How to fix ERR invalid password in Redis

Check what password is currently configured on your Redis server. If you have access to the server, check the redis.conf file:

grep -i "requirepass" /etc/redis/redis.conf
# or
grep -i "requirepass" /usr/local/etc/redis.conf

If the server is running, you can also check using redis-cli if you have a password hint:

redis-cli CONFIG GET requirepass

Note the exact password string (including capitalization and special characters).

Try connecting to Redis with the correct password using redis-cli:

redis-cli -h localhost -p 6379 -a YOUR_PASSWORD

Replace YOUR_PASSWORD with the actual password. If this works, you'll see the redis> prompt.

For Redis 6+ with ACL, use the format 'username:password':

redis-cli -h localhost -p 6379 -a "username:password"

If authentication succeeds, your password is correct.

Update your application's Redis connection string to include the correct password. Examples:

Node.js (redis-js or ioredis):

const redis = require('redis');
const client = redis.createClient({
  host: 'localhost',
  port: 6379,
  password: 'YOUR_PASSWORD'  // Add this line
});

Python (redis-py):

import redis
r = redis.Redis(
    host='localhost',
    port=6379,
    password='YOUR_PASSWORD',  # Add this line
    decode_responses=True
)

Java (Jedis):

Jedis jedis = new Jedis("localhost", 6379);
jedis.auth("YOUR_PASSWORD");  // Add this line

Replace YOUR_PASSWORD with your actual Redis password.

If your password contains special characters (@, $, #, etc.), ensure they are properly escaped or quoted in connection strings.

For command-line usage, wrap the password in single quotes to prevent shell interpretation:

redis-cli -a 'YOUR_PASSWORD_WITH_$PECIAL_CHARS' -h localhost

In connection URLs, special characters may need URL encoding (e.g., @ becomes %40):

redis://:myPassword%40123@localhost:6379

If you've forgotten the password, you can reset it by stopping Redis and editing redis.conf directly:

# Stop Redis
sudo systemctl stop redis

# Edit the configuration file
sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf

# Find and change or uncomment the requirepass line:
# requirepass YOUR_NEW_PASSWORD

# Save and restart
sudo systemctl start redis

Test the new password:

redis-cli -a YOUR_NEW_PASSWORD