How to handle data privacy in Bubble

To handle data privacy in Bubble, you must rely on Privacy Rules inside the Data tab. This is the only reliable way to protect data, because anything hidden with conditionals in the UI can still be exposed through the browser. You create rules for each Data Type, define who can see which fields, and limit permissions like “find in searches,” “view fields,” and “modify fields.” Always design your app assuming users can inspect anything sent to the browser — so the goal is to never send sensitive data unless the privacy rule allows it.

What Bubble Privacy Rules Actually Do

Privacy Rules control which data Bubble is allowed to send to the browser and what operations the current user can perform on it. These rules run automatically on every request, including searches, “Do a search for” inside elements, and API calls the user triggers from the page.

• Role-based filters: Example: “When Current User is this Thing’s Creator.”
• Field-level permissions: You can hide or show specific fields.
• Action permissions: Allow “find in searches,” “view details,” “modify,” “delete.”

How to Set Up Privacy Rules Safely

You configure this in Data → Privacy. For each Data Type (like User, Order, Message), add a rule and then restrict fields and actions.

• Create a rule for logged-in users: Example: Show only their own records.
• Lock down the “Everyone else” rule: Remove “find in searches” whenever data shouldn’t be visible publicly.
• Use custom fields like “Role” or “Is Admin?” to give privileged access.

Example of a Good User Privacy Rule

Inside Data → Privacy → User:

• Rule: “When This User is Current User”
  • Allow view all fields.
  • Allow modify.
• Rule: “Everyone else”
  • Allow finding in searches: off.
  • Allow view fields: only public fields (like first name if needed).

Backend Workflows and Privacy

Backend workflows ignore Privacy Rules by default, because they run server-side. This is useful: you can load or modify restricted data safely. But anything returned to the client must still be protected, so don’t send private fields back through API responses unless intended.

// Example of safe backend workflow action
// This runs server-side so it can access all User fields
Make changes to User (user_id):
    set internal_notes = "Flagged for review"

Bubble protects data only when Privacy Rules are set correctly. Designing your app so the browser never receives unnecessary sensitive information is the core principle of Bubble privacy.