **Database → Security Dashboard**.
2. Under **Roles & Permissions**, select **Realms**.
3. Select **New Realm**.
4. Configure the following settings:
  - **Status:**Set the status to *Active* for realms that are currently being used.
  - **Name:** Enter a computer-friendly name.
    - 🔔 **Important!**No special characters (ampersands `&`, apostrophes `'`, quotation marks `“`, or slashes `/`).
    - This name is only visible administratively.
    - The name may be changed if necessary, even if objects already exist for the realm.
  - **Export Key**: Export keys can be used in exports to external systems, including an SIS.
5. Select **Save.**

## Granting a user access to a realm

To grant a user access to a realm:

1. Go to **Database → Security Dashboard**.
2. Select **Active Users.**
3. Select **Edit User**, or [create a new user account](/v1/docs/user-accounts).
4. Select the **Realms** tab.
5. Select **Insert Realm**.
6. Select a realm from the **Realm list.**
7. Select **Save**.

Repeat to add the user to additional realms.

## Access all realms as an administrator

Some users might have administrator access, but only to specific realms. Administrators must either select the specific realms that these users should have, or else grant them the [All Realms exclusive permission](/v1/docs/exclusive-permissions#all-realms):

1. Go to **Database**→ **Security Dashboard**.
2. Select **Active Users**.
3. Select the appropriate User and select **Edit User**.
4. Select **Roles**.
5. Grant the **All Realms** exclusive permission.

If an administrative user does not require access to all Realms, but only to specific ones, follow the steps in [granting a user access to a realm](/v1/docs/realms#granting-a-user-access-to-a-realm).