---
title: Unique Characters Password Validator
description: The Unique Characters Password Validator is used to determine whether a proposed password is acceptable based on the number of unique characters that it contains.
component: pingds
version: 8.1
page_id: pingds:configref:objects-unique-characters-password-validator
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/configref/objects-unique-characters-password-validator.html
section_ids:
  parent: Parent
  unique_characters_password_validator_properties: Unique Characters Password Validator properties
  basic_properties: Basic properties
  case-sensitive-validation: case-sensitive-validation
  enabled: enabled
  min-unique-characters: min-unique-characters
  advanced_properties: Advanced properties
  java-class: java-class
---

# Unique Characters Password Validator

The Unique Characters Password Validator is used to determine whether a proposed password is acceptable based on the number of unique characters that it contains.

This validator can be used to prevent simple passwords that contain only a few characters like "aabbcc" or "abcabc".

## Parent

The Unique Characters Password Validator object inherits from [Password Validator](objects-password-validator.html).

## Unique Characters Password Validator properties

You can use configuration expressions to set property values at startup time. For details, see [Property value substitution](expressions.html).

| Basic Properties                                                                                                            | Advanced Properties       |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- |
| [case-sensitive-validation](#case-sensitive-validation) [enabled](#enabled) [min-unique-characters](#min-unique-characters) | [java-class](#java-class) |

### Basic properties

Use the `--advanced` option to access advanced properties.

### case-sensitive-validation

|                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| *Synopsis*              | Indicates whether this password validator should treat password characters in a case-sensitive manner.                                                                                                                                                                             |
| *Description*           | A value of true indicates that the validator does not consider a capital letter to be the same as its lower-case counterpart. A value of false indicates that the validator ignores differences in capitalization when looking at the number of unique characters in the password. |
| *Default value*         | None                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| *Allowed values*        | truefalse                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| *Multi-valued*          | No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| *Required*              | Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| *Admin action required* | None                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| *Advanced*              | No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| *Read-only*             | No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

### enabled

|                         |                                                              |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| *Synopsis*              | Indicates whether the password validator is enabled for use. |
| *Default value*         | None                                                         |
| *Allowed values*        | truefalse                                                    |
| *Multi-valued*          | No                                                           |
| *Required*              | Yes                                                          |
| *Admin action required* | None                                                         |
| *Advanced*              | No                                                           |
| *Read-only*             | No                                                           |

### min-unique-characters

|                         |                                                                                               |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| *Synopsis*              | Specifies the minimum number of unique characters that a password will be allowed to contain. |
| *Description*           | A value of zero indicates that no minimum value is enforced.                                  |
| *Default value*         | None                                                                                          |
| *Allowed values*        | An integer.Lower limit: 0.                                                                    |
| *Multi-valued*          | No                                                                                            |
| *Required*              | Yes                                                                                           |
| *Admin action required* | None                                                                                          |
| *Advanced*              | No                                                                                            |
| *Read-only*             | No                                                                                            |

## Advanced properties

Use the `--advanced` option to access advanced properties.

### java-class

|                         |                                                                                                           |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| *Synopsis*              | Specifies the fully-qualified name of the Java class that provides the password validator implementation. |
| *Default value*         | org.opends.server.extensions.UniqueCharactersPasswordValidator                                            |
| *Allowed values*        | A Java class that extends or implements:- org.opends.server.api.PasswordValidator                         |
| *Multi-valued*          | No                                                                                                        |
| *Required*              | Yes                                                                                                       |
| *Admin action required* | The object must be disabled and re-enabled for changes to take effect.                                    |
| *Advanced*              | Yes                                                                                                       |
| *Read-only*             | No                                                                                                        |