# rpk security user

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

---
title: rpk security user
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
# EOL = End-of-Life (support lifecycle status)
page-is-nearing-eol: "false"
page-is-past-eol: "true"
page-eol-date: July 31, 2025
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
docname: rpk/rpk-security/rpk-security-user
page-component-name: streaming
page-version: "24.2"
page-component-version: "24.2"
page-component-title: Streaming
page-relative-src-path: rpk/rpk-security/rpk-security-user.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/docs/edit/v/24.2/modules/reference/pages/rpk/rpk-security/rpk-security-user.adoc
page-git-created-date: "2024-05-02"
page-git-modified-date: "2024-11-20"
support-status: past end-of-life
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.2/reference/rpk/rpk-security/rpk-security-user.md -->

Manage SCRAM users.

If SCRAM is enabled, a SCRAM user is what you use to talk to Redpanda, and ACLs control what your user has access to. See `rpk security acl --help` for more information about ACLs, and `rpk security user create --help` for more information about creating SCRAM users. Using SCRAM requires setting `kafka_enable_authorization: true` and `authentication_method: sasl` in the redpanda section of your `redpanda.yaml`, and setting `sasl_mechanisms` with `SCRAM` for your Redpanda cluster.

## [](#usage)Usage

```bash
rpk security user [command] [flags]
```

## [](#flags)Flags

| Value | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| -h, --help | - | Help for user. |
| --config | string | Redpanda or rpk config file; default search paths are /var/lib/redpanda/.config/rpk/rpk.yaml, $PWD/redpanda.yaml, and /etc/redpanda/redpanda.yaml. |
| -X, --config-opt | stringArray | Override rpk configuration settings. See rpk -X or execute rpk -X help for inline detail or rpk -X list for terser detail. |
| --format | string | Output format. Possible values: json, yaml, text, wide, help. Default: text. |
| --profile | string | Profile to use. See rpk profile for more details. |
| -v, --verbose | - | Enable verbose logging. |