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# Authorize with Graphql
AshGraphql uses two special keys in the `absinthe` context:
* `:actor` - the current actor, to be used for authorization/preparations/changes
* `:ash_context` - a map of arbitrary context to be passed into the changeset/query. Accessible via `changeset.context` and `query.context`
By default, `authorize?` in the api is set to true. To disable authorization for a given API in graphql, use:
```elixir
graphql do
authorize? false
end
```
If you are doing authorization, you'll need to provide an `actor`.
To set the `actor` for authorization, you'll need to add an `actor` key to the absinthe context. Typically, you would have a plug that fetches the current user, and in that plug you could set the absinthe context. For example:
```elixir
defmodule MyAppWeb.UserPlug do
@behaviour Plug
import Plug.Conn
def init(opts), do: opts
def call(conn, _) do
case build_context(conn) do
{:ok, context} ->
put_private(conn, :absinthe, %{context: context})
_ ->
conn
end
end
defp build_context(conn) do
with ["" <> token] <- get_req_header(conn, "authorization"),
{:ok, user, _claims} <- MyApp.Guardian.resource_from_token(token) do
# ash_context allows you to pass arbitrary data down into the changeset/query context
# This can be accessed at `changeset.context` or `query.context`.
{:ok, %{actor: user, ash_context: %{some: :data}}}
end
end
end
```
## Policy Breakdowns
By default, unauthorized requests simply return `forbidden` in the message. If you prefer to show policy breakdowns in your GraphQL errors, you can set the config option:
```elixir
config :ash_graphql, :policies, show_policy_breakdowns?: true
```
```json
{
"data": {
"attendanceRecords": null
},
"errors": [
{
"code": "forbidden",
"fields": [],
"locations": [
{
"column": 3,
"line": 2
}
],
"message": "MyApp.Authentication.User.read\n\n\n\n\nPolicy Breakdown\n Policy | ⛔:\n forbid unless: actor is active | ✓ | ⬇ \n authorize if: actor is Executive | ✘ | ⬇",
"path": [
"attendanceRecords"
],
"short_message": "forbidden",
"vars": {}
}
]
}
```
Be careful, as this can be an attack vector in some systems (i.e "here is exactly what you need to make true to do what you want to do").