> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://unkey.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# role_already_exists

> A role with this name already exists in your Unkey workspace. Use the existing role or choose a different unique name when creating a new one.

<Danger>err:unkey:data:role\_already\_exists</Danger>

```json Example theme={"theme":"kanagawa-wave"}
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_2c9a0jf23l4k567"
  },
  "error": {
    "detail": "A role with name \"admin\" already exists in this workspace",
    "status": 409,
    "title": "Conflict",
    "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/unkey/data/role/duplicate"
  }
}
```

## What Happened?

This error occurs when you're trying to create a role with a name that already exists in your Unkey workspace. Role names must be unique within a workspace to avoid confusion and maintain proper access control.

Common scenarios that trigger this error:

* Creating a role with a name that's already in use
* Re-creating a previously deleted role with the same name
* Migration or import processes that don't check for existing roles
* Duplicate API calls due to retries or network issues

Here's an example of a request that would trigger this error:

```bash theme={"theme":"kanagawa-wave"}
# Attempting to create a role with a name that already exists
curl -X POST https://api.unkey.com/v2/permissions.createRole \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer unkey_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "name": "admin",
    "description": "Administrator role with full access"
  }'
```

## How To Fix

When you encounter this error, you have several options:

1. **Use a different name**: If creating a new role, use a unique name
2. **Get the existing role**: If you just need the role information, retrieve it rather than creating it
3. **List existing roles**: Check what roles already exist before creating new ones
4. **Implement idempotent creation**: Use a get-or-create pattern in your code

Here's how to list existing roles:

```bash theme={"theme":"kanagawa-wave"}
curl -X POST https://api.unkey.com/v2/permissions.listRoles \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer unkey_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{}'
```

Or implement a get-or-create pattern in your code:

```javascript theme={"theme":"kanagawa-wave"}
// Pseudocode for get-or-create pattern
async function getOrCreateRole(name, description) {
  try {
    // Try to create the role
    return await createRole(name, description);
  } catch (error) {
    // If it already exists (409 error), get it instead
    if (error.status === 409) {
      // Extract the role name from the error message and get it
      const roles = await listRoles();
      return roles.find((r) => r.name.toLowerCase() === name.toLowerCase());
    }
    // Otherwise, rethrow the error
    throw error;
  }
}
```

## Common Mistakes

* **Not checking for existing roles**: Failing to check if a role already exists before creating it
* **Case sensitivity**: Role names are case-insensitive - "Admin" and "admin" are the same
* **Retry loops**: Repeatedly trying to create the same role after a failure
* **Cross-environment duplication**: Using the same role names across development and production without proper namespacing

## Related Errors

* [err:unkey:data:role\_not\_found](./role_not_found) - When the requested role doesn't exist
* [err:unkey:authorization:insufficient\_permissions](../authorization/insufficient_permissions) - When you don't have permission to manage roles