Phoenix Authorization Patterns

RULES — Follow these with no exceptions

1. Always authorize on the server in event handlers — never rely on UI-only checks 2. Verify resource ownership by comparing current_scope.user.id against the resource's user_id — never trust client-sent user IDs 3. Use policy modules for complex authorization — don't inline permission checks in LiveViews or controllers 4. Add data-confirm attribute for destructive UI actions — client-side confirmation before server round-trip 5. Test both authorized and unauthorized paths — every handle_event that mutates data needs an authz test 6. Scope queries to the current user in contexts — where(user_id: ^user_id) prevents IDOR vulnerabilities

Authorization Workflow for a New Resource

Follow these steps in order when adding authorization to any new resource: