How to fix WRONGPASS invalid username-password pair in Redis

Double-check that the password you are using matches the password configured on the Redis server. Common mistakes include:

- Copying the password incorrectly (extra spaces, missing characters)
- Using the wrong password if multiple Redis instances exist
- Password changed recently but not updated in your connection string

If you forgot the password, you may need to reset it through your cloud provider's console or directly on the server.

The correct authentication format depends on your Redis server version:

Redis 5.x and earlier (simple password only):

redis-cli -a your-password
redis-cli -h 127.0.0.1 -p 6379 -a your-password

Redis 6.0+ (ACL with default user):
Use 'default' as the username with your password:

redis-cli -u redis://:[email protected]:6379
redis-cli -u redis://default:[email protected]:6379

Redis 6.0+ (ACL with custom user):
Format is username:password:

redis-cli -u redis://your-username:[email protected]:6379

If your password contains special characters (!, @, #, $, %, etc.), they must be URL-encoded in the connection string:

# Example: password is my@password123!
# URL-encoded: my%40password123%21
redis-cli -u redis://:my%40password123%[email protected]:6379

Common encodings:
- @ becomes %40
- # becomes %23
- : becomes %3A
- ! becomes %21

Use an online URL encoder if you are unsure of the correct encoding.

Ensure your application is using the correct credentials format:

Node.js (node-redis):

const redis = require('redis');
const client = redis.createClient({
  url: 'redis://:[email protected]:6379'
  // For custom ACL user: 'redis://username:[email protected]:6379'
});
await client.connect();

Python (redis-py):

import redis
r = redis.Redis(host='127.0.0.1', port=6379, password='your-password')
# For custom ACL user: redis.Redis(host='127.0.0.1', port=6379, username='your-user', password='your-password')

Java (Jedis):

Jedis jedis = new Jedis("127.0.0.1", 6379);
jedis.auth("your-password");
// For custom ACL user: jedis.auth("your-user", "your-password");

Go (go-redis):

rdb := redis.NewClient(&redis.Options{
    Addr:     "127.0.0.1:6379",
    Password: "your-password",
})

If using Redis 6.0+ with ACL, verify that the user exists and is enabled:

redis-cli ACL LIST

This command lists all ACL users and their configurations. Look for your username and check if:
- The user exists in the list
- The user has the on flag (enabled)
- The password matches what you are using

To check a specific user:

redis-cli ACL GETUSER your-username

If the user is disabled or missing, you may need to recreate it or contact your Redis administrator.

Check the Redis server logs to see detailed authentication attempts:

# For systemd-based systems
journalctl -u redis-server -n 50

# For Docker
docker logs -f your-redis-container

# Direct log file (if available)
tail -f /var/log/redis/redis-server.log

Redis logs may show ACL LOG entries that reveal why authentication failed:

redis-cli ACL LOG

This command shows authentication attempts and reasons for failures.