> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.impossiblecloud.com/impossible-cloud-help/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.impossiblecloud.com/impossible-cloud-help/security/identity-access-management-iam/managing-policies.md).

# Managing Policies

In Impossible Cloud Storage, **IAM policies** are used to define and manage access permissions for specific resources. These policies follow the **Industry S3 policy standard**, ensuring compatibility and familiarity for users with experience in other environments. Each policy is stored in **JSON format**, but the Storage Console lets you author policies through a visual interface or by writing the JSON directly.

IAM Policy management at Impossible Cloud Storage Console can be done in **Policies** tab. From there, you can **add, filter, delete** as well as **edit** an existing policy.

The **Policies** tab is only visible for root users - and accordingly, also conducting any of the above actions.

## Creating a Policy

The Impossible Cloud Storage Console offers two ways to author a policy. Use the **Visual Policy Builder** to configure statements through dropdowns and search fields, or the **JSON editor** to write the raw policy document directly. A **Visual | JSON** toggle at the top of the policy editor switches between them, and both views share the same underlying policy.

For a full walkthrough, see [Visual Policy Builder](/impossible-cloud-help/security/identity-access-management-iam/managing-policies/visual-policy-builder.md).

To create a policy, follow these instructions:

1. Navigate to the **Policies** tab in left-pane menu.
2. Click the **Add Policy** button on the top-right of the console.

* Fill in the **Policy name**
* (Optional) Fill in the **description** of the policy.

{% hint style="info" %}
The policy name must consist of alphanumeric characters (upper and lowercase) with no spaces. Once created, the policy name and description cannot be changed.
{% endhint %}

3. Select a mode with the **Visual | JSON** toggle, then **define** the policy. Use the **Visual Policy Builder** for a guided, statement-based interface, or the **JSON editor** to write the policy document directly.
4. Click **Create Policy** on the top-right corner of your screen to confirm the creation of the policy.

## Updating a Policy

When you update a policy in the Impossible Cloud Storage Console, a new version of that policy is automatically created. This versioning system allows you to easily revert to a previous version if needed.

To **edit a policy**, follow these instructions:

1. Navigate to the **Policies** tab in left-pane menu.
2. Click the **Edit** button next to the policy you want to modify.
3. You can **edit** the policy in either Visual or JSON mode, just like when creating a new policy.
4. Click the **Save** button in the top-right corner to create a new version.
5. Click on the newly created version and **set it as the default** to activate the version.

{% hint style="info" %}
The Storage Console supports a maximum of 5 (five) policy versions. If this limit is reached, you must delete an existing version before creating a new one.
{% endhint %}

## Deleting a Policy

Deleting a policy will automatically remove the access and permissions for the corresponding group(s) of users.

To delete a policy, follow these instructions:

1. Navigate to the **Policies** tab in left-pane menu.
2. Click on the **Delete** button next to the policy.
3. **Confirm** the deletion.<br>


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