ALTER_USER(7pg17)

💅 ALTER_USER 💅

ok so this is a 7 page from the PostgreSQL 17.11 docs, and yes bestie, the name is literally ALTER_USER — it's the one that changes a database role ✨

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

here's the whole menu, verbatim, no cap — copy it exactly:

ALTER USER role_specification [ WITH ] option [ ... ]

where option can be:

      SUPERUSER | NOSUPERUSER
    | CREATEDB | NOCREATEDB
    | CREATEROLE | NOCREATEROLE
    | INHERIT | NOINHERIT
    | LOGIN | NOLOGIN
    | REPLICATION | NOREPLICATION
    | BYPASSRLS | NOBYPASSRLS
    | CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit
    | [ ENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD 'password' | PASSWORD NULL
    | VALID UNTIL 'timestamp'

ALTER USER name RENAME TO new_name

ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] SET configuration_parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] SET configuration_parameter FROM CURRENT
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] RESET configuration_parameter
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] RESET ALL

where role_specification can be:

    role_name
  | CURRENT_ROLE
  | CURRENT_USER
  | SESSION_USER

🎀 the option menu, in vibes 🎀

ok so every flag comes as a lil on/off duo — the plain one and the NO-one. iconic honestly:

• SUPERUSER / NOSUPERUSER — the yes flavor / the no flavor 👑
• CREATEDB / NOCREATEDB — yes / no 🍓
• CREATEROLE / NOCREATEROLE — yes / no 🦋
• INHERIT / NOINHERIT — yes / no 💜
• LOGIN / NOLOGIN — yes / no 🔥
• REPLICATION / NOREPLICATION — yes / no 🌈
• BYPASSRLS / NOBYPASSRLS — yes / no 💀
• CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit — sets a connlimit value, main character energy
• [ ENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD 'password' — like, ENCRYPTED is optional in brackets, and the password goes in 'password'
• PASSWORD NULL — the other password option, exactly as written
• VALID UNTIL 'timestamp' — with a 'timestamp' 🌸

🫶 the rename moment 🫶

ALTER USER name RENAME TO new_name

⭐ the per-database config era ⭐

all four of these take { role_specification | ALL } and an optional [ IN DATABASE database_name ]:

ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] SET configuration_parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] SET configuration_parameter FROM CURRENT
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] RESET configuration_parameter
ALTER USER { role_specification | ALL } [ IN DATABASE database_name ] RESET ALL

like, SET ... { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }, or SET ... FROM CURRENT, or RESET configuration_parameter, or just RESET ALL. pick your fighter 💅

🧚 role_specification, explained (sort of) 🧚

role_specification is literally one of these four, no more no less:

• role_name
• CURRENT_ROLE
• CURRENT_USER
• SESSION_USER

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

ok so the whole plot twist: ALTER USER is now an alias for ALTER ROLE. that's it. that's the tea 😭 it's giving "we renamed the group chat but it's the same people."

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💖 COMPATIBILITY 💖

the ALTER USER statement is a PostgreSQL extension ngl — the SQL standard just leaves the definition of users to the implementation. so like, standards said "you figure it out bestie" 🙈

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• ALTER ROLE — that's ALTER_ROLE(7) 🫶 go read it, iykyk

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fr fr keep the flags exactly as written — ENCRYPTED is in brackets, PASSWORD NULL is its own thing, and connlimit / 'password' / 'timestamp' are placeholders, not literal text 💀

ok that's the whole page, go slay 💅✨

PostgreSQL 17.11 · dated 2026 · ALTER USER(7) — mwah, signed off, periodt 🎀🦋