The Shared Responsibility Model
Bubble's security philosophy follows industry best practices but places ultimate responsibility on developers to use the tools correctly Bubble Docs. The platform itself is SOC 2 Type II compliant for security, with controls audited by the independent firm Sensiba LLP Bubble Docs, but this compliance doesn't automatically transfer to applications built on the platform.
Think of it like this: Bubble provides the locks, but you must decide which doors to secure and who gets keys. Data hosted on AWS RDS uses AES-256 encryption at rest Lowcode, and Bubble conducts annual penetration tests with third-party security providers Bubble Docs. However, none of this prevents an improperly configured privacy rule from exposing sensitive data.
Privacy Rules: The Core Security Mechanism
Privacy rules are server-side conditions set on each data type to control who can view and edit data Bubble Docs. They function as a firewall between your database and users' browsers. Only when privacy rule conditions are met will the server send data to the browser or allow writes to the database Bubble Docs.
This architecture is crucial because any data that reaches a user's device is, by definition, no longer secure Bubble Docs. Technical users can inspect network traffic, view page source, and examine API responses. Privacy rules prevent unauthorized data from leaving the server in the first place.
Common misconceptions:
- Hiding UI elements ≠ security. Elements hidden on page load still have their data downloaded to the client Bubble Docs if privacy rules don't block it
- Workflow conditions alone aren't enough. Unless they require server-side data checks, conditions can be bypassed
- The Data API setting is irrelevant to privacy rule necessity. Privacy rules are required whether or not the Data API is enabled Bubble Docs
The Security Dashboard and Flusk
Bubble acquired Flusk in October 2024, bringing automated security audits, error monitoring, and vulnerability detection directly into the platform Bubble. The security dashboard (formerly Flusk) provides automated insights into how settings and design choices impact security Bubble Docs.
Key capabilities:
- Issues explorer that tests across multiple categories and ranks findings by criticality Bubble Docs
- Privacy rules checker showing which data types are publicly accessible Bubble Docs
- Automated tests on deployment to catch vulnerabilities before they reach production Bubble Docs
- Page and database field rating systems to classify what's Safe versus Sensitive Bubble Docs
The dashboard can't catch everything—it cannot cover every security concern in Bubble's diverse applications, and developers remain responsible for reviewing their app's structure Bubble Docs—but it dramatically reduces the likelihood of common mistakes.
What Typically Goes Wrong
Most security issues in Bubble stem from misunderstanding the client-server boundary:
- Database leaks: Inadvertently sending data to users who shouldn't have access due to missing or misconfigured privacy rules Bubble Docs
- Page security: Sensitive information stored in element properties, option sets, or app text becomes part of the app's code Bubble Docs
- API exposure: Tokens, keys, and credentials visible in API workflows that execute client-side
- File privacy: File uploaders without privacy rules enabled allow anyone with a URL to access files Bubble Docs
Some vulnerabilities arise from empty field checks—for example, if a privacy rule checks whether a user's Company field matches but doesn't verify the field isn't empty, records with empty Company fields might become accessible to everyone Bubble Docs.
Enterprise Security Features
For organizations with heightened security requirements, Bubble's Enterprise plan provides:
- Static IP addresses for allow-list configurations Bubble Docs
- Custom Cloudflare configurations for DDoS protection and performance Bubble Docs
- Single Sign-On (SSO) integration to reduce password-related vulnerabilities Bubble Docs
- Dedicated instances on managed AWS servers
- GDPR-compliant data processing agreements Bubble Docs
Planning for Security
Security planning should address database structure, user roles, and page access as a unified policy Bubble Docs. Before writing a single workflow:
- Map data sensitivity levels - which data types contain PII, financial information, or confidential business data?
- Define user roles and permissions - who should access what, and under which conditions?
- Document your privacy policy - what promises are you making to users about their data?
- Plan audit trails - how will you track who accessed or modified sensitive information?
The worst time to implement security is after you've already built features. Retrofitting privacy rules onto an existing database structure often means rethinking entire workflows and page designs.
Compliance Considerations
Bubble's platform-level SOC 2 Type II compliance doesn't make individual apps compliant—that requires separate audits of how you've designed and operated the application Bubble Docs. The same applies to GDPR, HIPAA, and industry-specific regulations.
Bubble is not currently HIPAA compliant Lowcode, making it unsuitable for protected health information without additional safeguards. For financial services, regulations like PCI DSS require specialized security measures beyond Bubble's defaults