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P4 CLI Documentation | 2025.2

# p4 user

Create, edit, or delete P4 Server user specifications and preferences.

## Syntax

    p4 [g-opts] user [-f] [username]
    p4 [g-opts] user -d [-f | -F] username
    p4 [g-opts] user -D [-f | -y] username
    p4 [g-opts] user -o [username]
    p4 [g-opts] user -i [-f]

Syntax and naming conventions

## Description

Use the `p4 user` command to edit user specifications and preferences, or to create new user records.

By default, P4 Server creates a new user whenever a previously unknown user invokes any command that can update the repository or its metadata. We recommend that a P4 Server superuser prevent this with the dm.user.noautocreate configurable. See Recommended settings to configurables for security in the P4 Server Administration Documentation.

Although users and groups can exist without an entry in the protection table, they cannot run commands until the protections table has an entry that applies to them. Permissions that control access to files, directories, and commands are assigned to a `user` or a `group` of users with p4 protect permission levels, such as `list`, `read`, `write`, `admin`, and `super`.

For graph depots A depot of type graph that is used to store Git repos managed by P4 Server. See also Git Connector and classic depot., access control is assigned to users or groups with a different command, p4 grant-permission (graph).

When called without a `username`, `p4 user` can be used to edit the specification of the current user, such as edits to the `Reviews` field.

When called with a `username`, the user specification is displayed, but cannot be changed. The form appears in the editor defined by the `P4EDITOR` environment variable.

P4 Server superusers can create new users or edit existing users' specifications with the `-f` (force) option: `p4 user -f username`. Both the `-f` and `-F` options can be used to delete users, but the `-F` option has additional effects on protections and groups. See Options below.

The user who gives a P4 Server command is not necessarily the user under whose name the command runs. The user for any particular command is determined by the following:

- If the user running the command is a P4 Server superuser, and uses the syntax `p4 user -f username`, user `username` is edited.
- If the `-u username` option is used on the command line (for instance, `p4 -u joe submit`), the command runs as that user named "joe" (a password might be required).
- If the above has not been done, but the file pointed to by the `P4CONFIG` environment variable contains a setting for `P4USER`, the command runs as that user.
- If neither of the above has been done, but the `P4USER` environment variable has been set, the command runs as that user.
- If none of the above apply, the username is taken from the OS level `USER` or `USERNAME` environment variable.

### Remove users based on last access time

Before you delete users based on their last access time, check the access time directly on the edge and replica servers, in addition to checking the access time on the central server The one server that is innermost in a multi-server deployment. In the server specification form field for Services, the central server might be specified as “standard” or “commit-server”. If edge servers are part of the multi-server deployment, the central server must be a commit server. See also 'upstream server'..

The -D option can be convenient for the administrator if a user leaves the organization. This option not only deletes the specified user, it also deletes all the client workspaces that belong to the absent user. See Options and Examples.

### Types of users

Once you set the user type, you cannot change it.

User Type | Description
--- | ---
standard user | The default, which applies to: End users Users with the `admin` access level Users with the `super` access level, also known as P4 "superusers" Each standard user consumes one P4 Server license By default, P4 Server creates a new user record in its database whenever a command is issued by a user who does not exist. P4 Server superusers can also use the `-f` (force) flag to create a new user as follows:
    p4 user -f username
Fill in the form fields with the information for the user you want to create. The `p4 user` command also has an option (`-i`) to take its input from the standard input instead of the forms editor. To quickly create a large number of users, write a script that reads user data, generates output in the format used by the `p4 user` form, and then pipes each generated form to `p4 user -i -f`. #### Permissions for standard users Although users and groups can exist without an entry in the protection table, they cannot run commands until the protections table has an entry that applies to them. See `p4 protect`.
operator user | For system administrators responsible for the maintenance, including automated maintenance, of the P4 service Does not consume a license Restricted to the following set of commands: p4 admin with the following options: `checkpoint`, `journal`, `stop`, `restart` p4 configure, p4 counter (including `-f`), p4 counters p4 dbstat, p4 dbverify, p4 depots, p4 diskspace p4 heartbeat p4 jobs, p4 journalcopy `-l`, p4 journals p4 lockstat, p4 login, p4 logout, p4 logparse, p4 logrotate, p4 logschema, p4 logstat, p4 logtail p4 monitor p4 passwd, p4 ping, p4 pull `-lj`, p4 pull `-ls` p4 servers and `p4 servers -J` p4 topology `p4 user` p4 verify #### Permissions for operator users Users having the `operator` type do not need an entry in the protections table to run the set of operator commands. However, an operator does need the `super` access level to run an option that requires the `super` access level. For example, `p4 logout -a user` and `p4 admin updatespecdepot`.
service user | For server-to-server communication in replicated and multi-server environments, which can: Simplify the task of interpreting your server logs Improve security by requiring that any remote P4 services with which your P4 service is configured to communicate have valid login tickets for your installation. Does not consume a license Restricted to the following commands:
p4 dbschema | p4 export | p4 login
p4 logout | p4 passwd | p4 info
`p4 user` |  |
Although a service user cannot run p4 pull or p4 journalcopy directly on the command line, the service user on a replica automatically runs this command to retrieve metadata Information that P4 Server maintains, such as who created file revisions in the depot, whether the file is a 'lazy copy,, the current state of client workspaces, protections, groups, users, labels, streams, and branches. Metadata is stored in the server database and is separate from the 'archive files' that users submit from their client workspace into the depot. and archive files Versioned files that users submitted to a depot. from the target server The immediately upstream server for replica servers, edge servers, standby servers, proxies and brokers. See also 'upstream server' and 'central server'.. To create a service user, run the command:
    p4 user -f service_user1
The standard user form is displayed. Enter a new line to set the new user’s `Type:` to be `service`:
    User:      service_user1
    Email:     services@example.com
    FullName:  Service User for remote depots
    Type:      service
By default, the output of p4 users omits service users. To include service users, run `p4 users -a`. For ease of administration, create a group for your service users. To learn more, see p4 group. #### Timeout for service users The ticket for a service user defaults to unlimited in 2025.2 and later. For 2025.1 and earlier, use p4 group to add service users to a group with the `Timeout` field set to unlimited. #### Permissions for service users On your server, use `p4 protect` to grant the service user `super` permission. Service users are tightly restricted in the commands they can run, so granting them `super` permission is safe. If you are only using the service user for remote depots and code drops, you can further reduce this user’s permissions. To learn more, see Restricting access to remote depots in the P4 Server Administration Documentation. For more information about the environments where you might want a service user, see Deployment architecture and Remote depots and multi-server development in the P4 Server Administration Documentation

For a table that shows the minimum access level required to run each command, see Access levels required by P4 Server commands in the P4 Server Administration Documentation.

## Form fields

Field Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`User:` | Read-only | The P4 Server username under which `p4 user` was invoked. By default, this is the user’s system username. Be aware of the Limitations on characters in filenames and entities.
`Type:` | Read-only | Type of user: `standard`, `operator`, or `service`. Once you set the user type, you cannot change it.
`AuthMethod:` | Writable | One of the following: `perforce` or `ldap`. This field can only be changed when the `-f` option is specified for the `p4 user` command. Specifying `perforce` enables authentication using P4 Server’s internal `db.user` table or by way of an authentication trigger. This is the default unless it is overridden with the ``auth.default.method`` configurable. Specifying `ldap` enables authentication against AD/LDAP servers specified by the currently active LDAP configurations.
`Email:` | Writable | The user’s email address. By default, this is `user@client`.
`Update:` | Read-only | The date and time this specification was last updated.
`Access:` | Read-only | The date and time this user last issued a P4 command to the server. If you are deleting users based on their last access time, check the access timestamp directly on the edge and replica servers in addition to the access time on the target server. Do not expect the target server to have the timestamps of when users accessed edge and replica servers.
`FullName:` | Writable | The user’s full name.
`JobView:` | Writable | A description of the jobs to appear automatically on all new changelists (see Usage notes).
`Password:` | Writable | The user’s password (see Usage notes ).
`PasswordChange:` | Read-only | The date and time of the user’s last password change. If the user has no password, this field is blank.
`Reviews:` | Writable List | A list of files the user would like to review (see Usage notes). This field can include exclusionary mappings.

### Indent lines under a field

If there is a line under a field, indent that line. For example,

    Reviews:
        //depot/path/to/directory1/...
        //depot/path/to/directory2/readme.txt

## Options

Option | Description
--- | ---
`-d username` | Deletes the specified user and can be used by any user: With the super access level if combined with the `-f` option. Where `username` is that user's own `username`. If you have set `P4AUTH`, no warning will be given if you delete a user who has an open file or client.
`-D username` | Only a P4 Server superuser can use this option, which: Deletes the specified user. Removes the specified user from the protections table and all groups. Deletes all the client workspaces that belong to that user, thereby reverting files that the deleted user had open. However, this option: Does not work on an edge server. To learn more, see Commit-edge in the P4 Server Administration Documentation. Does not delete shelved The process of temporarily storing files in the server without checking in a changelist. Shelves are often used for reviews. files. Does not delete any P4 Code Review client workspaces that are associated with the deleted user, so that the P4 Code Review history remains intact. Does not delete workspace clients that have files opened by other users. To force the deletion of workspace clients that have files opened by other users, combine the -D option with the -f option in preview mode. To perform the operation, add the -y option. To learn more, see Examples.
`-y` | Used with -D to actually perform the delete operation. Without -y, p4 user -D, p4 user -D -f, and p4 user -D -F merely report what the command would do IF -y were included. p4 user -D -y, p4 user -D -f -y, and p4 user -D -F -y cannot be undone.
`-f` | Superuser force option that allows the superuser to create, modify, or delete the specified user, or to change the last modified date. (preview mode unless the -y option is added)
`-F` | Superuser option that is used with the `-d` or -D option. With the -D option, -F forces the deletion of the specified user and also removes the user from the protections table and from all groups. The command fails if removing the user from a group causes the group to be deleted. In such a case, delete the group before deleting the user. (preview mode unless the -y option is added)
`-i` | Read the user specification from standard input. The input must conform to the `p4 user` form’s format.
`-o` | Write the user specification to standard output.
`g-opts` | See Global options.

## Usage notes

Can File Arguments Use Revision Specifier? | Can File Arguments Use Revision Range? | Minimal Access Level Required
--- | --- | ---
N/A | N/A | `list` for edits to oneself `super` to delete another user This command is available to an operator and a service user (see Types of users in p4 user),

- The `-d` option can be used by non-superusers only to delete the user specification that invoked the `p4 user` command. P4 Server superusers can delete any P4 Server user.
- User deletion fails if the specified user has any open files. Submit or revert these files before deleting users.

- By default, user records are created without passwords, and any P4 Server user can impersonate another by setting `P4USER` or by using the globally available`-u` option. To prevent another user from impersonating you, set a password with the `p4 passwd` command.

  Passwords can be created, edited, or changed in the `p4 user` form or by using the `p4 passwd` command. Setting your password in the `p4 user` form is only supported at security levels `0` or `1`. You can `p4 passwd` to set passwords at any server security level, and you must use `p4 passwd` to set passwords at higher security levels. For more about how the various security levels work, see P4 Server Administration Documentation.

  If you edit the Password: field in the `p4 user` form, do not use the comment character `#` within the password. P4 Server interprets everything following that character on the same line as a comment, and does not store it as part of the password.

  If the `dm.user.resetpassword` configurable has been set, all users created with passwords are required to reset their passwords before they can issue commands.

- Passwords are displayed as six asterisks in the `p4 user` form regardless of their length.
- If you are using ticket-based authentication (see `p4 login` for details), changing your password automatically invalidates all of your outstanding tickets.
- The collected values of the `Email` fields can be listed for each user with the `p4 users` command, and can used for any purpose.

- The `p4 reviews` command, which is used by the P4 Server change review daemon, uses the values in the `Reviews` field. When activated, the change review daemon sends email to users whenever files they’ve subscribed to in the `Reviews` field have changed. Files listed in this field must be specified in depot syntax.
  For example, if user `joe` has a `Reviews` field value of

      //depot/main/...
      //depot/.../README

  the change review daemon sends `joe` an email whenever any `README` file has been submitted, and whenever any file under `//depot/main` has been submitted.

  Another example for the `Reviews` field is:

      //depot/*/relnotes.txt

  to send notification for changes to the relnotes.txt file on all the branches in the depot.

- There is a special setting for job review when used with the P4 Server change review daemon. If you include the value:

      //depot/jobs

  in your `Reviews` field, you will receive email when jobs are changed.

- If you set the `Jobview` field to any valid jobview, jobs matching the jobview appear on any changelists created by this user. Jobs that are fixed by the changelist should be left in the changelist when it’s submitted with `p4 submit`; other jobs should be deleted from the form before submission.

  For example, suppose the jobs at your site have a field called `Owned-By:`. If you set the `Jobview` field on your `p4 user` form to `Owned-By=`yourname`&status=open`, all open jobs owned by you appear on all changelists you create. See `p4 jobs` for a full description of jobview usage and syntax.

## Examples

`p4 user joe` | View the user specification of P4 Server user `joe`.
`p4 user` | Edit the user specification for the current P4 Server user.
`p4 user -d sammy` | Delete the user specification for the P4 Server user `sammy`, but has no effect on `sammy`'s workspace clients.
`p4 user -D sammy` | Previews the deletion of: User `sammy` All of `sammy`'s workspace clients, except those where a user other than `sammy` has files opened
`p4 user -D -y sammy` | Performs the deletion of: user sammy all of `sammy`'s workspace clients, except those where a user other than `sammy` has files opened These deletions cannot be undone.
`p4 user -D -f sammy` | Previews the deletion of: User sammy All of `sammy`'s workspace clients, including those where a user other than `sammy` has files opened
`p4 user -D -f -y sammy` | Performs the deletion of: User sammy All of `sammy`'s workspace clients, including those where a user other than `sammy` has files opened These deletions cannot be undone.
`p4 user -D -F -y sammy` | Performs the deletion of: User sammy All of `sammy`'s workspace clients, including those where a user other than `sammy` has files opened sammy from the protections table and groups These deletions cannot be undone.
`p4 -u joe -P hey submit` | Run `p4 submit` as user `joe`, whose password is `hey`. This command does not work at higher security levels.
`p4 user -f joe2` | Create a new P4 Server user named `joe2` if the caller is a P4 Server superuser, and `joe2` does not already exist as a P4 Server user. If user `joe2` already exists, allow a P4 Server superuser to modify the user’s settings.

## Related commands

To view a list of all P4 Server users | `p4 users`
To change a user’s password | `p4 passwd`
To view a list of users who have subscribed to review particular files | `p4 reviews`
To control how new users are created by changing the `dm.user.noautocreate` configurable | `p4 configure`

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