# Understanding PostgreSQL roles and permissions
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When you create an RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance using the AWS Management Console, an administrator account is created at the same time. By default, its name is `postgres`, as shown in the following screenshot:

![\[The default login identity for Credentials in the Create database page is postgres.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/images/default-login-identity-apg-rpg.png)


You can choose another name rather than accept the default (`postgres`). If you do, the name you choose must start with a letter and be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. For simplicity's sake, we refer to this main user account by its default value (`postgres`) throughout this guide.

If you use the `create-db-instance` AWS CLI rather than the AWS Management Console, you create the name by passing it with the `master-username` parameter in the command. For more information, see [Creating an Amazon RDS DB instance](USER_CreateDBInstance.md). 

Whether you use the AWS Management Console, the AWS CLI, or the Amazon RDS API, and whether you use the default `postgres` name or choose a different name, this first database user account is a member of the `rds_superuser` group and has `rds_superuser` privileges.

**Topics**
+ [Understanding the rds\$1superuser role](Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.Roles.rds_superuser.md)
+ [Controlling user access to the PostgreSQL database](Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.Access.md)
+ [Delegating and controlling user password management](Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.RestrictPasswordMgmt.md)
+ [Using SCRAM for PostgreSQL password encryption](PostgreSQL_Password_Encryption_configuration.md)