Rules reference

This is the full reference for everything you can use inside Lark security rule expressions. If you’re new to rules, start with the security rules overview first.

Variables

These variables are available in every rule expression.

Variable	Type	Description
`auth`	object \| null	The authenticated user. `null` if the client is unauthenticated.
`auth.uid`	string	The unique ID of the authenticated user.
`auth.provider`	string	The authentication provider (e.g., `"google"`, `"anonymous"`, `"password"`, `"facebook"`, `"github"`, `"twitter"`).
`auth.token`	object	The contents of the auth token, including any custom claims.
`data`	snapshot	A snapshot of the current data at this path, before the write.
`newData`	snapshot	A snapshot of the data that would exist after the write. The merged result of new data and existing data. Only available in `.write` and `.validate` rules.
`root`	snapshot	A snapshot of the root of the entire database. Use this to read data at other paths.
`now`	number	The current server timestamp in milliseconds since epoch.
`$wildcards`	string	Path segment captures. For example, a rule at `/users/$userId` makes `$userId` available as a string variable containing the matched key.
`lark.projectId`	string	The ID of the current project.
`lark.databaseId`	string	The ID of the current database (the database name, not including the project prefix).

data and newData are scoped to the current path where the rule is defined. Use root when you need to look up data elsewhere in your database.

Snapshot methods

The data, newData, and root variables are all snapshots. You can call these methods on any snapshot.

Method	Returns	Description
`val()`	any	Returns the primitive value (string, number, boolean, null) at this snapshot. For snapshots with children, use `child()` to access nested values.
`exists()`	boolean	Returns `true` if this snapshot contains any data. Equivalent to `val() != null`.
`hasChild(path)`	boolean	Returns `true` if the specified child path exists. `path` can be a single key or a slash-separated path.
`hasChildren(keys)`	boolean	Returns `true` if all of the specified child keys exist. `keys` is an array of strings. With no arguments, returns `true` if the snapshot has any children.
`parent()`	snapshot	Returns a snapshot of the parent node. Fails if called on the root.
`child(path)`	snapshot	Returns a snapshot of the child at the given path. `path` can be a single key or a deeper slash-separated path (e.g., `'address/city'`). If the child doesn’t exist, returns an empty snapshot.
`getPriority()`	string \| number \| null	Returns the priority of the data at this snapshot.
`isString()`	boolean	Returns `true` if the value is a string.
`isNumber()`	boolean	Returns `true` if the value is a number.
`isBoolean()`	boolean	Returns `true` if the value is a boolean.

Examples

// Check if the current data exists
data.exists()

// Check if the incoming data has both 'name' and 'score' children
newData.hasChildren(['name', 'score'])

// Read a sibling value
data.parent().child('status').val() === 'active'

// Look up data at another path entirely
root.child('admins/' + auth.uid).exists()

// Check a deeply nested child
data.child('stats/hp').val() > 0

// Type-check incoming data
newData.child('name').isString() && newData.child('score').isNumber()

String methods

These methods are available on any string value in a rule expression, including auth.uid, $wildcard captures, and string values returned by val().

Method / Property	Returns	Description
`length`	number	The length of the string. This is a property, not a method (no parentheses).
`contains(substring)`	boolean	Returns `true` if the string contains the given substring.
`beginsWith(substring)`	boolean	Returns `true` if the string starts with the given prefix.
`endsWith(substring)`	boolean	Returns `true` if the string ends with the given suffix.
`replace(substring, replacement)`	string	Returns a copy of the string with all instances of `substring` replaced by `replacement`.
`toLowerCase()`	string	Returns the string converted to lower case.
`toUpperCase()`	string	Returns the string converted to upper case.
`matches(regex)`	boolean	Returns `true` if the string matches the given regular expression.

Examples

// Validate that a username is at least 3 characters
newData.child('username').val().length >= 3

// Check that an email looks valid
newData.child('email').val().matches(/^[^@]+@[^@]+\.[^@]+$/)

// Check a string prefix
auth.token.identifier.beginsWith('internal-')

// Escape periods for use as keys
newData.child('email').val().replace('.', '%2E')

// Case-insensitive lookup
root.child('users').child(auth.token.identifier.toLowerCase()).exists()

Operators

Standard operators work inside rule expressions.

Comparison

Operator	Description
`===`	Strict equality (type and value)
`!==`	Strict inequality
`<`	Less than
`>`	Greater than
`<=`	Less than or equal to
`>=`	Greater than or equal to

== is treated as === and != is treated as !== in rules. Both are strict comparisons; there is no loose equality.

Logical

Operator	Description
`&&`	Logical AND
`\|\|`	Logical OR
`!`	Logical NOT

Arithmetic

Operator	Description
`+`	Addition (also string concatenation)
`-`	Subtraction / negation
`*`	Multiplication
`/`	Division
`%`	Modulo

Ternary

Operator	Description
`? :`	Conditional expression. `condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse`

Use the + operator to build dynamic paths for child() lookups: root.child('users/' + auth.uid + '/role').val() === 'admin'.

Query-based rules

You can restrict what queries clients are allowed to run by referencing query. expressions in your rules. This lets you enforce that clients include certain filters or limits.

Query variables

Expression	Type	Description
`query.orderByKey`	boolean	`true` if the query is ordered by key.
`query.orderByPriority`	boolean	`true` if the query is ordered by priority.
`query.orderByValue`	boolean	`true` if the query is ordered by value.
`query.orderByChild`	string \| null	The child key being ordered by, or `null` if not ordered by a child.
`query.startAt`	string \| number \| boolean \| null	The start bound of the query, or `null` if none.
`query.endAt`	string \| number \| boolean \| null	The end bound of the query, or `null` if none.
`query.equalTo`	string \| number \| boolean \| null	The equality filter of the query, or `null` if none.
`query.limitToFirst`	number \| null	The limit-to-first value, or `null` if none.
`query.limitToLast`	number \| null	The limit-to-last value, or `null` if none.

Examples

Restrict access to a collection so clients can only read their own items:

{
  "rules": {
    "baskets": {
      ".read": "auth.uid !== null &&
                query.orderByChild === 'owner' &&
                query.equalTo === auth.uid"
    }
  }
}

A query that includes the required parameters succeeds:

db.ref('baskets')
  .orderByChild('owner')
  .equalTo(auth.currentUser.uid)
  .on('value', callback); // Succeeds

A query without the parameters fails:

db.ref('baskets')
  .on('value', callback); // PERMISSION_DENIED

Limit how much data a client can download:

{
  "rules": {
    "messages": {
      ".read": "query.orderByKey && query.limitToFirst <= 1000"
    }
  }
}

Data

Security rules

Real-time features

Authentication

Transports

Rules reference

Variables

Snapshot methods

Examples

String methods

Examples

Operators

Comparison

Logical

Arithmetic

Ternary

Query-based rules

Query variables

Examples

What’s next

Rules examples

Security rules

​Variables

​Snapshot methods

​Examples

​String methods

​Examples

​Operators

​Comparison

​Logical

​Arithmetic

​Ternary

​Query-based rules

​Query variables

​Examples

​What’s next

Rules examples

Security rules

Variables

Snapshot methods

Examples

String methods

Examples

Operators

Comparison

Logical

Arithmetic

Ternary

Query-based rules

Query variables

Examples

What’s next