As applications scale in complexity, managing user permissions becomes a growing challenge. Without a structured approach, permissions quickly become a tangled mess of if-else statements, leading to poor maintainability and scalability. While Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) provides a strong starting point for managing user access, it may not offer the level of granularity needed as your app evolves. To gain finer control over who can perform what actions, on which objects, and under what conditions, the Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) model, recommended by OWASP, becomes invaluable.
In this session, we’ll explore two practical approaches to building a scalable permissions system in React. First, I'll introduce CASL, a popular ABAC library that simplifies fine-grained access control. Then, I'll walk you through creating a custom permissions system from scratch, offering insight into designing a solution that fits your app’s needs.
Throughout the session, I'll conduct detailed code walkthroughs for both approaches, covering key concepts like optimized state management, custom hooks, and caching/conditional queries using Redux Toolkit. You’ll learn how to implement these strategies to create a clean, efficient, and maintainable permissions framework.
By the end of the session, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to implement scalable permission systems in React, whether you choose a pre-built solution like CASL or build your own.
This talk has been presented at React Summit 2025, check out the latest edition of this React Conference.
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