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db.createUser()

Definition

db.createUser(user, writeConcern)

Creates a new user for the database where the method runs. db.createUser() returns a duplicate user error if the user already exists on the database.

The db.createUser() method has the following syntax:

Field Type Description
user document The document with authentication and access information about the user to create.
writeConcern document Optional. The level of write concern for the creation operation. The writeConcern document takes the same fields as the getLastError command.

The user document defines the user and has the following form:

{ user: "<name>",
  pwd: "<cleartext password>",
  customData: { <any information> },
  roles: [
    { role: "<role>", db: "<database>" } | "<role>",
    ...
  ]
}

The user document has the following fields:

Field Type Description
user string The name of the new user.
pwd string The user’s password. The pwd field is not required if you run db.createUser() on the $external database to create users who have credentials stored externally to MongoDB.
customData document Optional. Any arbitrary information. This field can be used to store any data an admin wishes to associate with this particular user. For example, this could be the user’s full name or employee id.
roles array The roles granted to the user. Can specify an empty array [] to create users without roles.

In the roles field, you can specify both built-in roles and user-defined role.

To specify a role that exists in the same database where db.createUser() runs, you can either specify the role with the name of the role:

"readWrite"

Or you can specify the role with a document, as in:

{ role: "<role>", db: "<database>" }

To specify a role that exists in a different database, specify the role with a document.

The db.createUser() method wraps the createUser command.

Behavior

Encryption

Warning

By default, db.createUser() sends all specified data to the MongoDB instance in cleartext. Use TLS transport encryption to protect communications between clients and the server, including the password sent by db.createUser(). For instructions on enabling TLS transport encryption, see Configure mongod and mongos for TLS/SSL.

MongoDB does not store the password in cleartext. The password is only vulnerable in transit between the client and the server, and only if TLS transport encryption is not enabled.

External Credentials

Users created on the $external database should have credentials stored externally to MongoDB, as, for example, with MongoDB Enterprise installations that use Kerberos.

local Database

You cannot create users on the local database.

Required Access

The userAdmin and userAdminAnyDatabase built-in roles provide createUser and grantRole actions on their respective resources.

Examples

The following db.createUser() operation creates the accountAdmin01 user on the products database.

use products
db.createUser( { user: "accountAdmin01",
                 pwd: "changeMe",
                 customData: { employeeId: 12345 },
                 roles: [ { role: "clusterAdmin", db: "admin" },
                          { role: "readAnyDatabase", db: "admin" },
                          "readWrite"] },
               { w: "majority" , wtimeout: 5000 } )

The operation gives accountAdmin01 the following roles:

  • the clusterAdmin and readAnyDatabase roles on the admin database
  • the readWrite role on the products database

Create User with Roles

The following operation creates accountUser in the products database and gives the user the readWrite and dbAdmin roles.

use products
db.createUser(
   {
     user: "accountUser",
     pwd: "password",
     roles: [ "readWrite", "dbAdmin" ]
   }
)

Create User Without Roles

The following operation creates a user named reportsUser in the admin database but does not yet assign roles:

use admin
db.createUser(
   {
     user: "reportsUser",
     pwd: "password",
     roles: [ ]
   }
)

Create Administrative User with Roles

The following operation creates a user named appAdmin in the admin database and gives the user readWrite access to the config database, which lets the user change certain settings for sharded clusters, such as to the balancer setting.

use admin
db.createUser(
   {
     user: "appAdmin",
     pwd: "password",
     roles:
       [
         { role: "readWrite", db: "config" },
         "clusterAdmin"
       ]
   }
)
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