Modify and Reset Root Password

The default administrator username in FastGPT is root. Starting from version v4.17.3, FastGPT introduces an account activation mechanism and a built-in password reset command-line tool. It removes the legacy behavior of overwriting the administrator password on every container restart via the DEFAULT_ROOT_PSW environment variable, improving the security of administrator accounts.

This guide explains how to change or reset the root password across different scenarios.

Scenario 1: Initial Deployment Login and Activation

In version v4.17.3 and later, newly created FastGPT instances have a fixed default initial password of 123456, and the account is initially set to inactive.

1. Open the FastGPT web access address in your browser.
2. Sign in with the administrator credentials:
   • Username: root
   • Initial Password: 123456
3. After logging in, a non-dismissible Activate Account dialog will appear, requiring you to set a new password.
4. Enter and confirm your new password to complete activation. Once activated, the system becomes available for normal use. Keep your new password in a safe place.

Scenario 2: Regular Password Updates in the Web UI

If you know the current password and are currently logged in, you can update your password directly through the web interface:

1. Sign in to the FastGPT platform as root.
2. Click your user avatar in the upper right corner to navigate to Account Info.
3. Under the security settings section, locate Change Password and open the modal dialog.
4. Enter your current password (old password) and the new password, then save your changes.
5. The new password takes effect immediately.

Scenario 3: Resetting Password via CLI When Forgotten

If you forget the root password and cannot log into the web interface, you can run the built-in password reset script directly inside the FastGPT application container.

This script connects directly to MongoDB to update the password digest. It does not require restarting the service container and will not interrupt running tasks.

1. Docker Compose Deployments

Navigate to the deployment directory containing docker-compose.yml on your server and run:

docker compose exec fastgpt-app node /app/scripts/reset-root-password.cjs 'your_new_password'

If you are using an older Docker Compose version (standalone binary), replace docker compose with docker-compose:

docker-compose exec fastgpt-app node /app/scripts/reset-root-password.cjs 'your_new_password'

2. Standalone Docker Container

If running FastGPT with docker run, execute the command using the container name or ID:

docker exec -it <container_name_or_id> node /app/scripts/reset-root-password.cjs 'your_new_password'

3. Kubernetes / Helm Deployments

In a Kubernetes cluster, run the command inside the FastGPT Pod using kubectl exec:

kubectl exec -it <fastgpt-pod-name> -n <namespace> -- node /app/scripts/reset-root-password.cjs 'your_new_password'

Verification

When the operation succeeds, the terminal outputs:

root 密码已重置

Existing sessions will no longer be valid after the reset, and you can immediately log into the web interface using the new password.

Scenario 4: Legacy Versions (v4.17.2 and Earlier)

For version v4.17.2 and earlier, the built-in CLI script is not available, and the root password is controlled by environment variables:

1. Open docker-compose.yml in your deployment directory.
2. Locate the DEFAULT_ROOT_PSW environment variable (or the x-default-root-psw YAML anchor) and update its value to your desired password.
3. Restart the FastGPT service to apply the change:

   docker compose down
   docker compose up -d

4. During container startup, the database root password will be automatically updated to the value specified in the environment variable.