# ALTER USER

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt)

---
title: ALTER USER
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
latest-redpanda-tag: v26.1.9
docname: sql/sql-statements/alter-user
page-component-name: cloud-data-platform
page-version: master
page-component-version: master
page-component-title: Cloud
page-relative-src-path: sql/sql-statements/alter-user.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/reference/pages/sql/sql-statements/alter-user.adoc
description: The ALTER USER statement changes the password or superuser status of an existing user.
page-topic-type: reference
page-git-created-date: "2026-05-26"
page-git-modified-date: "2026-05-26"
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/sql/sql-statements/alter-user.md -->

The `ALTER USER` statement changes the password or superuser status of an existing user. `ALTER ROLE` is a synonym for `ALTER USER`, provided for PostgreSQL compatibility.

A superuser can alter any user. A non-superuser can alter their own user (for example, to change their own password) but cannot change their own superuser status.

## [](#syntax)Syntax

```sql
ALTER { USER | ROLE } user_name [WITH]
    [ PASSWORD 'password' ]
    [ SUPERUSER | NOSUPERUSER ];
```

-   `user_name`: Name of the existing user to alter. Use the reserved keyword `CURRENT_USER` or `CURRENT_ROLE` to alter the user running the statement.

-   `PASSWORD 'password'`: Optional. The new password. Must be a non-empty string literal if specified.

-   `SUPERUSER`: Optional. Promotes the user to superuser. Requires superuser privileges on the current session.

-   `NOSUPERUSER`: Optional. Removes superuser status from the user. The protected system superuser cannot be demoted.

-   `WITH`: Optional. Has no effect; provided for PostgreSQL compatibility.


> 📝 **NOTE**
>
> On Redpanda Cloud BYOC, the Cloud operator synchronizes users from Redpanda Cloud’s organization IAM. Changes from `ALTER USER` to attributes such as `SUPERUSER` may be reverted by the operator if they don’t match the IAM-managed state. Manage user superuser status through Redpanda Cloud’s data-plane RBAC roles instead. See [Manage access to Redpanda SQL](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/sql/manage/manage-access/).

## [](#examples)Examples

Change the password for an existing user:

```sql
ALTER USER "alice@example.com" WITH PASSWORD 'new_secret';
```

Change your own password (as the current user):

```sql
ALTER USER CURRENT_USER WITH PASSWORD 'new_secret';
```

Promote a regular user to superuser:

```sql
ALTER USER "alice@example.com" SUPERUSER;
```

## [](#suggested-reading)Suggested reading

-   [CREATE USER](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/sql/sql-statements/create-user/)

-   [DROP USER](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/sql/sql-statements/drop-user/)

-   [Manage access to Redpanda SQL](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/sql/manage/manage-access/)