---
title: "ScanDatabaseForPii"
description: "Scan a database for likely-PII columns"
canonical: "https://pgbeam.com/docs/go-sdk/databases/scanDatabaseForPii"
last-updated: "2026-09-14T19:37:21.000Z"
---

# ScanDatabaseForPii

> Scan a database for likely-PII columns

URL: https://pgbeam.com/docs/go-sdk/databases/scanDatabaseForPii

Connects to the upstream database read-only, inspects information\_schema and samples column values against PII heuristics, and returns ranked masking suggestions. Suggestions are advisory — the operator reviews them and applies the ones they want into a policy profile's masking rules. Nothing is auto-applied.

## Usage

## Parameters

Parameter

Type

Required

Description

ctx

`context.Context`

Yes

Request context

projectID

`string`

Yes

Unique project identifier (prefixed, e.g. prj\_xxx).

databaseID

`string`

Yes

Unique database identifier (prefixed, e.g. db\_xxx).

## Response

`(*pgbeam.ScanPiiResult, error)`: pii scan result.

## Example

## Errors

Status

Description

400

The request was rejected. `code` is `INVALID_INPUT`, and `errors` names the offending fields when the failure was a validation one.

401

Missing or invalid authentication. `code` is `UNAUTHORIZED`.

403

The caller is authenticated but not allowed to perform this operation. `code` is `FORBIDDEN` when the caller's role is insufficient, and `PLAN_LIMIT_REACHED` when the organization's plan is what stands in the way. The two are answered differently, so branch on the code rather than the status.

404

The resource does not exist, or the caller is not entitled to know that it does. `code` is `NOT_FOUND`.

429

Rate limited. `code` is `RATE_LIMITED`.

500

The request failed for a reason on our side. `code` is `INTERNAL_ERROR`. Quote `request_id` when reporting it.