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Multi-user mode is the architectural directive in Cognee that enforces strict data isolation between different users and datasets. It is primarily controlled by the environment variable ENABLE_BACKEND_ACCESS_CONTROL. Starting with version 0.5.0, this mode is enabled by default when your configured storage setup supports it. This keeps Cognee secure by default without forcing unsupported database combinations into multi-user mode.
Data Isolation Enforcement — When active, Cognee partitions the knowledge graph and vector stores, ensuring data created by one user is neither visible nor accessible to another, unless read permission has been given to the other user.

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Upgrading to v0.5.0 or Later

If you are upgrading from a version earlier than 0.5.0, data ingested before the upgrade may be inaccessible in multi-user mode because it was not associated with a specific user. To restore access to pre-upgrade data, start Cognee with ENABLE_BACKEND_ACCESS_CONTROL=false, then migrate or re-ingest that data before re-enabling multi-user mode.
For configuration requirements and supported handler/provider combinations, see Permissions Setup and Dataset Database Handlers.

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When multi-user mode is active

When multi-user mode is active, the system unlocks several multi-tenant features:
  • Isolated Search: Search operations are strictly scoped to datasets the authenticated user has explicit read access to. To learn more about the permissions system and access types, read about our Permission System.
  • Granular Management: Adding or removing documents is scoped at the dataset level, preventing global knowledge pool pollution.
  • Automatic Routing: The system automatically determines which local/cloud database or logical schema to connect to based on the dataset. This is done with the help of Dataset Database Handlers.

Permission System

Learn about the permission system that powers multi-user mode

Dataset Database Handlers

Understand database connection resolution per dataset