ArgoCD: Get Default (Initial) Admin Password

The first time you deploy an ArgoCD application to a Kubernetes cluster, it creates an initial default administrator account, that can be used to access the ArgoCD using a user interface (UI) or over a command-line interface (CLI).

The ArgoCD stores the initial password for the default admin account in a Kubernetes Secret resource, named argocd-initial-admin-secret.

This short note shows how to get the default (initial) admin password for the ArgoCD.

Cool Tip: How to reset or change ArgoCD admin password! Read more →

Default Admin Password

The ArgoCD default username is admin.

By default, the ArgoCD is deployed to the argocd Namespace.

To print the initial ArgoCD password, execute the following command:

$ kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret \
          -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 -d; echo
- sample output -
RCUmfqHpZrwHXUUt

The command above retrieves the initial base64-encoded ArgoCD password from the argocd-initial-admin-secret Secret resource in the argocd Namespace and decodes it.

Cool Tip: Forcefully delete a stuck ArgoCD application! Read more →

To change the ArgoCD admin password, execute:

$  argocd account update-password
- sample output -
*** Enter password of currently logged in user (admin):
*** Enter new password for user admin:
*** Confirm new password for user admin:
Password updated
Context '<ARGOCD_URL>' updated

⚠️ Warning! ArgoCD stores only bcrypt-ed hashes of the passwords. So if the password is lost – it cannot be recovered. You will only be able to reset it.