A minimal authorization library for Ruby on Rails using plain Ruby classes and object-oriented design.
Pundit is a Ruby gem that provides a minimal, object-oriented authorization system for Ruby on Rails applications. It solves the problem of managing user permissions by allowing developers to define access rules in plain Ruby policy classes, which can be easily tested and integrated into controllers and views. Instead of relying on complex DSLs or configuration, Pundit uses simple query methods (like `update?`) to determine what a user can do.
Ruby on Rails developers building applications that require fine-grained user permissions, such as multi-tenant SaaS platforms, content management systems, or admin dashboards. It's ideal for teams valuing clean, testable code and object-oriented design.
Developers choose Pundit for its simplicity and flexibility—it doesn't hide authorization logic behind a DSL, making it easy to understand, debug, and extend. Its integration with Rails is seamless, and it encourages best practices like single responsibility and testability without imposing rigid structures.
Minimal authorization through OO design and pure Ruby classes
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Policies are regular Ruby classes with query methods like `update?`, making them straightforward to write, test, and debug without learning a DSL, as emphasized in the philosophy section.
Provides controller helpers like `authorize` and `policy_scope` that reduce boilerplate, and includes view helpers for conditional UI elements, as shown in the controller and view examples.
Offers `verify_authorized` and `verify_policy_scoped` hooks to catch missing authorization calls during development, helping enforce security best practices.
Policy Scope classes allow easy filtering of records (e.g., `Post`) based on user permissions, integrated via `policy_scope` for clean list views and index actions.
Requires explicit `authorize` calls in every controller action, which can be error-prone if forgotten and adds development overhead compared to automated solutions.
Lacks native support for role hierarchies or attribute-based rules; the README admits Pundit doesn't allow additional arguments to policies, forcing custom implementations for advanced cases.
Tightly coupled with Rails, making it unsuitable for applications using other frameworks or languages, though external implementations exist but are limited.