MongoDB Atlas Users Management

What Are MongoDB Atlas Users?

In MongoDB Atlas, users are database-level accounts that authenticate to your clusters and have assigned roles defining their permissions.

These users are distinct from Atlas project or organization users who manage the Atlas platform itself.

• Database users connect to your MongoDB clusters to read or write data.
• Each user has one or more roles that grant specific privileges.
• Users are created per project and apply to all clusters within that project.

Creating and Managing Users in MongoDB Atlas

You can create and manage users through the Atlas UI, CLI, or API.

When creating a user, you specify a username, password, and assign roles that define their access level.

• Navigate to the Security tab in your Atlas project.
• Select Database Access and click 'Add New Database User'.
• Set the username and password or use AWS IAM authentication.
• Assign built-in or custom roles to control permissions.
• Save the user to apply changes.

Best Practices for User Security in MongoDB Atlas

Securing your database users is vital to protect your data from unauthorized access.

• Use strong, unique passwords for each user.
• Assign the least privilege necessary by carefully selecting roles.
• Rotate user credentials regularly.
• Enable IP whitelisting to restrict access to trusted networks.
• Use AWS IAM or X.509 certificate authentication for enhanced security.

Modifying and Deleting Users

You can modify user roles or credentials at any time via the Atlas UI or API.

Deleting users removes their access immediately.

• To modify a user, select the user in Database Access and update roles or password.
• To delete a user, select the user and choose the delete option.
• Always verify that no applications depend on a user before deletion.