[role="xpack"]
[[security-api-get-user]]
=== Get users API
++++
<titleabbrev>Get users</titleabbrev>
++++

Retrieves information about users in the native realm and built-in users. 


[[security-api-get-user-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`GET /_security/user` +

`GET /_security/user/<username>` 

[[security-api-get-user-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

* To use this API, you must have at least the `manage_security` cluster privilege.


[[security-api-get-user-desc]]
==== {api-description-title}

For more information about the native realm, see 
{stack-ov}/realms.html[Realms] and <<configuring-native-realm>>. 

[[security-api-get-user-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

`username`::
  (Optional, string) An identifier for the user. You can specify multiple
  usernames as a comma-separated list. If you omit this parameter, the API
  retrieves information about all users.

[[security-api-get-user-response-body]]
==== {api-response-body-title}

A successful call returns an array of users with the JSON representation of the
users. Note that user passwords are not included.

[[security-api-get-user-response-codes]]
==== {api-response-codes-title}

If the user is not defined in the `native` realm, the request 404s.

[[security-api-get-user-example]]
==== {api-examples-title}

To retrieve a native user, submit a GET request to the `/_security/user/<username>`
endpoint:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
GET /_security/user/jacknich
--------------------------------------------------
// CONSOLE
// TEST[setup:jacknich_user]

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
{  
  "jacknich": {
    "username": "jacknich",
    "roles": [
      "admin", "other_role1"
    ],
    "full_name": "Jack Nicholson",
    "email": "jacknich@example.com",
    "metadata": { "intelligence" : 7 },
    "enabled": true
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------
// CONSOLE
// TESTRESPONSE

Omit the username to retrieve all users:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
GET /_security/user
--------------------------------------------------
// CONSOLE
// TEST[continued]