Signoz First Admin User Setup
Problem
When trying to register via API, you get:
{
"status": "error",
"errorType": "bad_data",
"error": "An invitation is needed to create an account. Please ask your admin (the person who has first installed SIgNoz) to send an invite."
}
Root Cause
Signoz requires the first admin account to be created through the UI, not via API. This is a security feature - the first user must be created manually through the web interface.
Solution
Option 1: Create First User via UI (Recommended)
- Open Signoz UI: http://localhost:3301
- You should see "Create Account" page (not signup page)
- Fill in the form:
- Name
- Organization Name
- Password
- Click "Get Started"
- You'll be automatically granted Admin role
Option 2: Reset Signoz Database (If UI Doesn't Show Create Account)
If the UI shows "Login" instead of "Create Account", it means there's existing data. Reset it:
# Stop Signoz services
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml stop signoz-query-service signoz-frontend
# Remove the SQLite database volume
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml down -v signoz-query-service
# Or manually remove the volume
docker volume rm football-booking-backend-boilerplate_signoz-data
# Restart services
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up -d signoz-query-service signoz-frontend
After reset, the UI should show "Create Account" page.
Option 3: Check if User Already Exists
If you think you already created a user but forgot the password:
- Try to login at http://localhost:3301/login
- Or reset the database (Option 2 above)
How Signoz User Management Works
First User (Admin)
- Created via UI only
- Automatically gets Admin role
- No invitation needed
Subsequent Users
- Must be invited by an Admin
- Admin creates invite link: Settings → Organization Settings → Invite Users
- Invitees use the link to create their account
- Can be assigned roles: Admin, Editor, or Viewer
Verification
After creating the first user:
- Login to Signoz: http://localhost:3301/login
- You should see the dashboard
- Check user role: Settings → Profile (should show "Admin")
- You can now invite other users if needed
Troubleshooting
UI Shows "Login" Instead of "Create Account"
Cause: Signoz database already has user data.
Fix: Reset the database (see Option 2 above).
Can't Access UI at All
- Check if services are running:
bash
docker ps | grep signoz
- Check nginx proxy:
bash
docker logs football-booking-backend-boilerplate-infrastructure-nginx-proxy-1
- Check frontend:
bash docker logs football-booking-backend-boilerplate-signoz-frontend-1
Registration Still Fails After Reset
- Clear browser cache/cookies for localhost:3301
- Try incognito/private window
- Check browser console for errors
- Verify nginx proxy is routing correctly
Quick Reset Script
#!/bin/bash
# Reset Signoz to allow first user creation
echo "Stopping Signoz services..."
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml stop signoz-query-service signoz-frontend
echo "Removing Signoz data volume..."
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml down -v signoz-query-service
echo "Restarting services..."
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up -d signoz-query-service signoz-frontend
echo "Waiting for services to start..."
sleep 10
echo "✅ Signoz reset complete!"
echo "Open http://localhost:3301 to create your first admin account"
Save as scripts/reset-signoz.sh and run:
chmod +x scripts/reset-signoz.sh
./scripts/reset-signoz.sh
Notes
- The first user creation is a one-time setup
- After the first user is created, all subsequent users need invitations
- The SQLite database stores user data in the
signoz-datavolume - Resetting the database will delete all users, dashboards, and alerts