diff --git a/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.Designer.cs b/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.Designer.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b83c33a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.Designer.cs	
@@ -0,0 +1,341 @@
+// <auto-generated />
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Migrations;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Storage.ValueConversion;
+using Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL.Metadata;
+
+#nullable disable
+
+namespace agologum_api.Migrations
+{
+    [DbContext(typeof(AppDbContext))]
+    [Migration("20260423003434_Add permissions")]
+    partial class Addpermissions
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void BuildTargetModel(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+        {
+#pragma warning disable 612, 618
+            modelBuilder
+                .HasAnnotation("ProductVersion", "10.0.5")
+                .HasAnnotation("Relational:MaxIdentifierLength", 63);
+
+            NpgsqlModelBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumns(modelBuilder);
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("Id")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ConcurrencyStamp")
+                        .IsConcurrencyToken()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedName")
+                        .IsUnique()
+                        .HasDatabaseName("RoleNameIndex");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetRoles", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRoleClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimType")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimValue")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("RoleId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("RoleId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetRoleClaims", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimType")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimValue")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("UserId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserClaims", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserLogin<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("LoginProvider")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ProviderKey")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ProviderDisplayName")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("LoginProvider", "ProviderKey");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("UserId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserLogins", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserRole<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("RoleId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("UserId", "RoleId");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("RoleId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserRoles", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserToken<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("LoginProvider")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Value")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("UserId", "LoginProvider", "Name");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserTokens", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("RefreshToken", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("ExpiresAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("IsRevoked")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Token")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.ToTable("RefreshTokens");
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("agologumApi.Models.Item", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Description")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("LastEditedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.ToTable("Items");
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("agologumApi.Models.User", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("Id")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<int>("AccessFailedCount")
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ConcurrencyStamp")
+                        .IsConcurrencyToken()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Email")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("EmailConfirmed")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("LockoutEnabled")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTimeOffset?>("LockoutEnd")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedEmail")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedUserName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("PasswordHash")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.PrimitiveCollection<List<string>>("Permissions")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text[]");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("PhoneNumber")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("PhoneNumberConfirmed")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("SecurityStamp")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("TwoFactorEnabled")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedEmail")
+                        .HasDatabaseName("EmailIndex");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedUserName")
+                        .IsUnique()
+                        .HasDatabaseName("UserNameIndex");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUsers", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRoleClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("RoleId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserLogin<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserRole<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("RoleId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserToken<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+#pragma warning restore 612, 618
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.cs b/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e7ae26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/Migrations/20260423003434_Add permissions.cs	
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Migrations;
+
+#nullable disable
+
+namespace agologum_api.Migrations
+{
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public partial class Addpermissions : Migration
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void Up(MigrationBuilder migrationBuilder)
+        {
+            migrationBuilder.AddColumn<List<string>>(
+                name: "Permissions",
+                table: "AspNetUsers",
+                type: "text[]",
+                nullable: false);
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void Down(MigrationBuilder migrationBuilder)
+        {
+            migrationBuilder.DropColumn(
+                name: "Permissions",
+                table: "AspNetUsers");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/api/src/Models/Permissions.cs b/api/src/Models/Permissions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39e141c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/Models/Permissions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+// this is a static data model; it doesnt exist in a database (yet)
+// lol no dynamic permissions would mean endpoint authorization gates need to be dynamic too
+
+public static class Permission {
+
+    public const string SensitiveData_Read = "SensitiveData.Read";
+    public const string SensitiveData_Modify = "SensitiveData.Modify";
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file