How to Fix an "AUTH failed" Error When Connecting to Valkey?

If you encounter the following error when connecting to your Vultr Managed Valkey Database:

AUTH failed: WRONGPASS invalid username-password pair or user is disabled.

It indicates an issue with your authentication credentials or connection method. This error can occur due to an incorrect password, wrong username, using a non-TLS connection, or if the database is not fully operational. To resolve the issue:

• Use the correct connection string: Copy the connection string directly from the Vultr Console. Valkey requires a secure URI format for connections. It should look like:

  rediss://<username>:<password>@<hostname>:<port>

  Important

  rediss:// indicates a TLS-encrypted connection. Non-TLS URIs (redis://) will fail authentication.

• Connect using redis-cli: Provide the full URI with the -u flag:

  CONSOLE

  Copy

  $ redis-cli -u rediss://<username>:<password>@<hostname>:<port>

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  This ensures the client uses the correct protocol, host, port, username, and password.

• Verify the database state: Ensure your Valkey database is Running and fully operational. Databases in states such as Rebalancing or Rebuilding will not accept connections and may produce authentication errors.

For more details on retrieving Valkey database credentials, refer to the Valkey Connection Details guide.