---
title: 'Tutorial: Using the Command Line to Bulk Update User Configurations'
canonical: https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/tutorial--bulk-update-user-configurations/
product: Access Server Docs
description: Bulk edit user configurations in Access Server 3.0 using the API or confdba. Export, modify, and reimport settings ot update multiple users at once.
---

# Tutorial: Using the Command Line to Bulk Update User Configurations

## Overview

This tutorial explains how to bulk edit user configurations in Access Server 3.x. You can update multiple users at once by exporting their configurations, modifying the data, and importing them back using either the Web API or the `confdba` tool.

## Prerequisites

- Access Server 3.0.x installed.
- Console access and the ability to get root privileges.
- (Optional) A remote machine for running API calls.
- Existing Access Server user accounts.

## Option 1: Bulk edit using the Web API

Access Server 3.0 introduces new API endpoints for managing user properties and access rules in bulk:

- `/userprop/set` — Set user properties.
- `/userprop/access/set` — Set user access control rules.

This tutorial uses the `sacli apicall` command, but you can also use cURL or the Swagger UI. Refer to [Tutorial: Test the New Web API (OpenAPI) in Access Server 3.0](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/tutorial--test-the-new-web-api--openapi--in-access-server-3-0.md).

### 1.1 Edit user properties

**Example Goal**

- `brandonqa`: local auth + admin privileges
- `laurenqa`: autologin enabled

1. Connect to the Access Server console and get root privileges.
2. Create a JSON file:

   ```
   nano userpropset.json
   ```
3. Add the following data to this new file:

   ```
   [
       {"name": "brandonqa","auth_method": "local","admin": "true"},
       {"name": "laurenqa","autologin": "true"}
   ]
   ```
4. Save and exit (`Ctrl+x`, `y`, `Enter`).
5. Apply the changes:

   ```
   sacli --value_file "/root/userpropset.json" --method POST --url 'api/userprop/set' apicall
   ```
6. Verify:

   ```
   sacli UserPropGet
   ```

   - Example output:

     ```
       "brandonqa": {
         "prop_superuser": "true",
         "type": "user_compile",
         "user_auth_type": "local"
       },
       "laurenqa": {
         "prop_autologin": "true",
         "type": "user_connect"
     ```

   > **Tip**
   >
   > We are storing the script in the `root` directory.
   >
   > If you want to perform API calls via the cURL command or using the embedded Swagger UI, refer to [Tutorial: Test the New Web API (OpenAPI) in Access Server 3.0](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/tutorial--test-the-new-web-api--openapi--in-access-server-3-0.md), and use the content of `userpropset.json file` as the data/schema values.

### 1.2 Edit access control rules

**Example Goal**

- `brandonqa`: Allow access to **192.0.2.10** via **NAT**.
- `laurenqa`: Allow access to **192.0.2.20** via **ROUTE**.

1. Create the JSON file:

   ```
   nano userpropacl.json
   ```
2. Add:

   ```
   {
     "items_set": [
       {
         "username": "brandonqa",
         "access_route": {
           "type": "nat",
           "accept": true,
           "subnet": {
             "netip": "192.0.2.10",
             "prefix_length": 32,
             "ipv6": false,
             "service": []
           }
         },
         "type": "access_to_ipv4"
       },
       {
         "username": "laurenqa",
         "access_route": {
           "type": "route",
           "accept": true,
           "subnet": {
             "netip": "192.0.2.20",
             "prefix_length": 32,
             "ipv6": false,
             "service": []
           }
         },
         "type": "access_to_ipv4"
       }
     ]
   }
   ```
3. Save and exit (`Ctrl+x`, `y`, `Enter`).
4. Apply the changes:

   ```
   sacli --value_file "/root/userpropacl.json" --method POST --url 'api/userprop/access/set' apicall
   ```
5. Verify:

   ```
   sacli UserPropGet
   ```

   - Example output:

     ```
       "brandonqa": {
         "access_to.0": "+NAT:192.0.2.10",
         "prop_superuser": "true",
         "type": "user_compile",
         "user_auth_type": "local"
       },
       "laurenqa": {
         "access_to.0": "+ROUTE:192.0.2.20",
         "prop_autologin": "true",
         "type": "user_compile"
     ```

   > **Tip**
   >
   > We are storing the script in the `root` directory.
   >
   > If you want to perform API calls via the cURL command or using the embedded Swagger UI, refer to [Tutorial: Test the New Web API (OpenAPI) in Access Server 3.0](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/tutorial--test-the-new-web-api--openapi--in-access-server-3-0.md), and use the content of `userpropset.json file` as the data/schema values.

## Option 2: Bulk edit using confdba

> **Tip**
>
> This method also works for previous Access Server versions.

**Example Goal**

- `brandonqa`: Allow access to **192.0.2.10** via **NAT**.
- `laurenqa`: Allow access to **192.0.2.20** via **ROUTE**.

1. Export the current user configuration:

   ```
   sacli UserPropGet > userprop.json
   ```
2. Edit `userprop.json` using `nano`, or copy it to a remote machine for editing.
3. Modify the file by adding the necessary access rules. Example modified file:

   ```
   {
     "__DEFAULT__": {
       "prop_autogenerate": "true",
       "type": "user_default"
     },
     "brandonqa": {
       "access_to.0": "+NAT:192.0.2.10",
       "type": "user_compile"
     },
     "laurenqa": {
       "access_to.0": "+ROUTE:192.0.2.20",
       "type": "user_compile"
     },
     "openvpn": {
       "prop_superuser": "true",
       "pvt_password_digest": "...",
       "type": "user_compile",
       "user_auth_type": "local"
     }
   }
   ```
4. Apply the updated file:

   ```
   /usr/local/openvpn_as/scripts/confdba -ulf /root/userprop.json
   ```
5. Verify the changes:

   ```
   sacli UserPropGet
   ```

---

Prev: [Tutorial: Test the New Web API (OpenAPI) in Access Server 3.0](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/tutorial--test-the-new-web-api--openapi--in-access-server-3-0.md)
Next: [Access Server Portal Account](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/v3/tutorials/access-server-portal-account.md)
Index: https://openvpn.net/as-docs/llms.txt