OpenFGA Studio - An Open Source Authorization Modeling Interface

Understanding OpenFGA OpenFGA (Fine-Grained Authorization) is a high-performance authorization engine built for developers and inspired by Google's Zanzibar paper. It excels in handling complex authorization scenarios with features that make it stand out: Relationship-Based Authorization: Model complex access patterns through relationships High Performance: Process millions of authorization checks per second Flexibility: Support for RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models Time-Based Access: Define temporal access rules with built-in support Proven Architecture: Based on Google's battle-tested Zanzibar system While OpenFGA Playground provides a hosted application for experimentation, it comes with limitations: Not open source Cannot be deployed in air-gapped environments Limited customization options Dependency on external services Why This Project? I built OpenFGA Studio to address these limitations and provide: A fully open-source solution deployable anywhere Enhanced user experience for authorization modeling Complete control over your authorization data Customizable interface for specific needs Seamless integration with existing systems OpenFGA Studio streamlines the process of creating, testing, and managing authorization models, making complex authorization logic more accessible and manageable. Built with modern web technologies including React, TypeScript, and Material-UI, it provides a robust and intuitive interface for working with OpenFGA. Key Features 1. Store Management The interface provides a straightforward way for managing OpenFGA stores. You can: Create new authorization stores Switch between existing stores View and manage store configurations Track model versions and changes 2. Visual Authorization Model Editor The model editor is a powerful interface for defining authorization rules with features including: Syntax highlighting for better readability Real-time validation against OpenFGA schema Support for both DSL and JSON formats Error highlighting and suggestions Easy switching between model versions 3. Interactive Graph Visualization Understand your authorization model at a glance with: Visual representation of relationships between types Interactive node exploration Relationship flow visualization Dynamic updates as you modify the model Zoom and pan controls for large models 4. Advanced Tuple Management The tuple management interface makes it easy to define and manage relationships: Assisted tuple creation with type suggestions Support for direct (freeform) tuple input Batch operations for efficient management Reverse chronological listing of tuples Quick delete operations 5. Conditional Relationship Support Handle complex authorization scenarios with conditional relationships: Dynamic condition parameter inputs Type-aware parameter validation Timestamp and duration support Visual feedback for condition state 6. Comprehensive Query Testing Test your authorization rules with an intuitive interface: Features include: Visual query builder Direct query input support Real-time query validation Historical query tracking Quick query replay 7. Conditional Access Testing Test complex conditional access patterns: Test time-based access rules Validate contextual conditions Dynamic parameter inputs Clear success/failure indicators 8. Developer-Friendly Features OpenFGA Studio is built with developers in mind: Clean, modern UI with dark mode support Keyboard shortcuts for common operations Copy/paste support for all fields Detailed error messages Response timing information Technical Implementation OpenFGA Studio is built with modern web technologies: Frontend: React with TypeScript for type safety UI Framework: Material-UI for consistent, responsive design State Management: React hooks and context for efficient state handling Build Tool: Vite for fast development and optimized production builds API Integration: Axios for reliable API communication Graph Visualization: React Flow for interactive model visualization Common Use Cases Authorization Modeling Design role-based access control (RBAC) systems Implement attribute-based access control (ABAC) Model relationship-based authorization Testing and Validation Verify access control rules Test time-based permissions Validate complex conditional access Development and Debugging Debug authorization issues Prototype authorization models Document access control patterns Conclusion OpenFGA Studio simplifies the complex task of fine-grained authorization modeling and testing. Whether you're designing a new authorization system or maintaining an existing one, this tool provides the features needed to work efficiently with OpenFGA. The combination of visual tools, intuitive interfaces, and powerful testing capabilities makes i

Jun 10, 2025 - 20:30

OpenFGA Studio - An Open Source Authorization Modeling Interface

Understanding OpenFGA

OpenFGA (Fine-Grained Authorization) is a high-performance authorization engine built for developers and inspired by Google's Zanzibar paper. It excels in handling complex authorization scenarios with features that make it stand out:

Relationship-Based Authorization: Model complex access patterns through relationships
High Performance: Process millions of authorization checks per second
Flexibility: Support for RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models
Time-Based Access: Define temporal access rules with built-in support
Proven Architecture: Based on Google's battle-tested Zanzibar system

While OpenFGA Playground provides a hosted application for experimentation, it comes with limitations:

Not open source
Cannot be deployed in air-gapped environments
Limited customization options
Dependency on external services

Why This Project?

I built OpenFGA Studio to address these limitations and provide:

A fully open-source solution deployable anywhere
Enhanced user experience for authorization modeling
Complete control over your authorization data
Customizable interface for specific needs
Seamless integration with existing systems

OpenFGA Studio streamlines the process of creating, testing, and managing authorization models, making complex authorization logic more accessible and manageable. Built with modern web technologies including React, TypeScript, and Material-UI, it provides a robust and intuitive interface for working with OpenFGA.

Key Features

1. Store Management

The interface provides a straightforward way for managing OpenFGA stores. You can:

Create new authorization stores
Switch between existing stores
View and manage store configurations
Track model versions and changes

2. Visual Authorization Model Editor

The model editor is a powerful interface for defining authorization rules with features including:

Syntax highlighting for better readability
Real-time validation against OpenFGA schema
Support for both DSL and JSON formats
Error highlighting and suggestions
Easy switching between model versions

3. Interactive Graph Visualization

Understand your authorization model at a glance with:

Visual representation of relationships between types
Interactive node exploration
Relationship flow visualization
Dynamic updates as you modify the model
Zoom and pan controls for large models

4. Advanced Tuple Management

The tuple management interface makes it easy to define and manage relationships:

Assisted tuple creation with type suggestions
Support for direct (freeform) tuple input
Batch operations for efficient management
Reverse chronological listing of tuples
Quick delete operations

5. Conditional Relationship Support

Handle complex authorization scenarios with conditional relationships:

Dynamic condition parameter inputs
Type-aware parameter validation
Timestamp and duration support
Visual feedback for condition state

6. Comprehensive Query Testing

Test your authorization rules with an intuitive interface:

Features include:

Visual query builder
Direct query input support
Real-time query validation
Historical query tracking
Quick query replay

7. Conditional Access Testing

Test complex conditional access patterns:

Test time-based access rules
Validate contextual conditions
Dynamic parameter inputs
Clear success/failure indicators

8. Developer-Friendly Features

OpenFGA Studio is built with developers in mind:

Clean, modern UI with dark mode support
Keyboard shortcuts for common operations
Copy/paste support for all fields
Detailed error messages
Response timing information

Technical Implementation

OpenFGA Studio is built with modern web technologies:

Frontend: React with TypeScript for type safety
UI Framework: Material-UI for consistent, responsive design
State Management: React hooks and context for efficient state handling
Build Tool: Vite for fast development and optimized production builds
API Integration: Axios for reliable API communication
Graph Visualization: React Flow for interactive model visualization

Common Use Cases

Authorization Modeling
- Design role-based access control (RBAC) systems
- Implement attribute-based access control (ABAC)
- Model relationship-based authorization
Testing and Validation
- Verify access control rules
- Test time-based permissions
- Validate complex conditional access
Development and Debugging
- Debug authorization issues
- Prototype authorization models
- Document access control patterns

Conclusion

OpenFGA Studio simplifies the complex task of fine-grained authorization modeling and testing. Whether you're designing a new authorization system or maintaining an existing one, this tool provides the features needed to work efficiently with OpenFGA.

The combination of visual tools, intuitive interfaces, and powerful testing capabilities makes it an essential tool for developers working with authorization systems. The tool continues to evolve with new features and improvements based on community feedback and real-world usage patterns.

Feel free to contribute or request features at OpenFGA Studio