How to Fix the "authentication failed" Error When Connecting to PostgreSQL?

When connecting to a Vultr Managed Database for PostgreSQL, you may encounter an error like:

psql: FATAL:  password authentication failed for user "<username>"

This happens when PostgreSQL cannot verify your login credentials. It can occur if the username or password in your connection string does not match your cluster’s credentials, if you are connecting to a different cluster than the one your user belongs to, or if the host, port, or other connection parameters are incorrect.

To verify your connection settings, follow these steps:

• In the Vultr Console, open your PostgreSQL Managed Database cluster and confirm the host, port, database name, username, and password from the Connection Details section in the Overview page.
• For accuracy, Copy the Connection String directly from the Vultr Console and use it in your client or application.
• To reset the password for a user, navigate to Users & Databases, locate the target user in the Users section, and click Reset Password. Update your connection string with the new password.
• If you have multiple PostgreSQL clusters, ensure you are using the correct host and port for the intended cluster.
• If the error persists, check Allowed IPs in the Trusted Sources section of the Overview page, and add your current IP address before retrying.