---
title: "system.security.validateUser"
description: "Tests credentials (username and password) against an authentication profile."
---

# system.security.validateUser

> Tests credentials (username and password) against an authentication profile.

This function is used in **Python Scripting**.

## Description
Tests credentials (username and password) against an authentication profile. Returns a boolean based upon whether or not the authentication profile accepts the credentials. If the authentication profile name is omitted, then the current project's default authentication profile is used.

## Client Permission Restrictions
This scripting function has no [Client Permission](projects\project-properties\project-properties.md#client---permissions) restrictions.

## Syntax (Client)
`system.security.validateUser(username, password, authProfile, timeout)`

### Parameters

|Type|Parameter|Description|
|--|--|--|
|String |`username`| The username to validate.|
|String |`password` | The password for the user.|
|String |`authProfile` | The name of the authentication profile to run against. Optional. Leaving this out will use the project's default profile.|
|Integer|`timeout` | Timeout for client-to-gateway communication. (default: 60,000ms)|
### Returns
**boolean** - false(0) if the user failed to authenticate, true(1) if the username/password was a valid combination.
### Scope
Client

## Syntax (Gateway)
`system.security.validateUser(username, password, authProfile, timeout)`

### Parameters
|Type|Parameter|Description|
|--|--|--|
|String |`username` |User name to validate. Required.|
|String |`password` | User's password. Required.|
|String |`authProfile` | Authorization profile to user for validation.|
|Integer|`timeout`| Not used in gateway scripts.|
### Returns
**boolean** - True if valid username/password combination.
### Scope
Gateway

## Code Examples
```python title="Example #1"
# This would require the current user to enter their password again before proceeding.
  
currentUser = system.security.getUsername()
password = system.gui.passwordBox("Confirm Password")
valid = system.security.validateUser(currentUser, password)
if valid:
   # do something
else:
   system.gui.errorBox("Incorrect password")
```