# role-mining

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/role-mining/
Last updated: 2026-08-29
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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Analyzing existing access to discover sensible roles, reducing role explosion and cleaning up entitlements. A common step in rolling out or fixing RBAC.

Role mining is most useful as a cleanup exercise rather than a design method: the clusters it finds describe access as it happened to accumulate, including the mistakes. Treat the output as a starting proposal that business owners edit, and pair it with usage data so roles are built from entitlements people actually exercise rather than from everything they were ever granted.

See also: [RBAC](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/rbac/), [what is IGA](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/fundamentals/what-is-iga/), [entitlement](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/entitlement/), [access certification](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/access-certification/)